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The Alpha’s Borrowed Luna
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Kaius left me alone in the forest to find my own way back. I suppose I should have expected that a man who claimed to have wiped out four packs wouldn’t trouble hims with the courtesy of escorting me back to the ball.
I walked slowly through the trees, moonlight filtering through branches overhead, my mind racing with questions.
Why me? Why would Alpha Kaius Valerian choose someone like me for this charade? A rejected mate, damaged goods in the eyes of the pack. The deal seemed too good to be
true.
My mother freed from servitude, both of us given protection, and wealth promised at th end–all for n
to be his mate for a while. But I wasn’t naive enough to believe
that “pretending” wouldn’t involve my body.
Was I essentially selling myself? How was this different from what Dorian had wanted–to keep me in the shadows as his plaything while Selene stood at his side? At least Kaius w
honest about his intentions.
I paused, leaning against a tree trunk.
Was I really considering this? Trading my body for benefits? The thought filled me with sell disgust. But then I remembered my mother on her knees, Selene’s foot pressing down on
her hand. At least with Kaius, I’d be securing my mother’s freedom. And when it was over we’d both be free–truly free–with the means to build a new life far from here.
The lights of the pack hall came into view through the trees. I straightened my shoulders, preparing myself to return to the ball where I’d need to keep up this pretense. For now, I’d made my decision. For better or worse, I would accept Kaius’s offer.
When I stepped back into the hall, the music had stopped. Conversations died mid-
sentence as heads turned toward me.
I froze in the doorway, suddenly conscious of my simple dress, my unadorned hair, the lingering bruises on my wrists from Dorian’s grip. I was the center of attention in a way I’d never been before, and it was deeply uncomfortable.
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“Elowen!”
My mother’s voice cut through the silence. She pushed through the crowd, her servar uniform still stained with wine, her eyes wide with fear. She reached me, clutching m arms, her voice breaking.
“It can’t be… it can’t be… Not him, goddess, not him…”
“Let’s go home, mama,” I said gently but firmly. “Not here, not with everyone watching
As I guided her toward the exit, the whispers began.
“How did she catch the eye of Alpha Kaius?” someone murmured, just loud enough for
to hear.
“Maybe she has talents we don’t know about,” another wolf snickered.
A female voice, thick with jealousy: “Probably just a mistake. He’ll realize soon enough.
“Second chance mates,” an elder pack member whispered. “Haven’t seen that in decades
I kept my head high, ignoring the comments. None of these people had ever cared about me before. Their opinions meant nothing now.
“Elowen!” Dorian’s voice rang out across the hall. “You will explain this to me. Now.”
I felt his eyes boring into my back but didn’t turn around. “Don’t look at him,” I murmur
to my mother. “Just keep walking.”
We were nearly at the door when I felt the weight of another gaze. Frost, Kaius’s Beta, watched from the shadows, his expression unreadable. He gave me the slightest nod before melting back into the darkness.
Inside my small room in the pack house, my mother paced back and forth, her hands trembling.
“I thought that things couldn’t get worse,” she said, trembling with emotion. “I always knew Alpha Dorian was not a good man; I know how he treats the lower–class wolves, and
tag I couldn’t believe the moon goddess could pair you up with such a man as a mate. He had
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Going Alone–1
caused you so much
Pain, but he… Her voice dropped to a terrified whisper. “…he is nothing compared to the demon in human skin, Alpha Kaius. He would be your downfall, Elowen; you can’t let him have you. I can’t watch that happen, please.”
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