Chapter 71 – Outed

Jane

I’ve only just dropped the pups off at pre school and am on my way to the office when my phone rings. Glancing at the touchscreen display in the car’s center console, I see Linda’s name appear, and promptly accept the call over bluetooth.” Hello?”

“Hey,” She greets me, sounding a bit tense. “Have you seen the news?”

“No.” I sigh, already fearing the worst,“ What is it now?”

“You just got outed.” She explains gently, “In a very public way.”

“What do you mean?” I ask nervously, thinking that it’s beyond depressing my life has reached a point where she could

be talking about half a dozen secrets or lies.

“It’s on the front page of the Gazette.” She replied simply, “Elise Carrington exposed – NightFang’s Luna returns from the grave.” Linda pauses,” apparently someone let it slip that your identity is fake and exposed the truth – including the fact that you faked your death.”

I curse under my breath. This is the last thing I needed. “I was worried standing by Ethan’s side at the funeral might draw too much attention to me.” I groan. “I should have known better.”

“I don’t think it was the funeral.” Linda corrects me, “The way this is written, well, let’s just say it’s not a flattering article. There’s a lot of details here that they couldn’t have gotten from the last few days, or even just looking into your

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life in the Dark Moon pack.”

“Great.” I mutter grumpily, “As if this week wasn’t going badly enough already.”

“Sorry babe. Call me if you need anything.” Linda offers.

“Thanks.”

out in front of me. My photo is plastered across the front page, right alongside a

years ago Jane Blackwell divorced the Alpha, just over a year after a mysterious attack paralyzed family

supposedly died birthing the Alpha’s daughter Paisley, who’s young life has been marked by a heart condition and multiple surgeries. However

– and citizens couldn’t help notice the striking resemblance the entrepreneur bore to our late Luna. Today we can confirm that the two women are one in the same. Jane

the police reports Eve and Petra filed against me after the attack six years ago, blaming me for Eve’s injuries and noting my sudden disappearance from public life. It then provides a

this, but given all the details of the current investigation included,

but I know how he’ll respond. He’ll promise to take care of it and tell me not to worry, even though I can’t do anything but worry. I’m already so confused about his motivations that I don’t think I

our situation, so I resist

I step out

me. At first I stop in the doorway looking like a deer in the headlights as the cameras flash around me,

wielding correspondents shout in my direction.

fight my way through the crowd, keeping my sunglasses lowered over my eyes, and

in the face.

“Jane, what do you have to say to NightFang customers who

The NightFang pack is the most prosperous on the continent, which means it has the wealthiest citizens and comprises the largest

because they support our politics or enterprises, they wear La louve because it is the height of elegance and prestige. Our competitors cannot come close to matching our exclusive scents, and any woman of taste knows that her perfume choice is not merely a fashion statement, but a

continue. “I dare the woman of the NightFang pack to find a fragrance as enigmatic, luxurious and scintillating as our signature, or as nuanced as some of our other lines. Every woman is unique and complex, and we’ve created our perfumes to match those

we all pride

yourself should have no accountability if their products are good?” The

that corporations have the

fashion has a long history of trumping morality. “Five years ago I ran away from a bad marriage, and I did what I felt was necessary to protect myself. But I never harmed Petra or Eve Mechant, and anyone who says

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I

them, I decide to forgo lunch and head straight for Ethan’s office. I don’t know if my pandering to our wealthy clients’egos or cravings for exclusivity was sufficient to undo the damage this article has done. I can’t stand the thought of losing everything I’ve worked so

pack headquarters, I walk straight into Ethan’s office, bypassing his assistant even as she races after me, insisting I can’t go in. When I open the doors, I find Ethan seated behind his desk and his Beta, Matthew, sitting across

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