THE CHRISTMAS LUNA SATISFYING THE ENIGMAS

CHAPTER 3

ALESSIA

“Alessia,” he said, his voice flat and devoid of any warmth. “You’re still my mate. But I’ve decided to marry and claim Lillian. The pack needs a Luna who can rule beside me. Someone competent. Someone who’s certain about me, not someone who still thinks she has other choices.”

The floor felt like it was tilting again.

“But I—” My voice cracked, a pathetic, small sound. “I haven’t even spoken to the quads since you picked me… You promised—”

“It’s done,” he cut me off, dismissive and cold. “You’ll remain under my protection, but this is my decision. The ceremony continues.” He turned back to the priest, completely erasing me from his sight.

He was basically daring me. I could stay and watch him claim another woman at the altar, or I could leave. He didn't even care enough to tell me which one to do.

A betrayal like this hadn't happened in the entire history of the pack. Why me? Why did I have to be the first one to be discarded in public like a piece of yesterday's trash?

A sharp peal of laughter echoed from the back of the chapel. I couldn't tell if it was real or just a hallucination born from my own shame. The walls felt like they were shrinking, pressing in on me. My chest burned with every breath, and my tears fell hot and fast, ruining the makeup I’d spent hours perfecting in the mirror this morning.

Lillian reached for his arm, her fingers curling around his sleeve. He let her.

Then, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. That was the final blow. Seeing him show her that gentle, public affection—the kind I’d been waiting three years for—broke whatever was left of me.

I looked around at the guests. It was like they’d already flipped a switch; their eyes were focused on the Alpha and his new bride-to-be. I was one step away from being a humiliated second-choice "mate," and one step away from walking out forever. I knew better than to sign up for a life where I wasn't valued.

Without another thought, I turned and ran. My heels clicked frantically against the tiles, the sound echoing through the sudden silence of the aisle.

Gasps followed me. Camera flashes went off like explosions, blinding me as I pushed through the chapel doors. Outside, the summer sun was scorching, the air thick and heavy. The sky was a dull, hazy grey, almost as if it were mourning the girl I used to be.

I ran straight toward the estate, which was only a few hundred meters away. My heart hammered against my ribs, each pulse feeling like it might be my last breath.

By the time I burst through the mansion doors, I was vibrating with adrenaline and grief. One thought consumed me: Get out. I had to go somewhere far away. Not to my parents’ house—they lived in the rural part of the pack, and Ethan would find me in minutes.

There was only one place where I’d be safe.

My brother’s apartment in the Shadowcrest Pack. It was a long way from here, maybe even a crazy idea, but I had to leave. I wasn't going to stay here and be the girl Ethan oppressed while he paraded his "married mate" in front of me. My brother would protect me.

I knew my worth. I knew when to walk away from a table where love wasn't being served. And I wasn't going to say a word to anyone. He’d claimed he "paid" me three thousand dollars for my own dress—fine. I’d use his money to disappear.

I stormed into my room and dragged my old suitcase out from under the bed. My hands were shaking so hard I could barely move the zipper as I shoved in whatever I could grab—t-shirts, jeans, a few summer dresses. The gown was still clinging to me, torn and streaked with dirt from my flight, but I didn't care.

On the dresser sat my sewing kit. Ethan had told me to throw it away months ago, saying I wouldn't need it as a Luna. I hesitated, then shoved it into the bag too. Sewing was the only thing that actually belonged to me. I’d learned the basics from my brother, who was a fashion instructor at the Shadowcrest Military Academy, and finished my training at an academy here after high school.

I’d dreamed of being a world-class designer. But Ethan had stopped me from working the moment I moved in, promising to "take care of me." He did, but now I realized the price of that care.

He kept me like a doll—something pretty to look at—and when it was time for a real partner, he chose his best friend. He wanted me as a backup? Never.

Tears kept streaming down my face. I loved him so much, and that made the betrayal sting like acid. I moved faster, desperate to be gone before he returned and realized I was leaving. His scent was everywhere in this room, suffocating me, a constant reminder that he could walk through that door at any moment.

I yanked open a drawer and found the small pouch where I kept my savings. Years of squirrelled-away allowance money. It wasn't a fortune, but it was enough for a flight and to keep me on my feet until I got to Logan. I didn't want to be a liability to my brother, especially since I was about to drop this bomb on his doorstep.

I booked a flight on my phone right there in the bedroom. Then, I zipped the suitcase, checked the room one last time, and ducked into the bathroom to change.

When I came out, I forced myself to look in the mirror.

My reflection was a mess: mascara smeared, eyes red and hollow, dreams shattered. The spark was gone, replaced by a cold, hard determination.

“I’ll never cry for him again,” I whispered.

I was a liar. As I stepped out of that mansion for the last time, the tears started all over again. The only mercy was that he wasn't back yet. He would return home expecting to find a broken girl he could control, only to find an empty room.

Each step toward the gate felt heavy, like I was walking through mud. But I didn't look back.

From a distance, I could still hear the faint sound of music and applause from the chapel. The wedding was still going on. Ahead of me was nothing but uncertainty, but at least it was my uncertainty.

I gripped the handle of my suitcase and walked toward the main road to hail a taxi for the airport.