I will be your ex

Rachel’s POV

I woke up to the unfamiliar feeling of warmth, the kind that didn’t come from a cold, lifeless palace but from something… safe.

I forced myself up, my eyes scanning the environment. “What the fuck was going on? Where am I?”

I sat up, my body still aching, and found the man from before sitting in a chair across from me. His piercing eyes watched me carefully, arms crossed over his broad chest.

“You’re awake,” he said simply.

I swallowed, gripping the blanket around me. “Where am I?”

“My home,” he answered, leaning forward. “A place Aaron won’t find you.”

I nodded, my eyes still scanning the room until it finally hit me. My son was still with Davina. 

“My son,” I shouted, turning to him. “I have to get my son from them.”

He stood up, placing his hands in his pocket. “What are you talking about? Is he holding your son captive?”

“I need to go back,” I blurted, ignoring his question, trying to swing my legs over the bed. Pain shot through my ribs, I stumbled to the floor. 

He rushed over to me, helping me up. “You are not fully recovered, you have to rest.” He said, his voice laced with concern. 

I stared at him for a while, confused. I don't know why I feel so drawn to him.  Why do I feel like I know this man–intimately. 

 I shook my head, moving the thought aside. 

“Aaron has my son,” I cried out, grabbing his shirt collar. “And you want me to relax?”

“I know Aaron has your son.”

My jaws dropped open slightly. How does this man know this? No one in my pack knows that I was even pregnant. 

It doesn't matter anyway, this man knows that the child with Aaron is mine. And that is what matters. 

“You know that Davina's child is actually mine?* 

He nodded. “I did my research.”

“Good, you can help me, get him back,” I smiled, pulling him up, but he didn't bulge. “Please help me get my son back."

The man sighed, shaking his head. “If you go back, Aaron will kill you.”

“I don’t care!” I snapped, my voice breaking. “He’s my child. I can’t leave him with them!”

The man stood up, I swallowed hard, taking few steps back. 

He stared at me, as though thinking of what to say. His piercing gaze sending shivers down my spine.

“And what will you do? Walk into the palace and demand for your child, You won’t make it past the gates.”

Tears burned my eyes, but I clenched my fists. “I have to try, I don't care if you help me or not,” I snapped, walking away.

“How far do you think you can go?” He said, his loud deep voice stopping me in my tracks. 

“No one in your pack knew that you were pregnant, only the servants knew that you existed but Davina, everyone knew her as the Luna of the pack for years, she attended balls, meetings with him, how could you be so blind to fall for his tricks?” he eyed.

I fell to my knees, tears flowing down freely. He was right, I did see the signs but I was just too blinded by my love to believe that Aaron and Davina were actually in a relationship. 

How could I be so stupid to end up here?

He walked closer to me, stopping by my side. “It seems like you don't know who I am, my name's Valtor—”

I didn't let him finish. “The lycan Alpha?” I stuttered, my eyes widened in fear as I turned to him.

My heart stopped. The Lycan Alpha? The name itself was legend. 

“You… You’re the Lycan Alpha?” 

He nodded.

I forced a smile, clasping my hands together. “Please,” I pleaded. “Help me get my son back.”

He turned his head to me, his face showing no expressions. “I can help you get your son back. But on one condition.”

I nodded.  “Anything.”

He walked over to a drawer, pulled out a small framed picture, and handed it to me.

I gasped.

The woman in the photo… looked exactly like me.

Pale skin, dark hair, the same eyes that stared back at me from the mirror. It was as if I were looking at my own reflection.

I shook my head, my breath catching. “I… I don’t understand.”

He exhaled deeply. “That was my wife. She was murdered.”

I looked up at him, confusion and unease swirling in my chest. “I’m not her.”

“I know,” he said quietly. “But the people who killed her don’t.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. “You… you want me to pretend to be her?”

His nodded, his face calm like he is asking me to do the most natural thing possible. “I need to find the people responsible. They think she’s dead. But if you walk in as her… they might make a mistake.”

A cold chill ran down my spine. “That’s insane.”

“Maybe,” he admitted. “But it’s also your only chance. If you want to get your son back, you need my help.”

I clenched my jaw. The idea was ridiculous, dangerous. But was I really in a position to refuse?

My son.

I had no power, no allies, no way of reaching him. But this man did.

I looked down at the picture again, then back at him.

“I–I can't do it,” I stuttered, shaking my head in refusal.

His smirk returned. “Your choice, good luck getting your son back,” he leaned closer. “I usually don't give second chances, if I walk out that door, you are on your own,” He said and walked away.

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding. I know I can't get my son back alone, I had no power and Aaron has become the second strongest alpha in the world. This man was my only hope. 

“Wait,” the words came out immediately, I turned to him. “I do not only want my son back, I want to burn everything Aaron has to the ground, I want to take back everything I gave him, Can you help me do that?”

He turned his head to the side. “Trust me, I will move mountains to get what I want, yours is nothing.”

I nodded, my eyes falling back to the picture in my hands. 

She looked exactly like me, nothing was different. I just have to pretend to be like her for a few days and I will get my revenge on Aaron as a reward and get my son back.

It was like killing two birds with one stone. 

I turned back to him, a mixture of rage and determination flaring through my bones. 

“We have a deal.”