The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 1

Ella POV

“Luna, you…only have one year to live.” The doctor slowly took her glasses off and stared at the floor. “Your wolf has entered a dormant state.”

I couldn’t believe Dr. Evelyn’s words.

“My wolf… is dormant?” I breathed. “Surely there must be a mistake—”

“I’m sorry, Luna, but we double-checked the test results. This disease can be caused by long-term stress and…” She paused, giving me an uncertain look. “… Lack of intimacy with one’s found but unmarked fated mate.”

I swallowed hard. Stress and a lack of intimacy with my mate…

That did sound like my life.

“Based on the few rare cases I could find, I am supposed to suggest you to mark your fated mate or reject each other completely. But you are my Luna, and your fated mate is our Alpha…” Dr. Evelyn sounded uncertain.

“I’m not even marked yet,” I whispered, trying not to confuse this kind young woman anymore than I already had.

Dr. Evelyn looked up at me in surprise. “You and Alpha Alexander aren’t marked? But you’re married.”

I bit my lip, my face flushing hot with embarrassment. It was true; I was married to my fated mate, Alpha Alexander Solace of Ashclaw pack. We had been man and wife for five years, and should have been marked by now.

But we weren’t.

From the moment I recognized him as my fated mate on the annual Alpha ball, I was captivated by him-his handsome yet stubborn jaw, the shock of red hair atop his head, his sage green eyes. He was a remarkable leader, too, intelligent and headstrong and everything an Alpha should be.

However, on our mating day, Alexander had handed me a contract and told me to sign it.

“Our relationship will be purely contractual,” he had said. “For my Alpha reputation, I can’t reject my fated mate. But I won’t mark you, and there will be no intimacy. End of story.”

I did think about taking all the blame and rejecting Alexander after finding out that he was just a jerk, but my father, Alpha Richard Eden of Stormhollow pack, had insisted that I accept in order to gain Ashclaw’s support.

My father had said he was too old to continue managing Stormhollow, and my younger half- brother, Brian, was too young and naive to handle it on his own. We desperately needed Ashclaw’s

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help.

had taken over Ashclaw at a young age following his parents’ untimely death. Ashclaw didn’t just survive under a

was what I was meant to do,

a good little girl, I

in title and responsibility, but behind closed doors, we were nothing to each other. I moved into the west wing of his mansion, all the way on the

the question. Even when I initially tried to garner his affection by preparing meals, setting up dates, even just trying to

and bottled it all up, even if it broke my heart to think that my husband would never

Alexander about my death sentence now, he

my things. “If you want to

for me in the lobby. She wore a simple gray cardigan and a skirt today, her silver hair

How did

the scent of blooming flowers soothed me somewhat. I always

I said

stopped short. “You… what?” The words came out choked, and when I looked

own, too. Lilith was old enough to be my mother, but she felt more like a sister to me. The thought of leaving her felt

took her hand

said calmly, evenly, as

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Chapter

feared that if anyone else saw me crying or trembling, they might talk, claim that the lovelorn Luna of Ashclaw

go to the doctor sooner, you silly girl. You should have gone a long time

this.” I pulled my shoulders back and leveled my friend with an even stare. “Alexander needs to mark me or reject me-one or the other. If he chooses one of those options,

he would choose?” she whispered, low enough so only I could hear. “Do

didn’t have a relationship, not in the ways

I managed, “We’ll have

you’re going to make him

I turned abruptly and

down my own wants and needs for the sake of being a competent Luna for the pack

no longer be Ella, the selfless Luna who would push through heartbreak and loneliness and