Kiera POV -
I planned to locate my husband and force him to reject me, but as I walked down the street, I saw Devon entering his house with a large bag slung over his shoulder. I hadn't seen him in days, and I needed to know what he knew about all of it: Marcus, the Second Lunas, Jackson. I marched up to his porch and pounded on the door."Kiera!" Surprise filled his voice as he opened the door. "You're still here?""Of course, I'm still here. Where else would I be?" I snapped at him.Devon looked around nervously. He seemed out of place, maybe even frightened."Do you know what the other Alphas are doing to these poor women? What Jackson has done?" I shouted at him, more like an accusation than a question."Calm down, okay. Come in." He opened the door for me to enter.My body trembled, my mouth felt dry, and my heart raced angrily. So many emotions swirled within me that I couldn't think clearly anymore. The memory of what I had just witnessed between my husband and that woman threatened to ignite Athena's rage. I struggled to control myself, to reign in my wolf, but it was an immense challenge, especially in the face of such betrayal from everyone around me."I know there is a lot going on, and I don't agree with it all, but Kiera, until this war is over, we have no choice," his voice was stern with me."No choice! We always have a choice, Devon.""I'm begging you to think rationally before doing something foolish. There is so much you don't know, but at the end of the day, we have a serious threat on our backs."His eyes pleaded with me, but I was too angry to care. I wanted to rip his heart out, then find Jackson and do the same to him."I'll tell you something important, okay, but you have to promise to keep it a secret," he stepped closer to me.I crossed my arms, trying to contain the storm of pain and hurt I felt inside. "Tell me, Devon.""The Dark Wolves are ruled by many Alphas. The real reason they're invading the South is to find those responsible for taking their sisters. I have a plan and already set up a meeting with one of their generals, hoping to make a deal. If it works, we can hopefully end this war. Once that threat is eliminated, then you can go on a rampage with all the Alphas here. I promise I'll help you right all the wrongs."I was silent for a moment. I didn't care about the North, but I couldn't ignore their threat. I wanted to kill Jackson as much as Athena did, but the danger of the North was real.I sighed, realizing that if there was a chance to end the war that had plagued us for over ten years, I had to put my personal feelings aside."When are you meeting this general?""Tonight. I'm leaving shortly to meet him at a secure location." He moved quickly to his bookshelf and opened a lockbox. "Take this. If anything happens to me, promise me that Tracy and our child will be okay.""Devon!" My eyes widened in shock. "Your child?" My heart began racing again. Did I know nothing about what was going on in my pack?"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. So much has happened. Please, just take this. Promise me that you'll protect them if anything happens to me." He handed me his will."Devon... I don't understand.""I'm sorry for everything. I have to protect my family first, and I hope one day you can understand that. Watch your back, and don't trust anyone, even our pack." He grabbed his bag and shoved a few papers in it."Why would I need to fear my own pack?" There was so much more going on, and my head was spinning.He looked down shamefully and then back at me. "You're strong, Kiera, and incredibly desirable. People bow to you out of fear. Most women envy you, and all the men desire you, but none genuinely care for you. Your wolf gives this pack strength beyond any others. They won't lose that strength, even if it means betraying you.""I don't understand, Devon.""Mates become stronger when they mark each other. Alphas become stronger the more they mark."I stepped back in disgust. "Are you saying everyone wants these women to be enslaved so their pack is stronger? They would want that of me?" I shook my head. This wasn't the world I lived in!"Not everyone, but the majority. Just stay out of it for now. So much needs to be fixed." Devon wiped his face with his hand. I could see the heavy weight that lay on his shoulders. I didn't understand; too much happened in too little time to comprehend everything. I knew Devon was serious about this, even willing to risk his life."I won't tell anyone, Devon. I swear this to you, and if anything goes wrong, I will protect your family. Go, meet this general and broker a deal for us to see real peace." I stepped to the side to let him gather the rest of his things.I had to let him go and try to help our packs here in the South, and I needed to finish what I started with my husband.Approaching the roaring bonfire, I noticed the red-headed woman engaged in conversation with our members. Athena flashed forward, insisting that we eliminate her on the spot.The woman's red lips smiled brightly at my sister, triggering a fresh wave of rage within me. I was on the brink of letting Athena take over when I noticed the mark on her neck and a small bump growing on her belly.Jackson never rejected her! He did the exact opposite.I felt like I could crumble at this woman's feet. Athena became quiet, reluctantly allowing me to handle the situation. She can be an uncontrollable beast, but she wouldn't kill an unborn child."There she is! Are you happy our Alpha is in the medical ward from your betrayal?" The redheaded woman shouted as I approached her, and everyone gathered around."I didn't know about you or any of this." I tried to speak calmly, completely lost on how to handle any of theis. Everything in my life was a damn lie!"Don't act like you had no idea. I had enough of this stupid little game you're making my mate play. I'm the rightful Luna of this pack, and now everyone knows it." She sneered.I guess the last few hours that I was suffering from rejecting my cheating husband; she was here telling lies about how it all happened."No! I didn't know anything about this. He lied to me! He said he rejected you." I said through gritted teeth, my attempt at a calm tone barely concealing the anger simmering beneath the surface."You knew about his fated?" My sister, Katherine, gasped in horror. "So, it's true then. I can't believe you deceived us all this time. I'm ashamed to call you my sister." She was sure to be loud enough for everyone to hear her, too.My hands fisted at my side, and I struggled to keep Athena from ripping out her little eyes from her head. "Yes! I knew about his fated, but Jackson told me he rejected her." I tried to explain, but as I looked around, no one seemed as enraged as I was. In fact, they looked at me like I was the one deceiving them this whole time."Oh please, Kiera." The redheaded woman waved her hand at me like I was a silly child. "You want us to believe that Jackson lied about rejecting his fated, and you, of all people, didn't realize it. I thought you were some rare and powerful Luna." Her voice was smooth and sadistic at the same time. "It's obvious you made Jackson hide me like I wasn't worthy of my rightful title. Your jealousy weakened all of us, and I won't tolerate it anymore.""Tolerate it? I don't owe you an explanation. You are nothing to me, and I won't stand for this. When I see Jackson, I will make him reject me; then I will carve out his heart." My eyes turned black as midnight, and Athena's tone echoed with a formidable power.Jackson's fated mate stepped back behind Katherine, placing a protective hand over her belly. The entire crowd cowered in fear of me, and it only made me want to scream more."I won't have this! She is not our Luna, and Jackson is not our Alpha!" Athena declared, but it did little to help any turn to our side.A man with dark blue eyes stepped forward, peering down at me. Of all the people here, it had to be him, the one who could set me off even more.Alpha Marcus put a hand to Katherine's shoulder. "I think you should try and calm your sister, for all the pack's sake. I alerted Alpha Jackson she is here, but he is still at the medical ward suffering from her little stunt earlier.""Of course, Alpha. I've been handling her ever since my parents died." Katherine shined her eyes up to him, and he smirked like a dirty weasel back to her."Handle me? I'm the one that was lied to! I'm your Luna, and this is my territory. You won't dare tell me I need to be handled or to calm down," I spat out defiantly.The crowd became increasingly fearful, everyone taking a few steps back."Kiera, I know this is a hard transition." Marcus moved closer to me, and I viscously growled at him."I'm Luna to you." I snapped at him.He took a step back and sighed with annoyance. "My wife Karen can help ease your trouble. Why don't you let her take you back home? Take some time to think about your actions before you do something you'll soon regret.""Is that a threat?" Athena came forward, locking eyes with Alpha Marcus. He sneered at me for daring to challenge him but quickly averted his gaze from my dominant stare."No, just friendly advice. We don't want to hurt you. We're not the enemy. Your wolf seems confused, and I think it's best you leave before she hurts an innocent bystander," he calmly advised.I looked around at everyone, and not a soul was on my side here. Everyone looked at me like I was the monster. My eyes landed on Karen, a first wife and chosen mate to Alpha Marcus. She looked terrified to make the wrong move. Then I saw Becky, and there was sorrow in her eyes. She understood. She had to believe me."Becky, you know I wouldn't do this! You know this isn't right! Tell them." I half pleaded to her."Kiera, you are not Jackson's fated. We can tell just by her scent that she is marked by him and that she carries his child. Know your place. Go home and take the time you need.""Right, I'm not his fated." I half laughed at the whole situation. My anger all but washed away, and sadness filled every cell of my body. "You all want your rightful Luna?" My voice carried across the field with sorrow.No one said a word back to me. They didn't have to; I could see it in their eyes."It's time to go home, Kiera," Marcus said my name, making me growl at him again."I'll take you home, and we can have a sleepover. Don't worry, I'm here for you." Katherine put her arm around my shoulder, and all I could think about was snapping it off her body."I never needed you before, and I don't need you now." My words were harsh, and Katherine faked tears as she ran to the woman who was marked and pregnant by my husband."It's ok, Katherine. She just needs some time. I'm sure your sister loves you dearly and didn't mean what she said." This woman, a stranger to our pack, looked motherly and warm as she hugged my sister. The crowd praised her and completely disregarded me.I couldn't say a word. I couldn't move; I couldn't even cry. How could Jackson do this to me? For months, probably years, he looked me in the eyes and spoke nothing but lies to me.He held me in his arms and told me he loved me and that I was his one and only. I was his wife, his mate; he said I was his whole world. It was all a lie. Now, even my pack hated me, viewing me as a traitor.I turned and sprinted to my house as fast as I could. The omegas working there fell silent as I entered the door, and none dared to meet my gaze. Whispers surrounded me, and my stomach dropped."Kiera is back. Should we alert the guards?""She deserves everything coming to her for keeping our rightful Luna from us.""She rejected Jackson after almost being attacked by the Dark Wolves. I always thought she was selfish."I rushed upstairs before breaking down in front of everyone. I became the outcast, wrongly labeled a villain for merely trusting an arrogant man.Packing a small bag, I fled from home. My wolf emerged, and Athena urged our legs as far and as fast as they could go. I couldn't face them or endure more lies and hateful comments.Emotions overwhelmed me: hurt, betrayal, sadness, emptiness, rage, and depression. I felt a mounting pressure inside me, unsure how to cope with it all.In that turmoil, one thing was clear: Jackson needed to pay, and I would be the one to make him suffer. Allowing Athena to take over, I became filled with hatred and a thirst for revenge, wanting him to feel as low and worthless as I did right now.Kiera POVExhausted from running all night without food or sleep, I came across a quaint inn in a small town. The weathered, cobblestone exterior radiated charm, and as I entered, the nostalgic scent of aged wood and the faint aroma of a crackling fireplace welcomed me.After sleeping a few hours, I powered on my phone to discover a multitude of missed calls. Jackson had persistently called, leaving me over fifty messages. He knew I found out about his dirty little secret, and I didn't want to hear his excuses. I never wanted to see his face again.He would either be furious, demanding my return or pleading for forgiveness. The thought of hearing his voice or seeing his face again filled me with hate. Memories of our shared past, from childhood to being mates, swirled in my mind.Believing his words made me feel like a naive idiot. Yet, the realization that I would never feel his arms around me again weighed heavily on my chest. I had never loved anyone like Jackson and couldn't envisi
Kiera POVThe dark man grabbed my ass and lifted me to wrap around him. His body was so wide that I felt like a small girl in his massive embrace. The second our bodies melted to the other, I was done thinking about anything other than letting go tonight. I was a little intoxicated, and definitely not in the right mind. Right now, I felt good though. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was just living for me. No responsibilities, no precautions, and no preplanned steps. I was just a young woman needing to release her deep-rooted frustrations."I'm not a gentleman, Doll." He broke our kiss and threw me to the bed. The dangerous glimmer in his eyes made me even more wet to have him."I wouldn't be at this shitty club if I was looking for a man to take care of me. I want you to fuck me, and that's it.""You want me to make you forget about this disgusting man who dared touch what is mine." His nails scrapped my mark, sending more pain through my body. I didn't like pain, but kno
Kiera POVI woke, laying sideways on a round bed in a sleazy club. My body ached a little and between my legs was not only raw, but humming in bliss.I smiled to myself. I never thought I would enjoy a dirty one night stand with a complete stranger, who was also an arrogant Alpha. I did though. I would never see him again and no one would know exactly what happened last night. This will be my dirty little secret that I knew I would fantasize about the rest of my life.I stood and searched for my clothes. My underwear was in pieces and it made me moan remembering how he tore the fabric from my body. I slipped on my dress and washed my face. I didn't want to wash his scent completely off me though. I smiled in the mirror knowing how pissed Jackson was going to be. Good!Athena was a blissful little puppy, swimming in happiness deep in my soul. She wanted more of the dark stranger, but we had other matters to deal with. I called a taxi to bring me back to my soon to be ex home. It hurt t
River POV"You fucking reek!" I sneered at my brother, Drake, as he walked into our hotel room. We had a meeting to attend and of course he was out all night getting his dick wet."Did I ask your opinion?" His tone was usually pissed off, but I knew my brother. There was something bothering him today. I also knew not to ask him about it. Drake wasn't the sharing type. "Go shower. That pussy is fowl." I scrunched my nose at him and walked out. That scent was actually intoxicating and I couldn't take it anymore. It was faint on him, but it was alluring. I didn't want to get hard from some woman my brother was just buried in though. We shared a lot, but never women."There you are." Elizabeth gave me a sexy smile before diving straight into business. She was my girlfriend for years and would be the perfect mate. I knew I would end up choosing her as my Luna, but my brothers didn't agree she was right for the job. Which was an issue when the three of us ran the pack as one. I was hopin
Kiera POVThe three omega women forced me in a bath then scrubbed every inch of my body. I felt completely numb inside. I wanted to fight them all, yell at them, scream how wrong this was, but I sat in the water silent. I couldn't understand what was happening to me. How was any of this possible?The women looked at me like some dirty whore and it made me feel even less of a person. They spoke about me being foolish and selfish to harm our Alpha in such a way. I was a lowly creature in their eyes for daring to defy our Alpha. They didn't know him though. They didn't see how he wronged me my whole life and ripped my heart out. I couldn't believe Jackson actually did this to me. As they towel dried my body I was gettin more and more enraged. I hated everything more than I could explain. My insides felt off and I could just combust at any moment. I wanted to scream out all the pain in my soul, but I remained quiet in fear.I knew it was pointless to fight them or Jackson. I could feel ho
Kiera POVRiver approached a beautiful woman that was speaking to Beta Devon at a long table we used for meetings. I watched as his eyes danced over her body, then the way he leaned to her, whispering in her ear and how she lightly giggled back at him. I don't know how, but I knew they were in some type of relationship. Jealousy instantly fired up my insides before I even realized the strong emotion taking over."Don't forget my warning, sweetheart." Jackson's hard tone pulled me from my heightened anger at a man I only knew a few hours. I nodded and cleared my head. I didn't want to be placed in the dungeons and I was at a loss of how to handle any of this.We sat around a table made of dark wood. The room was mostly beige with large windows lining the walls, which let the sunlight pour into the room. River took the head seat and his little slut sat beside him. She was gorgeous and I hated her. Her long brown hair seemed to curl perfectly and she had brown eyes just like Jackson. I
Kiera POV"She is not a Luna!" River spoke with such hate, meeting my eyes and pouring anger into me. As the second man walked further into the room their strength double to a suffocating power. I tried not to show fear, but at this point, I was questioning my sanity. I had to be losing my mind, maybe I wasn't here at all, but lock away and heavily drugged. "She smells divine, big brother." "She is his wife and clueless, Chase." River said to his brother and I scrunched my eyebrows at him again. What the hell did that mean? "So much fun!" Chase walked to my chair with a bounced to his step, examining my body while his tongue wet his thin red lips. I didn't like the intense stare he was giving me. I didn't like that there was two of them and somehow their power increased two folds in strength just by being close to one another. These were the monsters of the North that started a brutal war. They killed and tortured so many, and they were here in my home, standing right in front of
Kiera POV"This is fucking great! How dare those assholes come into my house and speak that way to my wife! I'm going to make them pay." Jackson was filled with rage and I wanted to laugh at him. He actually seemed angry that they disrespect me. Like he actually cared about my honor. I knew it was only his image he was protecting though. "Mate, please calm down. You're upsetting our child." Amy stood and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jackson's arm snaked around her and his body relaxed from her touch. I suddenly wanted to throw up again. This whole time he swore he rejected her, begged me to forgive him, and he was really fucking her behind my back. The depths of his many deceptions was eating away at me. I swear I saw a flash of disgust on Devon's face too, but he said nothing. Jackson nodded for him to leave and Devon did as he was told without giving me a second glance. How could I expect Devon to be anything to me when he was Jackson's Beta? Everyone in my life was nothing