Alpha's Redemption: Chasing My Betrayed Luna

A splitting headache is not the kind of alarm one should have to wake up to. It's painful and has the tendency to leave the freshly awake person wishing for death.  Astria experienced it firsthand in the morning when not only was her head in splits, but her entire body was about ready to give up on her.  Groaning in pain, her body withered on the bed. The repulsive smell of booze all over the place didn't make it easier to cope with post hangover blues.  "Awake?"  Astria froze despite the burning headache and forced herself to think.  That voice sounded oddly familiar.  The bed was soft and it didn't take a gymnast's skill to turn over (thank goddess). With a simple turn, she had the view of a man who had shared the bed with her the previous night. Astria blinked her watery and puffy eyes at him. The man was handsome and that couldn't be denied even if she didn't have any backstory to attach to his face.  The man didn't seem nearly as confused as her in that aspect though. He lifted his tan and muscular arm and placed it over her waist. The scorching temperature of his skin burned against her own.  That's when Astria realised that she was naked and only covered with a quilt waist down. Astria's frozen brain decided to restart at that point and last night's incident filled her head like a tsunami.  "Ah!" Astria flinched reflexively when his fingers brushed against her skin teasingly. Glancing up at the man with clarity was much better.  Now that she knew that this was the man she gave her virginity to was not too bad. It eliminates the guilt of losing it to a complete stranger when the stranger is that handsome.  Yes. Last night Astria had charged into a bar, gotten herself drunk and grabbed the first person she thought was going to be a good candidate for sharing a bed.  It was not an impulsive decision. Or maybe a little.  In her opinion, she deserved it after her husband of three years brought home his mate and filed for separation from Astria. Three whole years meant nothing. Gone just like that.  The least Astria could do for herself was find a handsome man and have a blissful night to herself. It wasn't unconventional by any means.  If Duncan could leave her the moment he saw his mate even after five years of love and promises, then the least Astria could do for herself was choose what made her happy.  She was a free woman the moment the divorce papers were signed.  The teasing fingers crept up her cold skin, leaving behind the burning sensation of tingles and sparks. Astria didn't regret it.  She smiled at the stranger and slowly removed his hand from her body and brought the quilt up to her neck. The view of honey skin littered with little marks was hidden from his view, which left him a little slumped. "Thanks for letting me stay the night."  Astria didn't have the habit of overstaying the welcome. She got up with the quilt wrapped around her body and pointed at the door, "I'm going to shower real quick."  The man on the bed was left bare without the quilt covering his body and Astria had a complete view of what she had all to herself last night. Looking at such a specimen, Astria couldn't fathom what she liked about Duncan. The two couldn't compare.  The man on the bed watched her walk towards the bathroom with the quilt sliding like a trail behind her. Her steps were wobbly due to the intense activities last night. A smirk formed on his chiseled face which only added to his charm.  Astria saw the full view of her body in the bathroom and found that the amount of marks on her body were almost impossible to hide with foundation. After a helpless shake of her head, she soaked in a warm bath to relax the muscles in her body that worked too hard to provide pleasure.  The actual feeling of what happened last night gradually returned and brought a smile to her face. After three years of compromise with Duncan, Astria finally decided to take back control of her life. That man never touched her in the three years they were married and the two years they dated before that.  The beautiful dream of love and marriage didn't break in a single blow. The tiny cracks gradually grew with every hit and eventually the only person holding onto the fragile relationship couldn't hold onto the broken pieces without bleeding.  Astria didn't want to bleed for Duncan.  A cheating man who didn't think twice before abandoning her for someone else. The five years they spent together amounted to nothing to him, so she had the right to ditch him as well.  That was why the first thing she did after the divorce was to get into a bar and loose her virginity.  Astria drank a lot last night and it was evident in the morning. Yet, she marvelled at the fact that the man did her so well that she remembered the feel of it even when she was in this state.  After half an hour of soaking, Astria finally had all her thoughts together and her brain started to work at a normal pace again. That's when she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and went outside.  She was not expecting to see the man still in the room. He was dressed in a pair of form fitting trousers, smoking by the window looking as hot as the rising sun.  In all honestly, Astria thought the man as an escort shouldn't be so clingy?  Don't ask why Astria thought the man she grabbed last night was an escort. He looked like just any other guy looking for rich single women to sleep with.  Besides, what kind of man wandered around flirting with women? The only kind that didn't have a mate waiting for them at home.  And the way he was dressed said it all. It was a cheap bar after all, there was no need to wear a suit. Who would do that if not men trying to impress rich women?  "Your clothes were torn last night. I ordered new ones for you."  Pulling her out of the thoughts was a paper bag with the name she knew all too well. The paperbag contained trousers, a blouse and a scarf. It was almost identical to the one she was wearing yesterday.  The man without a name stood mere steps away from here with the cigarette butt in one hand and a bare upper body. Astria didn't know she had the bad habit of drooling over half naked men.  "You didn't have to!" Astria accepted it but not for free, "I will pay you back for it. Include it in your fee. I'll make a one time payment."  "My fee?"  "Yeah. We did spend a night together. It was quite satisfying, so I'll even give you a tip..."  Astria held the paper bag with clothes in one hand and rummaged through the ruins of her old clothes to find the bag she was carrying with her. It was the one with her card and other things. Although the total balance in the account wasn't much, she might be able to pay the man his fee.  The man scoffed, "Am I hearing you right? You will pay me to sleep with you..."  "That's what I should do. Aha! Let me get my card!"  The man rolled his eyes knowing she was not paying attention to him at all. He snuffed the cigarette under his foot and mumbled, "I'm gonna take a shower."  He swept past her after a glance at her bathrobe clad body and shut the door with a bang.  Astria flinched at the sound. Confused, she raised an eyebrow. Escorts do have a temper these days. Was he offended because she didn't know how much he charged? Was it a voluntary thing?  "Then I'll leave my number here ..." Astria grabbed a notepad from her purse, scribbled her number and placed it on the bedside table.  Then she quickly got dressed and left the room.  When Bryce came out of the bathroom, he found the room to be empty and desolate. Realising he was left behind, he raked a hand through his trimmed black hair and laughed incredulously.  Bryce couldn't believe she tricked him into sleeping with her and now he was the one being mistaken as an escort and she even left him behind! Atrocious!  And to think he felt sparks....  What a ridiculous thought! She definitely didn't feel anything!  His dark grey eyes swept over the mess of a room. It resembled the ruin after a hurricane. He had to say that last night was nothing short of a passionate hurricane.  Then he spotted the stains on the white bedsheet.  It didn't cross his mind before but now that he stared right at the red mark on the bed, he was stunned into forgetting her silliness.  A virgin?  That was news.  A pleasant feeling bloomed in his heart accompanied by a surging possessiveness that even he knew was not normal. He needed to confirm it as soon as possible.  Reaching into the web link, he desired to connect to his subordinate's mind link. "I need info on someone. As soon as possible. Name?"  He remembered glancing at the ID she showed at the counter.  "Astria. Yes, that's her name. She visited the bar last night at Conrad Street." Bryce stayed in the room for another half an hour waiting for his own clothes to be delivered. Once he was presentable enough to keep his reputation as the cold person that he was, he was about to leave the room when he happened to find a piece of paper on the floor.  Frowning, he picked it up to see it was a note left behind by Astria.  "Thanks for last night! I had an amazing time! I was in a rush, so I left first. Here is my number -  6789XXXXXX Call me and I'll transfer the money to you!"  Bryce laughed out loud. This girl was so silly that it was surprising how she was still able to walk out of her house without getting tricked into illegal business. "Now that you let me find you, don't expect to get away from me again, little rose."