The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 10

Ella POV

This close, with the scent of Alexander’s cologne washing over me and the possessive fire in his eyes as he looked down at me, I felt something cold and hard begin to soften ever so slightly inside of me, like the morning sun melting the frost on the grass.

It should have been a nice feeling, to warm up slightly toward my mate and husband, but all it did was make me feel uneasy.

Right now, I hated him-hated what he was putting me through, hated the fact that he wouldn’t help me with my wolf, hated that we had even gotten to this point to begin with simply because he couldn’t bear to love me despite how hard I had tried for five years.

And yet, I couldn’t help but feel the pull of our fated mate bond in my chest. Even with my wolf dormant, it was still there- a faint tug of an invisible string tied around my heart, constantly pulling, constantly urging me closer to him.

For a brief, heart-stopping moment, I nearly gave in and closed the remaining distance between us.

Maybe, if this had happened yesterday, I would have even hoped to kiss him.

But now… Now, I just wanted him to get away.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I shoved hard against his chest. It wasn’t enough to make him stumble back, but it did seem to take him by surprise, and he released his grip on my arm.

“If you want me to sign your contract, you also have to promise to stop touching me like that.” I smoothed down the front of my dress and lifted my chin. “And I’m not spending the night with you. Whatever sexual favors you think you’ll get from me on the side, it’s not happening.”

Alexander blinked. “Sexual favors? Don’t overthink things, Ella. The only reason why I think you should stay in my room is because the Board is here. I can’t have them thinking we’re actually having marital problems.”

His explanation infuriated me in ways I didn’t want to admit-because of course he had only invited me to fulfill his agenda. and for no other reasons-but it was also logical.

We slept on opposite sides of the house. My bedroom was just down the hall from where the Board was staying. Of course it would raise eyebrows if we slept like that with such important guests around.

“Fine,” I sighed, throwing my hands up in the air. “I’ll sleep in your room for now. But only until the Board is gone.”

a response before I

way toward Alexander’s room instead of mine, I couldn’t help but laugh wryly under my

thought that, after five years of marriage, this would be our

room and prepared to shower, I felt more uncomfortable with his permission to be here than I had felt when sneaking around earlier that day.

never even set foot in this room. On our wedding night, just as I was about to enter, he had coldly told me to leave—that I wasn’t allowed inside because he wasn’t going to have children with me, and

shared bed.

my sad little room all the way on the

he was the one who wanted me to sleep in

1/3

Chapter 0

had time to shower and

face mask for good measure. A servant had brought me some pajamas, so I slipped into the silky blue sleep set

out of the bathroom.

waiting for me, already shirtless with nothing but a pair of flannel pants slung low around his chiseled waist,

the delicious V-line of his hips, reminding myself that as attractive as he was,

holding out a pen. “All

and flipped through it, ensuring everything was in

in the house as his wife for the six-month duration of his election campaign, during which time I would be expected to perform my usual Luna duties, attend any public events or the

free. My

hand, my fingers briefly brushing his as I did, and signed my name at the bottom with a flourish. “Your turn,” I said, holding the contract and pen back out

in Alexander’s jaw ticked, but he signed his

have it

hesitated. My eyes shifted toward the couch in

me like I’d just sprouted a second head. “Why should either of us take

back and climbed into the right side of the bed. I hesitated, clenching my jaw, but climbed into the other side. To be fair, it was a very large bed, and the two of us could lay on our backs and even sprawl out a little

if you lay a hand on me, I’ll bite it