A Luna's Escape

Preparations

"Casey, could you please bring me a newspaper?" I asked as the girl set the silver tray down on the desk in front of me.

"Yes Lu…I mean Stella. But why a newspaper?"

"What do you mean?" I pondered.

"Well, wouldn't you have access to everything on the internet?"

"Yes. I suppose it would, but I'd still like one, if it's not too much trouble."

"No ma'am." She smiled as she exited the room. I liked Casey. Cole had assigned her as my personal assistant. She was a great girl. Barely turned eighteen. She had yet to find her mate, but would talk constantly about her mate and what it would be like when she found him. I did get tired of the constant chatter. I would never get to experience what she would talk about. She was a wolf, and would have a fated mate. She would get to feel the mate bond and experience a love stronger than anything I would ever know. I was a little jealous. I wanted to have the kind of love I saw in the pack. Mate's dedicated their lives to each other. Loved with a passion that was unheard of. They were literally the other half of each other. Finding their fated mates meant they were complete. They were whole. United forever with an immense bond that was practically unbreakable.

Instead of that bond, I got a man who couldn't stay faithful. Who was constantly missing and couldn't tell the truth to save his life. He didn't value a bond. He didn't value a relationship, and worst of all, he didn't value me. I had decided that today was the day. No more wallowing in self pity. No more shedding tears for a man who would never miss me if I were gone. Hell, he would never notice if I wasn't here. So, today was the day that I got a plan. That I moved on with my life.

I sat at the table, eating my breakfast. A pen in my hand. I had started a checklist of things I would need to do. I needed a job, and a place to live, most importantly. But I would also need to break our bond. Cole had marked me about six months after we got together. We were inseparable at first. We spent every moment we could in bed together, sometimes spending all day rolling around in the sheets. Things started tapering off for us after I moved in with him. We lived separately until he marked me. He claimed me as his and paraded me in front of the pack as their new Luna. We never were officially married, as humans. Nothing legal. He kept insisting it was just a piece of paper and he didn't need a piece of paper to prove he loved me. That never quite set right with me and I begged him to get married. He always had some excuse why we couldn't. Now, that would work in my favor. I was never officially made Luna either. I took the job and was doing the Luna duties, but I never had my official ceremony. I took my job seriously, though. Up until the last month anyway. I claimed that I was sick, using that to get out of work and hide away in my room. Most of the pack knew about Cole's infidelity. Most thought that I was the problem, thanks to his slander about me. Every opportunity he got he would put me down. I don't think a kind word about me was ever uttered through his mouth. If he couldn't speak ill of me, I don't think he had anything to talk about.

I focused my thoughts on my computer, grazing over the help wanted websites. I jotted down a few phone numbers and job descriptions, planning to call them all later. I was working on my resume when Casey strutted through the door. I quickly shut my laptop, not wanting Casey to see what I was up to. I wanted to keep this plan as quiet as I could. I don't think Casey would have run and told anyone, but I couldn't risk it. She gave me an odd look as I turned, smiling at her.

"Here's your paper." She handed over the ink stained bundle.

"Thank you." I said, placing it down on top of my laptop.

"Stella, is there anything you want to talk about?" She asked, leaning against the chair opposite me. Casey was sweet, but she was an omega, and omega's were known to gossip. I felt that I could trust her, after all, she had been with me for the last four years. I told her practically everything. She was usually the only person I had to talk to. But I absolutely could not risk telling her what I was planning. I couldn't risk her going to Cole. I don't think she would stop me from leaving, but I just couldn't risk it.

"Nope. I'm good." I grinned as I slid the tray over to her. "Thank you for bringing me breakfast."

"You're welcome." She grabbed the tray, heading for the exit, but hesitated as she reached the door. "You know, I'm here for you if you ever need to talk."

"Thank you, Casey." I said genuinely as I got up, wrapping her in a quick hug. "Thank you for being here for me."

I quickly locked the door as soon as she was gone. I thumbed through the paper, stopping at the help wanted section. I found a few postings that hadn't been on any job site online. I flopped down on the bed, thinking about the different job options.

"It's all here. I don't want to stay here." I said aloud, dropping the newspaper in the garbage can. I made my way over to the shower, turning the water on before shedding my clothes. I stepped inside letting the warm water cascade over my body. I want to live somewhere new. Somewhere where Cole would never find me. Even though I knew he would never search for me. I wanted to disappear. To lose myself in a human town. I was, after all, human.

It did make me sad when I thought about how I didn't have a wolf. My entire family had one, except for my mother. I grew up in a pack, my way of life was centered around a pack and the values and lifestyles of werewolves. I think it would be an absolute culture shock to immerse myself in human life. But, if it barked like a dog. I giggled at that thought. I was a human. It was about time I started living like one.

After my shower I sat back down at my desk. I began searching states and towns. I wanted something small and cute, but also something big enough that I could get myself a decent job. I sent my resume off to several different jobs in multiple places. I picked out a few places I could see myself living in and decided that I would move to whichever job I received. I would worry about finding a place to stay after I figured out where I would be moving too. I had been receiving a monthly allowance as part of my Luna title. I was smart enough to save most of that allowance. At first, I used only my money to buy things that I needed. But when I became suspicious of Cole's infidelity, I began stashing away my income and only using his. Our account was joint, and he never said anything about me spending more money from the joint account. He was too busy wining and dining his mistresses to notice what I was spending.

I felt confident in my game plan and was excited that I had actually set the ball in motion. I was intending to seek out a pack elder as soon as I knew I would be leaving. I wanted them to break our bond. To get rid of the wretched mark on my neck and free myself from this life I found myself stuck in.