The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 71

Alexander

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I was buried in quarterly financial reports when my phone rang. The pack’s trade contracts needed reviewing, and Gabriel’s recent unauthorized communications had left me double–checking every single agreement we had in place. I couldn’t afford to make mistakes now, even if I was exhausted from working on this paperwork all day.

“Alexander speaking,” I answered the phone, expecting a pack official or my Beta.

“Hey, it’s Liam. Are you busy?”

I sat up at the sound of Liam’s voice and glanced at the stack of papers on my desk. “Always. Did you need

something?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to grab dinner tonight. Talk about some things.”

Surprised, I blinked. Liam had mentioned wanting to go out and talk before, but I didn’t expect him to actually go through with it. I thought it was just one of those things that people say to each other, something in the same vein of “Yeah, we’ll definitely still be best friends after high school!”

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I had to admit, though, I was exhausted after today. My eyes were bleary from looking at paperwork all day and my hand was cramping from writing. Maybe getting out for a bit wouldn’t be the worst thing, even if the company was… interesting.

“Alright,” I sighed. “Where do you want to go?”

“There’s a new place downtown. I’ll send you the address. Meet me in forty–five?”

An hour later, I surprisingly found myself sitting next to Liam at the bar of a new restaurant in town. The place was busy, as it was their grand opening today. I was cutting off a piece of an admittedly delicious steak, my usual glass of bourbon sitting beside me.

We’d ordered our food and drinks and made small talk about pack politics for about twenty minutes, and I had to admit, Liam wasn’t bad company. But I could tell from the look on his face that there was more to say, and finally, he got to the point.

“Alexander, I have to ask you something directly, and I need an honest answer.”

I set down my glass of bourbon. “Go ahead.”

“Do you plan on marking Ella?”

Fantastic. Of all the things I’d expected Liam to ask about, that was definitely one of them, but I’d hoped he would have the intelligence to not bring it up in a public place.

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you want to

about her. And I think you do too, even if

“It’s complicated.’

“But she’s dying, Alexander. You know that now. So I’m asking you straight up–are you going

long moment, trying to read his expression. Why was he

it hit

were kids. He’d made that clear enough over the past months, even if he’d never acted

her…

Available. And Liam would be right

in my chest. My wolf snarled

said coldly. “So this is about

frowned. “What

I’m going to mark her so you can plan accordingly. Make your move after the

“That’s not-”

her like a vulture for months, playing the concerned friend. But really you’re

for your chance, aren’t

face went red. “Alexander,

caught in the act.” I leaned back

asked so nicely, I’ll give you the answer you want to hear. No, I’m

mouth, but I forced them out anyway. Because it was the truth. Ella had made herself perfectly clear when she told me

I care if she ran to her childhood

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Chapter 71

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of the restaurant, toward where the bathrooms were. I heard raised voices, followed by the sound

craning his neck

turned, and saw…

She was stumbling through the restaurant, her silver hair disheveled and

on her temple. She was crying, her face streaked with tears and dirt, looking

My heart stopped.

to my feet with Liam right behind me. We pushed through

her.

crumpled with relief when she saw me. “Thank the

taking her by the shoulders. Up close, I could see that the cut on her head

deep, and her hands were shaking.

gone,” Lilith sobbed. “He took

My wolf began to roil with fear and fury. If someone had laid a hand