Chapter 39: Chapter 39; I just want my freedom

Alina’s POV

If I had known they would both be here, I would have stayed locked behind my bedroom door. My palms felt clammy, and my heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I had come for a lifeline, not a confrontation. I scanned the crowd, desperate to find the one person who could help me, but instead, I felt a heavy hand on my arm.

Aiden.

He pulled me closer, his grip firm, ignoring the woman standing inches away. He looked at me with an intensity that made my skin crawl—as if his wife, the woman who had taken my place, didn’t even exist. I looked over at Emily. Her eyes were like chips of ice, her gaze boring into me with a mixture of hatred and insecurity. She clutched his other arm so tightly her knuckles were white, looking like she might shatter if he moved an inch away from her.

"I’ll excuse myself," I managed to say, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "Today is your night, Luna Emily. I wouldn’t want to ruin it."

I didn’t wait for a reply. I turned and hurried away, my chest tight. I checked my phone with shaking fingers—still no word from Becca.

"Alina!"

I spun around, a wave of pure relief washing over me. Becca was weaving through the crowd toward me. "I am so sorry I’m late," she panted, reaching for my hand. "The traffic was a nightmare, but I’m here now."

I tried to smile, but it felt more like a grimace. The walls felt like they were closing in. "I’m just glad you’re here," I whispered, leaning in so no one could overhear. "I can’t stay here much longer. I told you everything... what’s going to happen? Please."

The desperation in my voice was naked, raw. I hated how small I felt.

Becca’s expression turned serious, her eyes darting around the room. "Being the former Luna, it shouldn’t be hard to find you a place," she murmured, her voice dropping an octave. "But the problem is Aiden. I can’t let my family get caught in his crosshairs. You have to promise me—no one can know I helped you leave."

"I promise, Becca. I swear it." I gripped her sleeve, my eyes pleading. "I just need my life back. I can’t breathe here."

She searched my face for a long moment before nodding. She stepped closer, her breath warm against my ear. "Tonight is the night," she whispered. "It’s the perfect time to vanish while everyone is distracted."

My heart skipped a beat.

"I’ll have someone pick you up," she continued. "At midnight, be ready. Bring the baby and nothing else you don’t need. It’s a solid plan, Alina. You’re going to make it out."

"Thank you," I breathed, the tears I’d been holding back finally stinging my eyes. "I’ll be in your debt forever."

Becca glanced over my shoulder, her lip curling slightly. "I guess Emily finally got what she wanted. She’s the Luna now."

I followed her gaze. Emily was still there, draped over Aiden’s arm like a permanent fixture. She looked triumphant, yet her eyes never left him, filled with a desperate fear that he might still slip through her fingers.

I turned away. She could have the title, the pack, and the man. I just wanted my freedom.

"She was meant to be the pack’s Luna. I was just a placeholder," I murmured, the words feeling like a weight lifting off my chest. "I’m just glad it’s finally over."

I forced myself to stay until the last guest drifted away. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run, but Becca insisted. ’Don’t give them a reason to look at you,’ she had warned. So, I endured it. I watched Emily glide through the room, making sure to bump into me or catch my eye every time she was announced as Luna. She wore the title like a weapon, rubbing my nose in it at every turn. I didn’t care. Let her have the jewels and the status; I just wanted the city lights in my rearview mirror.

Only one thought gave me pause: Lucian. A part of me craved his help, his presence, but the risk was too high. Lucian would only lead Aiden straight to me, and I couldn’t risk my son’s future on a whim of the heart.

By the time I slipped back into my house, the silence felt heavy. Stella had already moved like a shadow, packing a small bag with the essentials. She had promised her silence with a tearful nod. I looked at Leo, his chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of deep sleep. A selfish part of me was grateful; his cries would have been my undoing tonight.

My phone buzzed. A message from Becca: Go now.

I grabbed the bag, the strap digging into my shoulder—a small price for freedom. I took one last look at the dark hallway and flicked the light switch. The house plunged into blackness. I stepped out into the night air, lungs expanding with the first breath of my new life—only to freeze.

Headlights cut through the dark. My stomach dropped through the floor. Standing by the gate, flanked by a wall of guards, were Aiden and Emily.

"I told you she was trying to escape, Aiden," Emily said, her voice dripping with venomous triumph.

Aiden didn’t just look angry; he looked murderous. His eyes burned with a dark, primal fury that made my knees weak. "What is this, Alina?" he growled, the sound vibrating in the air between us. "We had a deal. You signed a contract. You keep Leo only if you stay. So what the hell am I hearing? You’re leaving the city? Running away?"

My heart hammered so hard I thought it would burst. This had to be a nightmare. How? How did he know?

"I... you’re mistaken," I stammered, my fingers trembling so much I let the bag slip to the pavement. It hit the ground with a dull thud. "I’m not leaving. I just... I needed some air. I was stepping out for a moment."

"That’s a damn lie, Alina!" Emily snapped, stepping forward. "Becca told us everything. She was worried about Leo’s future. She did the right thing, letting us know what you were plotting."

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Becca? My Becca?

"You’re lying, Emily," I whispered, shaking my head.

"She isn’t."

Becca stepped out from behind the guards. Her face was a mask of cold stone. "I warned you about this, Alina. I told you not to do it, but you insisted. You can’t just steal the pack’s heir. The stability of our people is at stake, and you’re being too selfish to see it."

I gasped, the betrayal cutting deeper than any blade. "Becca, what are you doing? This isn’t—"

"Aiden, please, listen to me—"

"Seize her," Aiden commanded. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The guards moved instantly, their rough hands pinning my arms behind my back. Before I could even scream, Emily brushed past me and reached into the house, emerging a moment later with Leo in her arms.

"No! What are you doing? Let me go!" I thrashed against the guards, my voice cracking with raw desperation.

Aiden stepped into my space, his shadow looming over me. "I warned you never to defy my orders, Alina. But I see now that you only learn through consequences. You’ll find out what happens to those who try to steal from the Alpha."

"Let go of me! Let me go!"

I screamed as they dragged me toward the waiting cars, my heels scraping against the driveway. My mind raced, searching for a face, a name, a hope. Lucian. He was the only one left. My heart cried out for him, a silent plea for him to find me, to break these chains, to save us before the darkness closed in for good.