Chapter 1
I caught my mate in bed with my best friend, on my mating anniversary!
I flee to another Alpha's territory, only to stumble into that very Alpha's bed...
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~Lyra’s POV~
The front door is open, and a pair of leopard print heels are lying just inside.
“Tell me I’m better than Lyra!” A woman moans.
My heart stops beating, and I freeze in place.
I know that voice…
“How would I know?” a gruff male voice replies. “I never even slept with her…”
She giggles.
My stomach churns. Delinda, my best friend, is there, and Baron, my mate, just told her my greatest shame.
We had our mating ceremony exactly one year ago. It’s our anniversary. I wore this new dress just to please him. And I’m still a virgin.
“Get out!” I scream, storming into the bedroom. The one-room cabin is dimly lit with candles everywhere. He’d never done any romantic gesture like this for me…
“Lyra!” Baron jumps, moving away from Delinda, their nakedness on full display.
“You b’tch!” I point at Delinda. “I can’t believe you slept with my mate after all we’ve been through!”
“You should leave.” Baron’s voice is stern, but still, I can’t move.
They need to pay for this.
I step toward them, claws out.
The next thing I know, there’s Baron’s wolf. He’s tearing toward me, all teeth and fur and fury. I scream, desperately trying to get away. I’m no match for him, even with all of the fury flowing through me.
He stops short of tearing me to pieces before he regains control. He grabs me by the back of the dress and drags me outside.
“If you hadn’t tricked me, betrayed me, none of this would have happened.”
I gape at him. All this, for secretly using my grandmother’s inheritance to save his failing business. He wasn’t even grateful. Apparently, I’d made a fool out of him.
The palms of my hands sting from landing so hard.
“I want a severance!” I shout.
“I’ll never agree to that, and you know the Alpha doesn’t allow mates to separate after the mating ceremony. You made this bed, you get to lie in it.”
I stare numbly at the door Baron just slammed in my face.
‘I can’t be here. I need to get away…’
I pass through the woods, leaving my pack’s territory and driving listlessly until I enter the closest town and pass by a club. It’s lit up with bright neon lights, with well-dressed wolves and she-wolves pouring inside, not a care in the world on their faces.
This town is in the mysterious Alpha Orion’s territory. I keep my head down as I exit my car and walk into the club. The Alphas around here don’t like their packs intermingling with each other. But I needed to be as far away from home as possible.
Inside the club, a woman in a long, red-beaded dress approaches me.
“I see you’re alone. Are you looking for company?”
She smiles, I’m sure catching onto the confused look on my face.
“I work here at the Lodge. My job is customer relations. I don’t know you, but no one comes here without some sort of desire.”
“I…” I stammer. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“If you want to dance, the ballroom is over there. If you just want to sit and drink, go over there. But,” she says, looking me up and down until I feel naked under the tiny fabric of my dress, “you are quite the beauty. If you’re looking for some paid company, I have a host of men who are drooling for your attention…”
I blink.
‘Paid attention?’
My eyes glance around as I think about Baron in bed with Delinda—in our bed—on our mating anniversary.
Anger consumes me. A change happens deep in my core.
“Give me your most expensive man.”
The woman’s eyes light up, and she leads me to a VIP area.
“I’ll call someone over right away!”
I wait.
I like this.
I’m taking control.
If Baron won’t sleep with me, then I’ll find someone who will.
There are several men in the area, but I spot one that makes my insides melt. Tall, long legs, a narrow waist, and broad shoulders, his face chiseled, every ounce of him perfect.
I take a deep breath. My wolf loves his scent. He’s all power and pure desire.
“Him. I want him,” I say to no one in particular.
I head towards him.
His eyes lock onto mine as I get close.
“Hello,” I say in my most sultry voice, immediately running my hand along his chest. “Not bad.”
His voice is a low, warning growl. “What the hell are you doing?”
