Betrayed By Two Alphas:Bound By One Fate

Chapter 5

Aurora’s POV

“Freedom!”

I dropped onto the bed in my new apartment, arms spread wide. The mattress bounced beneath me as I stared at the ceiling and let out a long, happy sigh. No more pretending. No more fake smiles or heavy expectations. Just me, alone, in my own space. This… this felt like heaven.

My phone buzzed beside me. I reached for it lazily and smiled when I saw the name. Emette. He had finally replied. He was out of the country and wouldn’t be back for two weeks. I hadn’t even known he’d left. We hadn’t spoken in so long.

I quickly typed back: Let me know when you’re back. Then I tossed the phone onto the pillow.

Inside me, my wolf was practically dancing, her excitement bubbling through my veins like sparks. She was just as thrilled as I was about our new freedom.

I closed my eyes, and suddenly his face appeared in my mind, clear as day. The man from my farewell party. So tall, so handsome, his presence so strong it had stolen the air from my lungs. I wanted to see him again. Badly.

My eyes snapped open. I glanced at the time on my phone. Midnight. A slow grin spread across my face.

Finally.

I jumped up from the bed, heart racing, and headed straight for the bathroom. It wasn’t as fancy as the one in the mansion, but it was mine. I took a quick shower, the warm water running over my skin while I couldn’t stop smiling.

When I stepped out, I needed something to wear. I wasn’t sure I had anything good enough for a club. I dragged my suitcase closer and opened it. My hand brushed against a familiar dress, the open-back one Lulu had given me. The one I wore that night, trying so hard to make the Alpha notice me.

I had looked like a fool.

He did notice me… but his eyes had slid right past me like I was nothing. Now I understood just how much he had hated me. How unattractive I must have been to him.

I held the dress up and whispered to myself, “I’ll wear this.”

I slipped it on. The fabric hugged my body. My stomach was still flat, and the dress was so short my butt was barely covered. But I didn’t care anymore. I wasn’t Luna. I didn’t have to be modest or proper. Not tonight. Not ever again.

I stepped out of the apartment into the cool night air. The building felt safe enough. I flagged down a cab easily, and thirty minutes later, I stood in front of the club.

The moment I walked in, the loud music hit me like a wave, vibrating through my chest. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol, sweat, and something sweeter that I guessed was drugs. It was exactly like the movies, maybe even wilder.

I was a complete novice, but I lifted my chin and smiled anyway, pretending with all my heart that I knew exactly what I was doing.

“Oh. My. God.”

The voice sliced through the music. I spun around to find a face I knew from the pack house—though her name escaped me. She scanned me from head to toe, her lip curling with a disgust so thick you’d think I was covered in mud, even though her own dress was twice as short as mine.

“Luna Aurora? In a club? Dressed like that?” she spat.

“I’m not a Luna anymore,” I said, my voice steady.

“Who f*****g cares? You can’t be seen like this. You still have to respect the pack’s reputation.”

I felt a flash of heat in my chest that had nothing to do with the music. “And why should I? If you’re so disgusted by how I look, maybe find a mirror before you judge me.”

Her jaw dropped. She wasn't used to me talking back. I didn't wait for her to find her tongue; I turned my back on her and pushed through the crowd until I reached the bar.

“What can I get you, ma’am?” the bartender asked.

I racked my brain for the name of a drink. Liam used to pour amber liquid into heavy glass every night. “Whiskey. A glass of it.”

He slid a shot across the wood. I knocked it back in one go. Fire bloomed in my throat and traveled down to my chest, bitter and harsh. Is this what they actually enjoy? I forced a smile, refusing to look like a beginner. “Another one.”

One turned into three, then four. The edges of the room began to blur and soften.

What are you doing, Aurora? my wolf whined in my head. You’ll get drunk. Someone will take advantage.

She was right, but the heavy, floating feeling was too good to stop. I staggered toward the dance floor, my hips moving to a beat I could feel in my bones. I was laughing at nothing, spinning until the lights turned into long streaks of neon.

The crowd shifted, pushing me toward the center of the floor. My eyes landed on a booth in the corner, and my heart stopped.

Liam.

He was right there, his hands tangled in another woman's hair as he pressed his lips against hers. So this was his "business." This was what he did every night while I sat by the window in that cold mansion, waiting like a fool. My eyes stung and a different kind of burn settled in my ribs. I shouldn't care. I was free. But God, it hurt.

“Hey, lady,” a rough voice muttered near my ear.

Suddenly, a heavy hand smacked my butt. I jumped, my stomach turning with instant nausea.

“What on earth?” I gasped, reeling back.

A man stepped into my space, his eyes glazed and hungry. “You look so f*****g sexy tonight. Let’s go for a round. I’ll f**k your brains out.”

The smell of him made me want to puke. The "heaven" of the club was starting to feel like a nightmare.

“Get away from me!” I snapped, stumbling back.

The room spun as I tried to turn, but his fingers clamped around my wrist like a vice. His face loomed closer, his breath hot and smelling of stale beer as he leaned in for a kiss. Before I could think, my hand flew up.

Slap!

The sound cracked through the air. “Who the f**k do you think you are?” I shouted, my skin crawling with irritation.

“You f*****g b***h!” His face contorted, turning a deep, ugly red. “How dare you lay your hands on me!”

He raised his fist high. I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut and bracing for the impact. But the blow never came. Instead, a heavy silence settled between us. I peeked one eye open and saw a broad back standing between me and the stranger.

“How dare you try to lay your hands on her,” a deep, gravelly voice vibrated through the air. He didn't just speak the words; he growled them. With one effortless shove, he sent the man sprawling backward.

“Alpha Lucian,” the man stammered, his bravado vanishing as he began to tremble.

My heart did a slow somersault. Lucian.

“Get out of here,” Lucian commanded, his voice cold enough to freeze the air. “Or I promise I will break every bone in your body.”

The man didn't need to be told twice. He scrambled to his feet and vanished into the sea of dancers. Slowly, Lucian turned to face me. Maybe it was the whiskey, or maybe it was the way the neon lights caught the sharp angles of his jaw, but I couldn't stop a massive smile from spreading across my face. He was gorgeous—unbearably so.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I didn't answer. I was too busy tracing the line of his shoulders in my head.

“Aurora?”

I blinked, snapping back to reality. “Yes. Yes, I’m fine. Thanks,” I stuttered, my face heating up.

“Do you want to get out of here?”

“Yes.” The word left my lips before he even finished the question.

He reached out, his large hand swallowing mine, and led me through the suffocating heat of the club. I followed like I was in a trance, my eyes locked on the back of his head. By the time we hit the sidewalk, the cool night breeze felt like a splash of cold water.

“This is much better,” he said, letting out a breath. “Sometimes the crowd gets to be too much.”

I nodded dumbly, my pulse racing.

I think we’re falling in love, my wolf whispered, her tail thumping against my ribs.

Shut up, I thought back, though my chest felt tight. It’s just the alcohol. Or lust. It has to be.

“Aurora, did you hear me?”

I looked up, realized I’d been arguing with my own head. “What?”

“Do you want to come with me?” He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a low, intimate murmur. “I’ll take you to a special place. Let’s be alone tonight.”

My smile returned, brighter than before. “Yes.”

“Good,” he said, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. “You won’t regret it.”

As I walked beside him, I didn't care where we were going. It felt cliché, like something out of the books Lily used to tell me about, but the feeling was real. I didn't just want to go with him—I wanted to stay with him. I think I really like Lucian.