Tempting LUNA 【18+】

Chapter 9: Leaving

POV:

Flora Duncan

Back in high school, I was just an ordinary student.

My life revolved around school, the diner, and home. I didn't have many friends, and no one noticed me at school.

I didn't have a father. I've never met him, and my mother never mentioned it to me.

My mom always warned me,

"Don't get too attached to your mate. He'll leave you."

I understood that. Even the Moon Goddess can't guarantee every werewolf finds a perfect match. If you expect too much from others, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment.

I've known Alpha Adam Hansen for a long time, but he never knew me. He was the Alpha, the king of the school, the one everyone talked about. He was always charming, with a bright smile, sharp wit, and sincere, logical way of speaking. A natural leader. Everyone, guys and girls alike, liked him.

And me? I was nothing. I didn't dare tell him that getting marked and surviving the haze meant my plan had worked. I didn't want to get too emotional about it. That would only make me lose control.

Since that thing happened in the garage, I've avoided Adam Hansen for days. He really pissed me off, doing that to me. That night, I honestly thought I would be done to death by him in the garage,he'd push me too far, but in the end, he seemed to regain some control and respected my wish to send me home.

It's been three days since then. After work, I escape as quickly as I can, sticking close to my coworkers. I only see him during meetings or in passing. Sometimes, during meetings, he'll try to reach out through the mindlink.

"How was your day? Can we have dinner together?" His eyes would glance my way from the head of the table, but I just ignore him and shut down the connection.

Then, he switched to texting.

[Flora, what do you want for lunch?]

[Mr. Hansen, I don't want anything.]

[Flora, can you come to my office? I have a gift for you.]

[No need, I'm not interested.]

[Can we talk?]

[I thought we had an agreement.]

...

Adam Hansen kept messaging me non-stop, so I quickly put my phone down. He's been trying to make up with me for the past few days, and honestly, I'm not even mad anymore. I just don't know how to face him. He seems weirdly obsessed with me.

I thought about it a lot this afternoon. I can't keep avoiding him like this.

We can be regular hookup partners. I'll just say it. He won't disagree. But if he thinks we're mates, I'm not the right person for that. I can't be.

This was my plan from the start—to find a perfect partner I like for this.

It's best if we both see this relationship clearly and just move on when it's over.

So after the meeting, I grabbed a cup of coffee, intending to have a serious talk with Adam Hansen.

I knocked on his door.

"Mr. Hansen, are you there?"

I waited for three minutes. No one answered, so I walked away, feeling a bit down.

I picked up my phone, wondering where Adam Hansen might be.

"Hey, Flora, did you check our company chat group?" Irene Jonah, one of my colleagues, a lively beta girl, came up to me.

"Someone spotted Mr. Hansen having lunch with a girl. I thought it was you."

"Really? Where?" I tried to act curious, though I was starting to panic.

"Hold on." Irene scrolled through the group chat. "Someone posted a picture."

She scrolled quickly through her screen, still talking. "Looks like they're at that new, fancy sushi place in the west side of town."

"Sushi?" I suddenly felt a pang of sadness. I've never gone to a sushi place with Adam Hansen.

"Yeah, the one that just opened."

Finally, Irene found the post and held her phone up to me.

"Look!"

The photo showed Adam Hansen with a pretty girl. She looked nothing like me. The only thing we had in common was our long, wavy brown hair.

The girl in the photo had flawless makeup, a perfect smile. She was the type of woman any guy would be into. Even though it was a candid shot, she looked like a socialite, wearing a sleek, high-quality blazer dress. Adam Hansen, at 6'5", looked especially strong sitting next to her, gazing at her with a look I'd never seen before.

I stood there, stunned. This girl... her profile looked a lot like mine.

Adam Hansen always liked it when I faced away from him when we... had sex. Maybe it's because he didn't really want to see me. Maybe it's just because I reminded him of her.

"Flora, you kinda look like that girl," Irene said, tilting her head as she compared us.

"Do we?" I asked, my voice hesitant, almost mechanical.

"Yeah, look at your hairstyles and your vibe. And didn't you wear a long dress to work a few days ago?"

"Really? I didn't notice."

"She's lucky, hooking up with an Alpha."

Are you kidding me?

Suddenly, I remembered high school. Adam Hansen was close with the cheerleading captain, and I remember she had long brown hair too. I guess Adam Hansen has a type.

I kept my head down, not saying a word.

"What's wrong? You don't look so good."

"Yeah... yeah, my mom's sick. I'm thinking of quitting my job to take care of her."

My mom had texted me a few days ago, worried about me being out here during my heat. It's like I just made a huge decision. Yeah, I'm going to quit.

I want to go home. I can't let the Alpha mess with my emotions anymore. I've been marked. I can go home now.

"You're just running away," Fala muttered .

Yep, I'm running away.

"What? You're leaving?"

"Yeah, I've made up my mind."

It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders.

"I'm going to pack up my things. Can you hand my resignation letter to HR? My mom's in the hospital all alone. I need to get back to her ASAP."

"Oh, okay, sure," Irene Jonah reassured me.

"Flora, I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. Thanks."