Luna Aleksa's Escape

1. Things aren't always as they seem.

Aleksa POV

The sun beat down on my back as my feet pounded the pavement. I’d decided to go for a run in the park between appointments. I loved running in the park. There was something cathartic about the green grass, the trees, and hearing the birds chirping and bees buzzing while I ran along, pushing my twins in the stroller. It was a great way to get the twins, Liam and Layla, to sleep. I’d started running after the twin’s birth. It was relaxing, and I’d gained some weight while pregnant. Honestly, I wanted my pre-baby body back.

I’d met Lachlan — my husband and fated mate, just over two years ago, and we married and had children straight away. We had the perfect relationship. We lived in the Evergreen Pack, one of the biggest packs on the East Coast. Lachlan’s reputation as a fierce leader instilled fear in many, especially the other packs with which we had an alliance.

He was the perfect partner, attentive, caring, thoughtful, and overprotective — as most alphas tended to be. We had a close relationship with the other ranked members of our pack. Our Beta Sam and his mate, Eva, were our best friends. We did almost everything together. My Gamma, Caleb and his mate Kali were part of our inner circle. Although at the Evergreen Pack, everyone was polite to one another, and we treated everyone with kindness and dignity, regardless of rank.

Recently I'd started taking Liam and Layla to the pack daycare center, as I’d just started back at work. I worked as a Realtor, and that’s actually how I met Lachlan, to begin with.

Lachlan was preparing to take over from his father as the pack’s alpha. They were acquiring some commercial properties in town, as well as expanding their territory. I was a newbie realtor and tasked with ensuring it all ran smoothly. I didn’t expect that I would meet my mate. Everything had moved so fast from the moment we laid eyes on one another. And then, before I knew it, the twins were here.

I finished my run, placed the twins in their car seats, put the stroller in the car's trunk, and set off to our next destination. I planned to surprise Lachlan with a romantic evening. He was busy with pack-related business — but I planned to coax him into taking the rest of the afternoon off. These days, we rarely seemed to find time together, and I was hoping to rekindle the romance in our relationship. Sam had helped me to plan the afternoon to ensure that there would be no pressing matters for Lachlan to attend to or distractions.

Once I dropped the twins off at the pack daycare, I jumped back into the car. Despite being a hot mess, the run was worth it. I felt a lot more relaxed. I made my way back to the pack house as I needed to have a quick shower before my beauty appointment. Then it was time to put my plan into action.

***

I'd gone to the beauty salon and got a quick Brazilian wax to make sure I looked my best. Since having the twins, my confidence took a hit because of my height disadvantage, being only five feet four. I struggled to shed the last bit of baby weight, which made me feel even more self-conscious about my body.

It had come to my attention that my long, dark brown hair and sapphire blue eyes had become unusually dull. I’d even noticed my mating mark had slowly faded, only slightly, but enough for me to notice it. I desperately needed this pampering.

After my appointment, I drove home to get changed into my sexy red dress and my lacy black lingerie that I purchased earlier that week. I hoped Lachlan appreciated the effort I’d gone to for him. I couldn’t wait to have some real alone time with him. It was long overdue.

“Ooh,” I cried out, clutching my chest. “Ouch.” I had been getting this chest pain all morning. The pack doctor had told me it was anxiety-related. But it wasn’t intense enough to change my plans.

Not tonight. Please let tonight go according to plan. We need this.

My wolf whimpered.

My wolf’s name was Amber. She had been unusually quiet the past year or so. She’d become more distant since the pain increased in intensity. I’d been so busy with everything; pups, work, luna duties, that I hadn’t paid her as much attention as I should’ve.

Upon reaching the pack house, the pain intensified. I slowly got out of the car. The pack house was strangely quiet for this time of day. As I ascended the stairs, I heard loud moaning sounds. Someone was getting intimate, and they weren’t shy about it. I chuckled to myself. I heard a bed banging against the wall. Continuing my journey to our room, I noticed the sounds getting louder.

Then I heard it. Lachlan speaking intimately to someone. A feminine voice moaned an inaudible reply. My ears perked up as I heard something that grabbed my attention.

“Promise me you will make me your Luna Lachlan!” Eva screamed.

“I will Eva! Oh, that’s it! Faster baby, faster. Right there. f**k!” Lachlan groaned as I heard him reach his c****x.

My mate was having s*x with my best friend.

And then I saw it. I saw her through the half-open door.

I saw Eva grinding on top of my mate.

I stood there in horror. The very sight of them both made me sick to my stomach. My heart instantly broke into a million pieces at the sight of their betrayal. I was in a state of shock. My heart was frantically racing. I was in disbelief. Realizing that they hadn’t detected my presence, I slowly descended the stairs and silently departed the pack house. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me into the woods, where I collapsed and cried until I couldn’t cry anymore.

I didn’t know what to do. My entire world, as I knew it, was collapsing before me. Everything I thought was real was a lie. My mate didn’t love me. How could he when he was clearly in love with Eva? My best friend wasn’t my best friend. How could she do this to me? How can they do this to my children — oh my goddess, my pups! I had to think this through and I couldn’t let on what I knew. I needed to make a plan that would protect my precious pups from the fallout.

What if they tried to take my children from me? Would Lachlan let me leave?

Liam was his heir — destined to take over as alpha one day.

He wouldn’t let me take the children.

What was their plan?

Lachlan said he would make Eva the pack’s Luna — what did that mean for me? Would he reject me? Or would he expect to have both of us at his side? Did Sam know? Surely not — as he helped me plan this afternoon.

Oh, my goddess Sam!

He must be feeling this betrayal, too.

When a fated mate was intimate with someone who wasn’t their fated mate, their mate felt heartbreak and intense physical pain. It felt like your heart was being ripped out of your chest. Like you couldn’t breathe and you’re suffocating.

I’d been experiencing this pain for over two years now and it was wearing me down physically. I’d thought the pain I had been experiencing since I was pregnant was related to my pups growing inside me. And then, after the birth, I figured the pain was related to the traumatic delivery. At least that was what the pack doctor had told me. Never in my wildest dreams did I think my mate was cheating on me. I felt like such a fool.

I couldn’t linger on this. I needed to smarten up. I had no choice but to play along and act like I didn’t know what was happening. For the time being.

***

Once I’d picked myself up and had stopped crying, I mind-linked Sam to cancel my romantic plans with Lachlan. I told him I wasn’t feeling well and asked if we could reschedule. Sam was understanding. He wasn’t feeling well either, so exchanged well wishes and left it at that.

I’d picked up Liam and Layla from the pack daycare and stopped in at the local grocery store to pick up some food for dinner. The cooking staff at the pack house had the responsibility of preparing meals, and usually, the omegas were the ones assigned to the task. But I loved to cook for my family, so I used the kitchen down the hall from our suite sometimes. I drove toward the pack house, my heart hammering in my chest, my mind racing at a hundred miles an hour, running through my options.

Lachlan wasn’t home when we arrived, and I was thankful for that. I couldn’t face him at that moment. I set about making the twins dinner. After dinner, I bathed them and put them in their matching pajamas. After reading them some stories, the twins fell asleep. I had a bath and then head to bed. Lachlan wouldn’t be back until late, as they had a pack leader’s meeting. The meetings usually took most of the night.

As I lay in bed that night, I went through my options.

Knowing what I know, would I stay here in the pack and try to make it work? Would I try to win my husband back from the clutches of my deceitful and disingenuous friend? Would I pack all our belongings and take the twins away from this place to where we can start afresh? But that would take them away from their father. Could I do that? He had never laid a hand on them. Although to be honest, he spent no time with them, anyway.

I knew I could no longer stay here.

So many questions were running through my mind. I was exhausted, so I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.