The sickened luna’s last chance

Ella

The morning light streaming through the bedroom windows was too bright, and my head was pounding worse than any hangover. I blinked slowly, trying to remember what had happened. Slowly, far too slowly, it

all came back to me.

The charity auction, Sophia destroying Lilith’s locket, the bracelet Alexander had given me, returning

home…

And then the moment that everything had gone black.

I tried to sit up, wincing as my body protested. Every muscle ached, and there was a dull throb behind my eyes that made me want to crawl back under the covers and sleep for another week.

“You’re awake.”

I turned toward the voice and found Gabriel sitting in the chair beside the bed, his arms crossed and that familiar disapproving expression on his face. Not exactly the person I’d been hoping to see when I first woke

up.

“Where’s Alexander?” I asked, my voice coming out as a croak. I reached up to touch the bandage on the

side of my head where I had hit the tiles and winced as a lance of pain shot through me.

“He had to leave this morning. Trade dispute with a neighboring pack. He’ll be gone for a few days.”

The disappointment hit me harder than I expected it to. Deep down, I’d been hoping Alexander would be

here when I woke up. Maybe sitting beside the bed like he had in the hospital, maybe even looking worried

about me. But of course he wasn’t. Of course he’d found something more important to do.

“Oh,” I managed. “Right.”

Gabriel leaned forward, and something in his expression made my blood run cold. There was something dark and predatory there, like a wolf licking its chops before it went in for the kill. “Ella, everyone knows

now.”

I stiffened. “Knows what?”

“Don’t play dumb. We all know about your so–called ‘condition“.” He maid air quotes with his fingers like the condition didn’t really exist. “Your little secret is out. Did you really think you could hide it forever, or did you hope we would all find out so you could finally get what you’ve always wanted?”

My heart jolted. No. No, no, no. No one was supposed to know about it. I had begged the doctor to keep it a secret. All I wanted was to get through the next few months and have Alexander reject me when it was all over. “Who told you?” I breathed.

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and pathetic you really are.” Gabriel stood up, his figure blotting out the morning sunlight and turning him into nothing but

“What do you mean?”

eyes glittered with malice. “He said you were desperate and weak, and that he’d never mark someone

in my heart, twisting and stabbing over and over. Alexander had said that? He’d called me desperate and

wasn’t faking anything,” I

convenient

knows exactly what kind of

was fucking drowning. Had Alexander really said those things about

tilting his head. “He made that very clear. You’ll have to wait for the divorce like the contract says. A contract is a contract,

I’ll die,”

right. We all know you’re full

my Luna Voice, perhaps make him grovel at my feet for the way he was speaking to me… But the pain

fury.

out,” I

“Excuse me?”

my head away, “I don’t want to

“Ah, no Luna Voice this

asking you

moment, I thought he might refuse just to spite me.

arranged for you to have some help

maid.”

and gestured to someone in the hallway. A young woman stepped into the room, and

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Chapter 63

felt every one of my insecurities come rushing

hair and bright blue eyes. Her figure was

of all… She looked

be taking care of you while you’re

remained locked

she said my title made it sound like a joke. It didn’t take a genius to know that this wasn’t a maid to help me during my recovery, but someone to

and I could hear the amusement in his voice

just Sarah and me in it. She stood by the door, staring at me for far too long until I squirmed

said, “what do

last time I’d eaten anything. “Could you bring me some soup,

was

that’s fine.