The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 11

Ella POV

Alexander’s scent made my head spin this close, and for a brief second, I almost considered telling him whatever he wanted to know. Even with a dormant wolf, the mate bond urged me to reassure him that I wasn’t cheating on him. I had never even slept with a man before I met Alexander.

But I couldn’t tell him that. What if it would change his mind about the contract? What if he would decide not to divorce me in the end after all? I had to play my cards right.

“I met Liam in grade school,” I answered coolly, flipping over so my back was facing him. “We hit it off immediately.”

Technically, it was true. Liam and I had become friends quickly as children, like two old souls connecting with just one look.

Alexander just didn’t know that there was nothing more to it than friendship.

I heard him huff softly as he flopped back down onto his back on the other side of the bed.

“How long have you two been seeing each other?” he asked after another moment.

I bit my lip, hesitating, then gave him another half-truth: “We didn’t see each other for more than a decade. He went away when he was ten.”

“So it’s a recent thing, then. Your relationship.”

“I guess so.” I replied vaguely.

Alexander grunted, and I thought the probing questions would finally stop. But then he asked, “And what do you intend to do when our contract is up? Marry him?”

“Does that matter?” I blurted out. “You and I were never in love. In nine months, we’ll go our separate ways.”

“Just tell me.”

I sighed. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll run off into the sunset together.”

My vague answers didn’t seem to please Alexander. Over the next fifteen minutes, he asked more and more questions, all of which I answered as sparingly as I could.

Eventually, I grew too tired to keep answering. The last thing I heard before I finally drifted off to sleep was Alexander’s deep voice.

“Ella, is Liam planning on making you Luna of his pack?”

his arms, his touch gentle as he held me close. His

my ear.

and peppermint. My body instantly melted

woke, like the sun kissing my skin. A gentle, familiar rhythm pounded

ear: one-two, one-two, one-two.

physically felt before, and yet it was so natural

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Alexander’s bare chest. His arms tightened almost imperceptibly around me, and

padded across the room, flinging the heavy curtains open.

cooed. “Alex,

together in bed. I gasped, partially from surprise that she was here so early but also from the realization

her. I didn’t have a chance to pull away before Alexander was practically shoving

as he crossed to the bathroom. “Wear

that, he was gone. I heard the shower turn on, and for a moment I just laid there, staring at the ceiling, my face hot

so right, like a key sliding perfectly

bitter reminder that divorce was the only option to save my life. He would never fall in

over a simple white cotton dress, perfect for today’s balmy spring weather. Liam and the rest of the

turned an alarming shade of red the moment Alexander and I entered the room together, and she quickly looked

chair out for me-something

as I took my seat. “We wanted to thank you both for the accommodations. Personally, I slept like

pleased. I avoided everyone’s gazes, busying myself instead with pouring a cup of coffee. I picked out some ripe

was closer, handed it to me. Our fingers brushed as I took

to see that Alexander had hit his knee on the underside of the table, causing some of his coffee to slosh

Are you alright,

at us now-Liam and I still holding the same plate, Alexander morosely

giggled, and said airily, “My husband didn’t sleep well last night. He gets so clumsy when he’s tired,

to ease the tension at the table. Liam and the rest of

on, reaching over to grasp my free hand, “well, my wife keeps

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Chapter 1

the opposite, if only because our little show of marital bliss seemed to have pleased the Board—and if I wanted to gain my freedom

the Board now, “We were actually up late discussing pack affairs. Recently, Ashclaw has been gifted a parcel of land from Stormhollow that has the perfect soil for growing wheat. This will allow us to grow more grain. Within six months, we’re hoping to roll out a program providing free bread to every pack

I even knew about that. Despite what he thought of me, I was a diligent Luna who paid attention to everything that went on. During