"I never thought he'd cast me out." As I stood beyond the pack boundaries, the words replayed in my head, the life I knew vanishing minute by moment. She, the lady from his past, had been picked over me by Roland Crown, the man I loved, the Alpha I was meant to be by his side. For a deception, he turned away his true mate, me. I was carrying a secret that no one could ever know: I was expecting his children, as the wind whispered through the woods. I really did not want him to know, but life has a way of bringing everything you've worked so hard to hide back to haunt you. I believed I might get away from being alone in a human world that doesn't comprehend me. However, someone is observing. Someone who is fully aware of what I'm concealing and who will not give up until they achieve their goals. I was mistaken to believe that the worst aspect of this nightmare was the anguish of losing Roland. I don't know who I can trust, and the real danger is just getting started. Will it be too late when Roland arrives at my door with regret in his eyes? Will I be able to shield my kids from the darkness that is encroaching on us when the truth is ultimately exposed? I'll just have to find out. One thing, though, caught me off guard: someone from my past is prepared to ruin everything, starting with me.
Chapter 1 Bimbo's POV
"Bimbo, you need to hear this." In stark contrast to the warmth I had always known in Roland, his voice was chilly. I set my mug down on the kitchen counter and blinked, my fingers shaking a little. The familiar smell of coffee brewing and the soft background hum of the pack house seemed so far away, as if they were part of someone else's life.
I tried to read his expression, but all I saw was wrath-raw, uncontrollable anger. What's that, Roland? What's happening?
His eyes were like ice as he stood there with his arms folded. Before me, the father of my children and the man I had once loved was a complete stranger. "I am aware of your actions. I take it you've been with him? Like a razor, the words sliced through the atmosphere.
Panic rose as my heart banged in my chest. "What? "What are you discussing?"
His eyes grew gloomy. "Bimbo, don't pretend to be innocent. I am fully informed. In secret, you have been seeing him. behind the rear of the group. behind everyone's back. Each word he spewed out was a betrayal in and of itself.
The world shook beneath me. A fog of bewilderment and incredulity filled the room. "I promise, Roland, I have no idea who you're referring to. What on earth are you saying about me?
"Don't lie to me!" His voice raised, accusatory and piercing. "You didn't want me to know? That I would be blind to it? I was aware when you began to distance yourself. I was aware of your secrecy. His anger simmered just beneath the surface as he paced. "Have you not been seeing him? Cain. The outlaw wolf. You have been dating him.
My legs were weak, and I stumbled back. I felt as if I had been struck in the chest by the name. Cain. The outlaw wolf. Roland was referring to him, the one who had approached me just a few weeks prior, offering assistance when I felt completely alone. I had never betrayed Roland with Cain, though. Not as he was suggesting.
Whispering, "I never-I never did that, Roland," I shook my head. "You're not correct. All of this is incorrect.
Something evil sparked in his eyes as he narrowed them. "Don't you think I'm the idiot? You have been deceiving me. To everyone." His jaw tightened as he looked away from me. "I will not abandon this. I'm done with you.
"What are you saying?" As the words registered, my breath caught in my throat. "Finished with me? Please, Roland-"
"The pack is already aware," he interrupted, his voice quietly. "They are aware of your actions and your transformation. Additionally, I will no longer pretend."
Suddenly, I felt a weight pressing down on me. The walls felt like they were strangling the room. Suddenly, the cozy, familiar atmosphere of the pack house seemed icy and unfriendly. "No, Roland, please," I implored him. "You're making a mistake."
"Bimbo, it's not me who is making a mistake. You are. His icy, merciless eyes flitted to mine. "The Luna has fallen."
I was having trouble breathing. I was unable to think. I stumbled to the ground, grasping the kitchen counter's edge for support as my legs buckled under me. "No. You can't be serious, please. I was having trouble finding the right words, and my voice was shaking. "You can't just cast me out like this."
He added bluntly, "You're no longer the Luna of the Crescent Ridge Pack," his eyes no longer showing the affection I had previously recognized. "And you'll be leaving today."
A choked cry from my chest, but it seemed far away, as if it were coming from someone else. This cannot be taking place. It isn't possible. I was being condemned by Roland, the man I had vowed to live for, the man I had loved with all of my heart. In the cruelest way possible, my heart broke like glass against stone.
"No, Roland, please," I said in a broken voice. "I didn't do anything incorrectly. I promise you. Avoid doing this.
His face was marked with finality as he turned away from me. "Bimbo, I'm done listening to excuses. The choice has already been made.
It was unbelievable to me. They were throwing me out. Set aside. In an attempt to comprehend the words and make sense of this nightmare that had abruptly become my reality, my mind raced.
I forced myself to stand and staggered in his direction. "I'm carrying your kids, Roland, please. This cannot be done to me. You can't treat us like this."
Nothing came of the words. He did not recoil. He clenched his jaw. "A betraying Luna is not what the pack needs. And you-" He interrupted me by shaking his head. "Bimbo, you deceived me. You deceived us all.
I was overwhelmed by the weight of their remarks. The finality in his tone made me realize that there was no opportunity for forgiveness, even if I wanted to shout and implore him to retract it. No need for an explanation. He no longer had me. The pack no longer included me.
I fought back the tears that threatened to fall as I turned away. "That's not what you mean, Roland. You genuinely don't want me gone.
However, as I got to the door, I could hear the pack members congregating and their voices reverberating throughout the hallway. Their icy indifference and judgmental stares locked with mine. Their decisions had already been made. The traitor was me. It was me who had betrayed their confidence.
Roland's longtime confidante and friend Elena Winters walked forward, her eyes shining with malevolent glee. "You heard him, Bimbo," she said with a mocking hint. "The Luna has vanished. Additionally, you-" she grinned-"-are nothing."
Feeling like everyone was watching me, I turned and sprinted down the hallways, out of the home, and into the night. Even though the moon was high above, it was no longer as consoling as it had was. The stars glowed, far away and unconcerned.
It was unbelievable to me that this was taking place. How did this happen? Why was Roland treating me like this?
As I staggered into the woods, unsure of my destination, my mind raced. Every step I took hurt my heart, and the hurt of Roland's betrayal grew more intense by the second.
Then, as I was about to give up, I caught sight of him. Cain. I felt a chill go through me as his dark figure stepped out of the darkness and his intense eyes met mine.
"You're alone," he whispered gently, his voice velvety yet tinged with peril. "I think you need help, Bimbo."
My mind was racing with agony and confusion, so I didn't answer. Had I really turned to this person? The outlaw who vowed to assist?
However, I sensed a glimmer of something inside of me as he moved closer, letting me know that I wasn't alone after all.
Then he murmured, "I know what Roland did to you," before I could respond. I'm here to ensure that he pays, too."
I went cold. By that, what did he mean? What was Cain aware of?
The earth underneath me appeared to move once more. Nothing was as it appeared. And everything was turned upside down just when I thought I knew.
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