Chapter 4: My Future

Juno's POV

My lungs burned as I finished my morning run, pushing myself harder than usual, as if the physical pain could somehow drown out the emotional turmoil inside me. The moment I entered the pack territory, I felt the shift in atmosphere, the way conversations died down as I approached, the sideways glances that quickly darted away when I looked back.

I didn't need to ask. The news of Matthew finding his fated mate had spread through the pack like wildfire.

Their scents told me everything - excitement, curiosity, and beneath it all, pity. Fucking pity. For me. The Luna whose Alpha had found his true mate. The woman who would soon be replaced.

What are they thinking now? Seraphine, my wolf, growled inside me. Are they already choosing sides?

I tried to ignore the stares as I walked past a group of pack members, their whispers barely audible but their scents betraying their emotions. They were happy for Matthew, of course. An Alpha with a fated mate meant a stronger pack, stronger bonds. But what about me? Were they worried about the pain I would endure? The kind of pain that had driven other rejected Lunas to madness?

I could feel the pack bonds shifting already, subtle but undeniable. When things got complicated, where would their loyalties lie?

The house was quiet when I returned. Matthew sat at the kitchen table, a half-eaten breakfast in front of him. My wolf wanted to snarl, to challenge, to demand answers, but I kept my mouth shut as I walked past him.

"Juno," he called after me, his voice heavy with something that might have been regret.

I ignored him and headed straight to our bedroom. I needed a shower because I had a meeting to attend today. Luna Scarlett invited me to the meeting; she's one of my closer friends. Despite feeling upset about yesterday's events, I still decided to go to the meeting.

In the bathroom, I turned on the shower, letting the water run hot enough to steam up the mirrors before stepping in. As the scalding water pounded against my skin, my thoughts drifted to Scarlett.

Three years ago, her Alpha husband Maddox had found his fated mate. Scarlett never talked about what happened behind closed doors, but I could smell the sadness and pain that clung to her. And then there was Freya, whose situation was even worse. The scars those women carried went far deeper than what showed on their skin.

Would that be my future too?

I stood under the spray longer than necessary, watching rivulets of water cascade down my body. For the first time in years, I didn't bother to blow-dry my hair or put on makeup. What was the point? Isabelle was beautiful - stunningly so. And the pull of a fated mate was something I could never compete with, no matter how much Seraphine howled her disagreement.

When I returned to the bedroom wrapped in a towel, Matthew was sitting on the edge of our bed. I ignored him, walking straight to the closet to find something simple to wear. I reached for a plain t-shirt and jeans, trying to ignore the way his scent filled the room - regret mixed with desire that wasn't meant for me.

I felt his arms wrap around me from behind, his lips pressing against the mark on my neck. The gesture that once made me feel safe and loved now only fueled my anger.

I pushed him away, spinning to face him. "Don't touch me," I spat, fury rising in my chest. "Not after what you did last night."

"Juno, please—"

"You humiliated me," I cut him off, my voice shaking. "In front of everyone."

"I stopped," he insisted, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "I didn't—we didn't—"

"What?" I laughed, bitter and cold. "You didn't fuck her? Is that supposed to make me feel better? That you only did everything else?"

The hurt in his eyes should have given me satisfaction, but it didn't. There was something else there too - a longing that had nothing to do with me.

"Hurry up and change, we have a meeting to attend," I said impatiently, not wanting to say much more to him.

"The meeting's been pushed to this evening," he said softly. "Juno, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I'm tired of that word," I muttered, turning away from him. "Sorry doesn't mean anything if you're just going to do it again."

"I never wanted to hurt you," he whispered, grabbing my arm and pulling me against him. His eyes were wet with unshed tears. "You have to believe me. I've never felt so ashamed."

"But you couldn't help yourself, could you?"

"You don't understand what it was like," he said. "I couldn't—I can't—fight this pull."

To my shock, Matthew fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around my legs as he pressed his face against my thighs. I'd never seen an Alpha so broken, so vulnerable. It went against everything in their nature.

"Please don't give up on me," he begged, his tears soaking through the fabric of my jeans. "I need you, Juno. I've always needed you."

Despite everything, my fingers found their way into his hair, feeling its familiar texture. Seven years together, and this was where we had ended up.

"I know this is happening fast," he continued, his words muffled against my leg. "But we can figure it out. I promise I'll do better. Just don't shut me out."

The ache in my chest threatened to consume me. Our life together, the happiness we'd built - it was over. I knew that with a certainty that terrified me. Whatever came next would be something different, something I wasn't sure I could bear.

"You want me to accept sharing you with her," I said flatly.

"I don't know what I want," he admitted, looking up at me with red-rimmed eyes. "But I know I don't want to lose you."

"You already have," I whispered. "What happens now is just... aftermath."

"No," he insisted, getting to his feet and cupping my face in his hands. "I'll fight this, Juno. I swear I will."

I didn't believe him, but I didn't have the energy to argue anymore. The pull of a fated mate was too strong, especially for an Alpha. I knew he was speaking the truth, but I also knew he couldn't follow through.