The sickened luna’s last chance

he mark certainly looked real.

I turned my head to the side, pulling my hair away to get a better view in the mirror. Lilith had done an excellent job on the makeup. The two crescent–shaped marks on my neck, meant to mimic the impression of Alexander’s upper and lower fangs, looked like they’d been there for years.

She’d even added a subtle texture to make them appear slightly raised, like real bite marks would be.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was looking at a genuine mating mark.

But the sight made a bitter and hollow feeling curl in my chest.

This was what I should have had five years ago. This was what should have happened on our wedding night, when Alexander took me back to our honeymoon suite and claimed me as his. He should have sunk his teeth into my neck as we made love for the first time, completing the bond that fate had started.

Instead, he had simply walked me to the door of the guest bedroom all the way on the opposite end of the mansion, muttered a curt “goodnight,” and left me standing alone on my wedding night, confused and humiliated.

irs later, and here I was with a fake mark, getting ready to fool the world. To pretend, once again, that my marriage wasn’t a ete sham.

Iwas supposed to be getting dressed for dinner. Alexander had arranged for us to eat at the most visible, public restaurant in town -a place where we were guaranteed to be seen and photographed.

It was the perfect venue to show off my “mark” and quell the rumors.

But I couldn’t stop staring at my reflection. At the mark that wasn’t real. At the symbol of everything I’d been denied.

Fated mates were supposed to be sacred in our world. A fated mate was the ultimate gift from the Moon Goddess. Wolves spent their entire lives searching for their mates, praying to find that one person who was destined for them and spend the rest of their lives together.

And here I was, mated to an Alpha who couldn’t even bring himself to complete our bond.

What was wrong with me? Why was I not good enough for him?

I knew Alexander wasn’t gay, not after what had happened in the alley behind the bar. Not after I’d felt his hardness pressed against me. He was attracted to women. He was even attracted to me, at least physically.

So why did he keep his distance? Why act like the very thought of making love to me and marking me was the worst thing that could happen?

Was that repulsive to him? That unworthy? Was there someone else–Sophia, perhaps?

enough for one evening. Alexander would be waiting, and we

slipped into the dress I’d chosen for tanight; it was a deep burgundy number with a low neckline specifically

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16:34 Fri, 22 Aug

Chapter 56.

made my pale skin look almost luminous, which made the fake mark stand out even

would see exactly what Alexander wanted them to

was just putting the finishing touches on my makeup when

59%

called through the wood. “We need to

grabbing my clutch and giving myself one

felt like garbage, at least I looked confident and poised–like a proper Luna with her mate’s mark on her neck. No one would know

He looked devastatingly handsome, and for a moment, I allowed myself to imagine what it would be like

his face, but it was

looks convincing,” he said calmly. “Lilith did a good

will be

awkward silence fell between us. There was so much I wanted to say, to ask. Why won’t you just mark me for real? Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to deserve

of it. Instead, I said curtly, “Shall we

we walked together to

up to the restaurant a little while later, I wasn’t surprised at all to see a crowd gathered

driver parked the car out front, and

15)

out there, to be scrutinized and photographed, to have my fake mark on display like another fucking humiliation. But what choice did I have? If Alexander’s campaign didn’t go well, he might not divorce me. And he certainly wasn’t going to mark me, so divorce was my only option

I nodded.

and came around to open my door. The moment it swung open, the crowd surged around us, cameras flashing, voices

Ella! Is it true you’ve

Alexandert Did you mark

“Were the rumors false?”