The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 55

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Illa

Iran through the forest, the leaves and trees blurring past as I raced toward my mate, I felt no fatigue, no pain. My heart pounded, not from fear or exertion, but rather excitement.

My mate ran beside me, also in wolf form, chestnut fur catching the light of the full moon. We locked gazes for a moment, and I could practically see his smile. I looked down, and saw not two feet but four, not pale skin but instead gleaming, silky fur

My wolf had returned.

We came to a stop beside a babbling brook and shifted, laughing. We fell back onto the soft grass, arms outstretched, the moon hovering above us like a disk in the sky.

Warm fingers intertwined with mine. When I looked over, Alexander’s skin was bare, and so was mine. Still smiling that same handsome, ethereal smile I’d seen in the hospital, he rolled over me, positioned himself between my legs, and…

“Ella…”

“Ella!”

I jolted awake to the sound of shouting, and commotion and someone calling my name, I blinked, confused, Was I still dreaming? Was I back in the forest with Alexander, making love beneath the moonlight?

But no. The smell of cleaning solution and the sound of beeping monitors quickly reminded me that I was still in the hospital. The shouting, however, was real.

“You can’t be in here! This is a private room!”

“Just one photo! The public has a right to know!”

I sat up, blinking the sleep from my eyes just as a man with a camera burst through my door, followed closely by two more. The flash went off, momentarily blinding me so that I had to lift my arm to shield my face.

་་ད་

“Luna Ella! Is it true you’re not marked? Has Alpha Alexander rejected you?”

What the fuck? “Get out!” I yanked the blanket up to my chin. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

More flashes. More questions being hurled at me. The room seemed to shrink as the photographers surged around me.

lying to the

your marriage a

could respond, hospital security rushed in, physically removing the photographers

sorry, Luna Ella” she said, shutting the door firmly behind the last security guard. “They somehow

desk”

hands were shaking as Flowered the blanket “What was that about? Why

then” She hesitated,

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Chapter 55

on the screen. “I’m afraid someone leaked some… personal information about

toward me, and I took it with shaking hands. The headline on the screen

accept me as his mate. There were quotes from supposed “close friends” of the pack saying that our marriage was purely political, that Alexander was in love with someone

me.

our last scandal, had created the

with growing horror. There were even side–by–side photos of me in various outfits over the years, all carefully chosen to show that my neck had never

I can do?” Dr. Evelyn asked

“No. It’s… it’s too late

what damage it was. In werewolf society, an unmarked mate was practically

of the bond between mates, but it quite literally locked in the mate bond. Marked mates could speak via Mindlink, could feel each other’s

supposed to be given during the wedding

not mark his mate… it was a scandal of the highest

campaign. His reputation. Everything

said, handing her phone back. “I need to

you sure? After what happened

I insisted. “My vitals are stable, right? And I feel

last night, I was exhausted and in pain.

reluctantly agreed to discharge me early, but only after running a final round of tests

the clothes Lilith had brought for my discharge. I slipped Alexander’s sweatshirt on, but only to appease the paparazzi that I knew were waiting outside. At least, that was what I

paparazzi, although they had surrounded

for me today, even if I had turned my feet raw

door for me. “Get

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