DIVORCED LUNA: CARRYING THE ALPHA KING'S BABY

HE'D KILL US BOTH

Vespera's Pov

We waited until dusk to leave.

Kael disappeared into the forest to scout the route while I forced myself to eat the venison he'd brought. My hands shook so badly I could barely tear the meat, but I made myself consume every bite. Whatever came next, I'd need strength.

*The pup needs it too,* Nyx reminded me gently.

Right. The baby. I kept forgetting, then remembering with a jolt that rearranged my entire reality. I was pregnant. With the Alpha King's child. Running from a husband who thought the baby was his. Hiding from a mate who'd rejected us both.

The absurdity of it would have been funny if it wasn't so terrifying.

Kael returned as the last light bled from the sky. "They've made camp three miles northeast. Two are sleeping, one on watch. We go west, then south. There's a river we'll need to cross, but after that we'll be in territory they won't know."

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

We left the cabin behind without looking back.

Kael moved through the forest like he was part of it—silent, efficient, reading the terrain with the ease of someone who'd spent years learning its secrets. I followed as best I could, trying to match his quiet footfalls, but my inexperience showed. Twigs snapped under my feet. Branches caught my clothes. I stumbled over roots I didn't see in the darkness.

*Let me help,* Nyx said. *Stop fighting your instincts. Trust your wolf senses.*

I took a breath and did what she said. Stopped trying to navigate as a human would and started moving as a wolf. My vision sharpened, cutting through the darkness. Scents bloomed around me—the path Kael was taking, the wildlife giving us wide berth, the dampness that meant water ahead. My body found its rhythm, moving with a grace I'd never possessed before.

Better.

We traveled in silence for what must have been hours. Kael set a punishing pace, only slowing when I started to lag, my pregnant body demanding rest I couldn't afford to take. Each time he'd pause, let me catch my breath, offer water from a stream or handful of berries he'd grabbed in passing.

He didn't ask questions. Didn't pry. Just kept us moving.

The river appeared suddenly, cutting through the forest like a dark s***h. The sound of rushing water filled the air. Kael led me to a narrow point where rocks broke the surface, creating a treacherous path across.

"Carefully," he said, stepping onto the first stone. "Current's stronger than it looks."

I followed, my heart hammering. The rocks were slick with moss and spray. The water churned hungrily below, white foam catching what little moonlight filtered through the canopy. One slip and I'd be swept away.

Halfway across, my foot suddenly slipped.

Kael's hand shot out, catching my wrist in an iron grip. He hauled me back to balance, holding steady until I found my footing.

"Thanks," I gasped.

"Don't thank me yet. We're not clear."

We made it to the far bank and kept moving. South now, into territory that grew increasingly wild. The trees pressed closer here, ancient and thick-trunked. The undergrowth tangled into walls. This wasn't just wilderness. This was the deep forest where packs didn't venture. Where rogues went to disappear and sometimes didn't come back.

Dawn was breaking when we finally stopped.

Kael led me to a small cave hidden behind a curtain of vines. Inside was dry and relatively clean—someone had used this space before, but not recently. Evidence of old fires marked the stone floor.

"We'll rest here during daylight," he said, already gathering kindling. "Too dangerous to move when we're this exhausted. We'll start again at dusk."

I collapsed against the cave wall, every muscle screaming. My feet were blistered and bleeding. My lungs burned. But we'd made it. We'd actually made it.

"Do you think they'll follow this far?" I asked.

Kael was quiet for a moment, coaxing flame from his kindling with practiced ease. "Honestly? I don't know. Elite trackers are persistent. But crossing the river should have broken your scent trail. If we're lucky, they'll search the northern territories first, buy us a few more days."

"And if we're not lucky?"

He looked at me then, his scarred face grave in the flickering firelight. "Then we deal with it when it comes."

I wanted to push, to demand certainty he couldn't give. But exhaustion was pulling me under like a tide. My eyes kept drifting shut, and staying awake felt like fighting a losing battle.

"Sleep," Kael said gently. "I'll keep watch."

"You need rest too."

"I'll sleep later. Right now, someone needs to listen for trouble." He settled near the cave mouth, positioning himself between me and any potential threat. "I've gone longer without sleep. I'll be fine."

I should have argued. Should have insisted we take turns. But my body had other ideas, and consciousness was already slipping away.

The last thing I heard was Kael's quiet voice: "You're safe. I promise."

---

I woke to snarling.

My eyes snapped open, heart already racing. Kael was at the cave entrance, his body tense, a low growl rumbling in his chest. Outside, I could hear them—multiple wolves, their movements deliberate and coordinated.

They'd found us.

"How many?" I whispered.

"Three." Kael didn't turn, didn't take his eyes off the entrance. "The trackers. They must have picked up our trail at the river."

"How did they—"

"Does it matter?" He shifted his weight, preparing to transform. "When I say run, you run. Don't look back. Head south and don't stop."

"I'm not leaving you to—"

"You're carrying a child," he cut me off, his voice hard. "That makes you the priority. I can hold them off long enough for you to get clear."

"Kael—"

The first tracker appeared at the cave mouth, and all conversation died.

He was massive, even in human form. Shaved head covered in ritual scars, muscles like carved stone, eyes cold as winter. I recognized him from pack gatherings—Darius, Julian's head enforcer. The wolf who handled the Alpha's dirty work.

Two more shapes materialized behind him. A woman with white-blonde hair pulled into a severe braid—Saskia, known for tracking prey across hundreds of miles without losing the scent. And a lean man with dead eyes—Marcus, who they said had never failed to bring back his quarry. Alive or dead.

Julian's absolute best.

"Well, well," Darius said, his voice like gravel grinding on stone. "The runaway Luna. Alpha Julian will be pleased."

Kael shifted in one fluid motion, his gray wolf placing himself directly between me and the trackers. His snarl was a clear warning: *You go through me first.*

Darius laughed. "The exile. I remember you. You went soft over some omega's runts." He cracked his knuckles, the sound obscenely loud in the small space. "It's ftting that you'd help another piece of pack trash. Birds of a feather."

"Run," Kael said in my mind, the words clear despite his wolf form. Pack bonds allowed Alphas to speak mind-to-mind, but I'd never heard another wolf's voice before. "Now, Vespera. Run!"

I bolted.

I scrambled deeper into the cave, finding a crack in the back wall I'd missed before. Behind me, violence exploded. Snarls and screams and the wet sound of teeth finding flesh. I squeezed through the crack, tearing skin on stone, and emerged into sunlight.

Into a forest that stretched endlessly in every direction.

I ran.