Chasing His Betrayed Luna by KiKi Jones

10. Stay With Me

ALPHA RAIDEN

She was nowhere to be found.

It's been three months of searching for my destined mate who chose to rejectand somehow escaped the

room, my mansion, and my pack without notice. My soul was still hurting and my heart still bled on a daily basis

even though it's been three months.

"It's high tyou give up on finding her, Raiden. She is gone." Andrew, My Beta and closest friend said toas

he walked up toin his overflowing dark brown robe.

| frowned, glaring at him, "Why would I give up, Drew? You know what's at stake if | don't find her."

"No, | don't. Perhaps you should tell me." Andrew retorted with a shrug.

Although this will be the umpteenth t| will be telling him this since the search for Aurelia began three months

ago, | still voiced, "No one rejects me, escapes my pack, and goes Scott-free. | have to find her to make an

example out of her and make it known that | am not to be disrespected."

Andrew chuckled, stopping dead in his tracks and veering around to lookin the eyes, "So it's your ego and

Alpha pride that's at stake not your heart, your strength, and your bond with your wolf. Alpha Raiden?"

| had known Andrew since the days of diapers and goofiness and | knew he didn't call'Alpha Raiden’ unless

he was making a sarcastic comment.

"Are you trying to be funny?" | scoffed, scanning the swoods my men had been searching for weeks, hoping

that | would at least sight Aurelia as | believed that she couldn't have gone far. Rejectingwould have drained

her strength as well as it did mine and she was never the strongest of us. "My heart belongs to Larisa and mate

bond or not, | have always been a strong Alpha male. My wolf and | would be just fine."

"Is that what you tell yourself?" Andrew shook his head while | scowled at him but that didn't stop him from

speaking his mind. It had never stopped him. "If that's the case why have | not sensed your wolf for the past

three months? It's almost like he has stopped talking to you and existing within you. Also, why haven't you

accepted Aurelia's rejection and made Larisa, the love of your life, the Luna since her party was interrupted three

months ago? Why have you-"

"That's enough, Andrew!" | snapped, cutting my friend off as his words began to unravel me.

| had managed to hide the fact that | was hurting from everyone and only showed the anger | felt towards Aurelia

but it was no secret that | was yet to accept Aurelia's rejection and to be honest, | had no plans to accept it, and

break the bond completely. Before | could get buried in my confusing feelings and right before Andrew could

voice his comeback, | announced, raising my voice so all my warriors in the woods could hear me, "We are

heading back to the pack. The search continues tomorrow."

No one dared argue witheven though | could sense their fatigue. They were probably wondering why | was

still searching for the Luna | never loved and who was never accepted by the pack. Unfortunately for them, |

wasn't about to give up on finding Aurelia... not now and not ever.

| put a mark on the woods to indicate where the search would kick off from tomorrow before we left the woods

and we made it back to my pack territory in tfor dinner. My men and Andrew joined the rest of the group in

the warriors’ dining hall while | went straight to the mansion not to eat or sleep but to make calls and follow up

with other Alphas if any of them had seen my runaway mate.

At least that was my plan but that went out the window the second | stepped into my living room.

At first, | was shocked but | pulled myself together, sighing, "What are you doing in my living room naked, Larisa?

It's late."

Larisa, who | met lying on my sofa in her birthday suit, rose to her feet and walked over to me. | kept my tired

eyes on her face as she approachedwith one of her brightest smiles.

"I have been waiting for you, my love. You haven't been hin weeks and we never have fun together

anymore-"

| cut in, chiding, "Go home, Larisa. | have things to do."

Her smile dissipated and her facial features hardened. "This is home, Raid. This is where | should be, with you.

Why are you castingaway-" She began.

"I do not have tfor this!" | raised my voice, watching as her eyes glinted with tears. | closed my eyes, sighing

and placing my hands on Larisa's cheeks as | spoke with a gentler voice, "Please, Isa. | need tto myself right

now. | need to-"

"Do you still love me?" Larisa threw that question in my face as sobbed.

I held her gaze for the longest minute, saying nothing to answer her hanging question.

Tears trickled down her face and | could feel her body shuddering as she whispered, "Answer me, Raid. D-do yo-

you still loveor | should leave."

My heart ached. Memories of the sweet past and love that | enjoyed with Larisa flooded my mind as | stared

down at her shaking and naked frame. With every second that passed without a response from me, the light in

Larisa's eyes dimmed and she folded her arms around her naked body out of embarrassment.

| was breaking her.

Why was | breaking the woman | loved over a stupid bond that | was forced to create in the first place?

Goddess why?

"| apologize for coming into your hand for showing my face to you. | apologize for coming back to the pack,

Alpha Raiden. | wished | had known that there was nothing... no one waiting for my return." Larisa muttered, her

voice breaking as she took steps away from me, picking up her clothes and the shattered pieces of her

sweetheart. "I'll take my leave."

| stood there, watching her as she dressed up, and eventually headed for the door without looking at me. The

woman | have loved since | could remember walked pastin tears and it was at that moment that | realized

that | had to make a choice now.

| had to choose between my lover and the mate a part ofyearned for.

And | made a choice that night when | uttered, "Stay with me, Isa. Don't leave."