The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 14

Ella

I couldn’t speak as I looked up into those familiar green eyes. Alexander smelled like his usual scent combined with fresh sweat and earth, but there was something else there, too-the coppery scent of dried blood.

Was he injured? Was I injured?

I didn’t have time to dwell on it before Liam, standing behind me and dusting the hay off his shirt, said, “What the hell happened?”

Alexander’s face, which had momentarily been a mask of shock and maybe even a hint of relief, hardened. He set me down. I was glad to find that my legs were indeed not broken; there wasn’t even a scratch on me.

“I was just wondering the same thing,” he said, glancing first at me, then at Liam, then up-toward the open hay door I had just fallen out of.

Liam opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly cut off by a shrill scream.

“Ella! Oh, Goddess, Ella! Are you alright?”

We all turned to see Sophia running around the corner of the barn, her hair disheveled and her eyes wide. She’d gone pale and was out of breath from having climbed down the barn ladder and run over in a rush.

“Did she push you, Ella?” Liam pointed at Sophia. His eyes were practically red with rage.

I turned to her, looking her up and down. She certainly seemed surprised-and although we never got along, she had never done anything so heinous as to try to injure me before.

But my suspicions remained.

“I felt something shove my back,” I said slowly, deliberately. “Sophia was the only other one up there with me, and I doubt the cows know how to climb a ladder.”

Sophia’s eyes began to water as she clutched at her pearl necklace. “I would never do such a thing!” she cried out. She whirled toward Alexander. “Alex, you have to tell them! You know me! I wouldn’t-”

“Enough.” Alexander held up his hand, and it was then that I noticed he was indeed covered in blood-most of it not his own. It was caked in his hair, his eyebrows, trailing down his neck as if it had sprayed down on top of his head.

It must have been an intense battle, and a small part of me couldn’t help but feel relieved that he had walked out of it alive.

made a little sound of worry and began

then said in a surprisingly calm and even voice, “Sophia, did you

was an accident. The wind caught

my eyes. The wind… It had felt like two warm hands shoving against my lower back. Unless the wind could suddenly grow

he turned to Alexander. “She pushed your mate, Alpha. With intention to harm, if not kill. What are

could practically hear the gears whirring in his

the Board. They were all watching now-a

1/3

around us.

would never suspect his darling Sophia of

his eyes, she was as innocent as a lamb. And those crocodile tears she

that had

would always trust others

very thought made my heart turn bitter and black. Maybe once, I would have stepped down and let Sophia get away

I turned to Alexander and looked at him. Only him. “I felt her hands on my back. She was the one who suggested we go into the hayloft,

for Sophia’s soft whimpers and the gentle breeze blowing through the treetops. Enough to knock over a

Highly unlikely.

And Alexander knew it.

long moment, Alexander turned to Sophia. I half expected him to set her

escort Sophia back to her house,” he said

mouth dropped

Alexander cut

send her home, I thought bitterly; her father spoiled her. This wasn’t a real punishment. But

a step closer. His eyes flashed, his face still dark with anger. I’d never seen a look like that on him

trusting your Luna more,” he growled before brushing past Alexander and returning to

was then that I noticed his leg—he had a large gash across his thigh, his leathers torn straight through around that area.

Alexander’s arm.

gathered some warm water, antiseptic, and bandages. I perched on a footstool in front of him and carefully dabbed