The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 73

Alexander & Ella

Alexander

Ella’s scent hit me like a freight train the moment I pulled her into my arms.

Cherry and vanilla–but stronger now. The fear that had been threading through it was already beginning to fade, replaced by something else. Something that made my wolf go wild.

“Mark her,” he growled. “She’s ours. She’s right here. Mark her now.”

The urge was so strong that I nearly gave in. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to sink my teeth into the delicate curve of her neck, to finally complete the bond that should have been sealed years ago. My canines actually extended somewhat, their sharp points pressing against my lower lip.

But I forced my canines to retract. No, I would not mark her. Especially not here and now, in the middle of an abandoned barn in the woods, a dead body going cold beside us, and sirens blaring in the distance.

“Alexander?” Ella’s voice was muffled against my shoulder. “Is he really dead?”

I glanced at the crumpled body of her attacker, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. Blood had pooled beneath him, dark and thick in the flashlight’s beam.

“Yes. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

She shuddered and pressed closer against me. Her scent had begun to fade, which came as both a relief and a disappointment. The loss of it felt like a warm blanket had been ripped from me, but it also made my wolf

calm.

The police arrived shortly after that. I managed to extract myself from Ella long enough to handle everything, coordinating with the officers and explaining what had happened. Gabriel showed up at some point, along with what seemed like half of the territory’s law enforcement.

While the police taped off the crime scene, I watched the paramedics work, noting the cuts on Ella’s arms, the bruises forming on her skin. She looked so small sitting there in the back of the ambulance, her dress

torn and dirty, her hair tangled with leaves and debris.

“We need to take her to the hospital for observation,” one of the paramedics said. “She’s showing signs of being drugged, and we should run some tests-”

“No.” Ella’s voice was stronger now, more like herself. “I’m not going to the hospital. I’ve spent enough time there lately.”

“Ella,” I started, but she cut me off with a raised hand.

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Chapter 73

“I’m fine, Alexander. I just want to go home.”

The paramedic looked between us. “Luna, given what you’ve been through-

“I said I’m fine.” She lifted her chin and shot me an imploring glance. “I want to go home.”

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I studied her face, noting the stubborn set of her jaw. She was scared of hospitals right now, I realized. After everything that had happened with her condition, she associated them with being sick and helpless. She

wanted to feel safe, not like a patient.

“Alright,” I finally said. “We’ll go home. But I don’t want you to leave my sight tonight. Not for a second.”

A flush crept up her neck at my words. I hadn’t meant them to sound suggestive, but there was something

about the way she looked at me that made my wolf purr with satisfaction.

Ella

Back at the mansion, Alexander insisted on carrying me inside despite my protests. I was perfectly capable

of walking, even if my legs were still a little unsteady from whatever that monster had put in my drink. But

Alexander wouldn’t hear of it, scooping me up in his arms like I weighed nothing.

I had to admit that it felt good to be held like this. Safe. Protected.

In our bedroom, he set me down gently on the edge of the bed and knelt in front of me, examining the cuts

and scrapes on my arms and legs. His touch was gentle as he turned my wrists to check where the duct tape had been, then probed gently at the bruise on my shoulder.

a particularly nasty scratch that ran from my elbow

“And you need to get

at my ruined dress, which was torn and stained with dirt and blood. The sight of it

firm but not unkind. “Ella, you’re shaking. You just went

me take care

dared not name. But from a practical side of things, he

every time I tried to stand, the room spun

a bath,”

run one for

“Alexander, I can-”

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moving toward the bathroom. “I’m not leaving you alone, remember? That includes when

my cheeks. “You can’t

serious.” He turned on the water, adjusting the temperature. “You’re injured and drugged and traumatized. I’m not taking

words. The idea of Alexander seeing me naked and vulnerable in

He turned to face me, and there was something in his green eyes that made my breath catch. “I’ve seen you naked before, remember?

the bathtub weeks ago made my face burn even hotter, but I couldn’t deny the logic. Still, this felt different.

finally murmured, looking away as if that would somehow hide the crimson flush to my face. “But you have to promise not to

to be a

didn’t make me feel any

out completely. Alexander caught me before I could hit the

just how much I needed

word about being a gentleman. He helped me out of my ruined dress and into the warm bath with his eyes carefully averted, then knelt beside the tub and picked up the hair

skin. I sank into it with a sigh, letting it wash away the dirt and fear and the lingering scent of that horrible

eyes and felt his gentle fingers in my hair, working out the twigs and leaves that had gotten tangled there during my desperate flight

shot open, and I clapped my hand

me off, still working at

heart thrummed, but I did as he ordered. I shut my eyes and leaned back against the

and the scent of cherry and vanilla washed over me as he began to gently

my hair with shampoo.

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Chapter 73

Alexander. I just want to go

between us. “Luna, given what you’ve

fine.” She lifted her chin and shot me an imploring glance. “I want to go

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studied her face, noting the stubborn set of her jaw.

them with being sick and helpless. She wanted to feel safe, not like a

“We’ll go home. But I don’t want you to leave my sight tonight. Not

my words. I hadn’t meant them to sound

the way she looked at me that made my

Ella

mansion, Alexander insisted on carrying me inside

unsteady from whatever that monster had put in

wouldn’t hear of it, scooping me up in his arms like I weighed

had to admit that it felt good to be held like this.

he set me down gently on the edge of the

legs. His touch was gentle as he turned

gently at the

need to be cleaned,” he said, frowning at a particularly nasty scratch that ran from my elbow to my wrist. “And you need

dress, which was torn and stained with dirt and blood. The sight of it made

“I can

shaking. You just went through a near–death experience. Let me take care

said he wanted to take care of me made my heart leap with an emotion

a practical side of things, he was right.

anything up, and every time I tried to stand, the room spun

need a bath,” I

run one for

“Alexander, I can-”

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