The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Ella

“Where is Alexander?”

I wrenched my arm away, ignoring the sting of pain. “He had something come up at the last minute. I decided to come anyway.”

My father’s face darkened. “Without your Alpha? That’s incredibly irresponsible, Ella. If Alexander couldn’t make it, then you should have stayed home

“I was invited, too,” I reminded him. “My name was on the invitation. Not just his.”

“As Alexander’s mate,” he hissed. His eyes flicked down to my dress with disapproval. “And certainly not dressed like… that.”

I resisted the urge to cover myself. The black dress wasn’t even that revealing compared to what some of the other women were wearing tonight. But to my father, anything that showed I had a figure at all was “provocative.”

I glanced at Lilith, who was hovering awkwardly a few steps away. She looked unusually tense, her eyes darting nervously between my father and me. it seemed strange to see her so uncomfortable–Lilith was normally the picture of composure. That was why she was my rock.

My father’s nostrils flared. “Ella, go home.”

Up until recently, I would have followed my father’s orders. But not now. Not when I might only have months left to live.

“No.” I linked my arm through Lilith’s. “Come on, Lilith. Let’s get a drink.”

Without waiting for my father’s response, I led Lilith toward the bar set up on the far side of the ballroom with Gabriel trailing silently behind us.

“Are you sure this is wise?” Lilith whispered as we weaved through the crowd. “Your father seems upset.”

“He’ll be fine,” I replied with a shrug. “I’m not a child anymore. Maybe it’s about time he learns that.”

When we reached the bar, I ordered a glass of champagne for myself and one for Lilith. Gabriel morosely sipped a glass of whiskey.

As I surveyed the room, I spotted my half–brother, Brian, standing with a group of young men about his age. He was seventeen now, hadn’t seen him much since he was twelve.

almost a man. !

Champagne in hand, I made my way toward Brian. Despite everything, I had always tried to be a good half–sister to him. It wasn’t his fault that his mother hated me or that our father had always favored him.

Brian had grown tall, nearly as tall as our father now. His brown hair had clearly been styled earlier but he had run his hands through it carelessly, and the tie on his expensive suit was loose, a few buttons undone, suit jacket nowhere to be found.

you’d show up without your husband in tow. What happened,

made?”

and one of them looked me up and down with

that what all the Lunas are wearing these days, or

heated, but not from embarrassment–from

looking the boy in

The boy’s smirk faltered.

you,” I continued, turning to my brother. “Is that really how you greet your sister after five years? Making jokes about

1/3

Chapter 38

“It was just”

I reached up and pinched his ear, hard, the way I used to when he was being particularly bratty as a child.

“Ow! Ella, stop!”

demanded, still holding

sorry! Geez,

thoroughly embarrassed in front of his friends. “That’s better. Now, if you’ll excuse

the room. They were both practically vibrating

Is that

turned at the sound of my name and found myself face to face with my cousin, Tara. My heart stuttered. Tara had made my high school years a living hell, mocking my clothes, my hair, my

myself for an unpleasant exchange, but to my surprise,

exclaimed, pulling me into a

stood frozen for a moment, too stunned to respond. “Thanks,” I finally managed.

my face. “Look, I

shook her head ruefully. “I was awful to you, and I’m really sorry about that. You were always so pretty and smart, and even though you didn’t have many friends, you never seemed to care what anyone thought of you. You were just… authentic, in a way

at all. I

maybe that wasn’t how

I said, offering a small smile, “that was a

Confident, glowing, the kind of woman

That means

easy conversation after that, catching up on the years we’d missed. Tara was working in marketing now, still single but dating

bunch of us are going out after this snoozefest wraps up,” Tara finally said. “Just to a bar downtown for drinks, maybe some dancing. You should come! It’ll be

Going out to a bar? Dancing? These were normal things that women my age did all the time, experiences I’d never

“d gone

did die in a few

second–guess myself.

have to come. We’ll show you a good time,

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