Not Your Luna Anymore

Chapter 3 Runaway

Moronia

The door swung open, and time seemed to slow. My wolf, already on edge from the confrontation with Maximilian, bristled beneath my skin, her hackles rising at the intrusion. The scent of vanilla and jasmine grew stronger, mingling with Maximilian's woodsy cologne that made my stomach churn.

Vanessa sauntered into the room, her hips swaying with each step. She was as beautiful as I remembered, perhaps even more so. Her raven hair cascaded down her back in glossy waves, a stark contrast to the vibrant red dress that hugged every curve of her body. The dress was cut low, revealing a generous amount of cleavage, and the hem barely reached mid-thigh.

I felt a pang in my chest as I took in her appearance. How many times had Maximilian told me he preferred me in more "modest" attire? How often had he claimed that blondes weren't his type, leading me to spend hours dyeing my honey-blonde locks to a deep, unnatural black?

Vanessa's emerald eyes,so similar to my own, locked onto mine, a predatory smile curving her crimson lips. "Oh, sister. I guess you didn't expect me to come back!"

I clenched my jaw, fighting against the urge to bare my teeth. My wolf was howling inside me, demanding retribution, but I forced her down. I couldn't lose control, not here, not now.

"Vanessa," I managed, my voice tight. "What an... unexpected visit."

Maximilian rose from his chair. He looked at me coldly for a second, then his eyes never leaving Vanessa. The way he looked at her was like a knife twisting in my gut. Had he ever looked at me that way?

"Vanie," he said, his voice warm in a way I hadn't heard in years. "I thought you were resting."

"Max, I can't stay away from you for long." She seemed so harmless to him.I watched Vanessa perched herself on Maximilian's lap. And He didn't push her away. Instead, his hand came to rest on her thigh, fingers splaying possessively over the bare skin.

Vanessa cooed, turning her attention back to me. "Sister dear. You should know you could never tear us apart."

Us.

I felt sick. The room was spinning, the walls closing in. I looked to Maximilian, desperate for him to deny it, to show even a flicker of the man I thought I'd married. But his eyes were cold, devoid of any emotion as he gazed at me.

The implications of her words crashed over me like a tidal wave. All this time... had it all been a lie.

My wolf howled in anguish, the sound echoing through my mind. I could feel her clawing at my insides, desperate to break free, to challenge this usurper who dared to steal our mate.

"Why?" I managed to croak out. And all along, I'd been nothing more than a pawn in their game.

Bile rose in my throat. How long had they been laughing at me behind my back? How many of those nights when Maximilian was "working late" had he actually been with her?

"I think," Vanessa said, her voice sickeningly sweet, "it's time you signed those papers, don't you? No use dragging this out any longer than necessary."

I wanted to shift right there in the office, to let my wolf tear them both to shreds. But as my hand unconsciously moved to my stomach, I felt a flutter of movement, so slight I might have imagined it.

My baby. Our baby. The tiny life growing inside me that Maximilian didn't even know existed.

In that moment, clarity washed over me like a wave. I couldn't stay here. I can't waste any more time here. I couldn't subject my child to this toxicity, to a father who would see it as nothing more than an inconvenience. To a pack that would view it as a threat to Vanessa's position. Expulsion is terrifying. The abandoned Luna and her child sound scary enough, but I can find a place to live, not here.I would survive this. I would protect my child, no matter the cost.

I reached for the divorce papers. Vanessa's eyes gleamed with triumph as I picked up the pen, but I refused to meet her gaze. I signed my name on each designated line quickly.

"There," I said, my voice steadier than I felt as I pushed the papers across the desk. "It's done. You've got what you wanted."

Maximilian nodded, not even bothering to look at the documents. "You have your things packed now."

The casualness with which he dismissed me, three years of marriage reduced to a curt nod and a deadline, made my wolf snarl. But I swallowed my rage, forcing my face into a mask of indifference.

"Don't f*****g worry about it." I said, standing on legs that threatened to buckle beneath me. I walked out of the office with my head held high, ignoring the curious glances of pack members as I made my way through the building. It wasn't until I reached my car that I allowed the first tears to fall.

The drive home was a blur. My wolf paced restlessly in my mind, alternating between howls of anguish and growls of fury. I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white, focusing on the road ahead to keep from falling apart completely.

As I pulled into the driveway of what had been our home, a wave of nausea hit me. Whether from the pregnancy or the stress of the day, I wasn't sure. I barely made it inside before I was retching into the kitchen sink, my body shaking with the force of it.

When the nausea passed, I slumped to the floor, my back against the kitchen cabinets. The house felt cavernous, filled with ghosts of a life that had never been real.

"It's okay," I whispered, one hand coming to rest on my stomach. "We're going to be okay."

My wolf, sensing my distress, pushed closer to the surface. I could feel her just beneath my skin, offering comfort and strength. For the first time, I truly understood that she was the only one I could rely on now. Her and the tiny life growing inside me.

I pushed myself to my feet. I had to move quickly. There was no telling when Maximilian might find out my pregnancy. I needed to be gone before he or anyone else sense it.

I moved through the house like a wind, grabbing only the essentials. Clothes, toiletries, the few pieces of jewelry that had been gifts from my father rather than Maximilian. f**k his divorce compensation. I shoved it all into a large duffel bag, trying not to think about all I was leaving behind.

In the study, I paused. The safe behind Maximilian's desk contained emergency cash and documents. Did I dare? The combination was our anniversary date, a bitter irony now. With trembling fingers, I input the numbers, sighing in relief when the door swung open.

I took only what I thought I might need—enough cash to get me started somewhere new, my personal documents. As I zipped up the bag, my eyes fell on a photo on the desk. It was from our wedding, Maximilian and I surrounded by smiling pack members. I picked it up, studying the face of the man I had come to see as my true love. With a growl, I slammed the photo face-down. It didn't matter now. I had to focus on the future, on protecting myself and my baby.

I took one last look around the house, memories assaulting me at every turn. The kitchen where I had cooked countless meals for Maximilian, hoping to please him. The living room where we had curled up on the couch, planning our future together. The bedroom where we had made love, where I had dreamed of the family we would create.

It had all been a lie.

Squaring my shoulders, I walked out the front door, not bothering to lock it behind me. Let Vanessa deal with it now. This wasn't my home anymore. It never truly had been.

As I threw my bag into the trunk of my car, a howl echoed in the distance. I froze, my wolf instantly on alert. It was Maximilian's howl—the call of an Alpha to his mate. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to respond, to run to him.

But I gritted my teeth, forcing the urge down. That bond was a lie, a magical construct designed to control me. I wouldn't let it rule me any longer.

Instead, I got into the car and started the engine. As I pulled out of the driveway, I caught a glimpse of movement at the edge of the woods. A large, black wolf stood watching me, its eyes glowing red in the fading light.

Maximilian.

For a moment, our eyes locked. I saw anger in his gaze. He took a step forward, as if to chase after me.

But I was already accelerating down the road, leaving behind everything I had thought was my life. Tears streamed down my face as I drove, but I didn't bother to wipe them away. Let them fall.