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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apter 1

you

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

“It’s complicated.’

clearly frustrated. “But she’s dying, Alexander. You know that

was he pushing this so hard? What

then it

enough over the past months, even if he’d never acted on it while she was married. But

her…

be free. Available. And Liam would be right there

dark and possessive unfurl in my chest. My wolf snarled

see,” I said coldly. “So this is about you,

“What do

want to know if I’m going to mark her so you can

“That’s not-”

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

for your

face went red. “Alexander,

need to get defensive just because you’ve been caught in the act.” I leaned back in my chair. “But

the answer you want to hear. No, I’m not marking

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

care if she ran to her childhood friend

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Chapter 71

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

the hell?” Liam muttered, craning his neck to see what was

and saw…

the restaurant, her silver hair disheveled and blood trickling

face streaked with tears and dirt, looking

My heart stopped.

I shot to my feet with Liam right behind me. We pushed

her.

face crumpled with relief when she saw me.

demanded, taking her by the shoulders. Up close, I could see

her hands were shaking. “Where’s

Lilith sobbed.

My wolf began to roil with fear and fury. If someone