The sickened luna’s last chance

Ella

Election day came sooner than I anticipated. On the morning of, I woke to find Alexander already out of bed and nowhere to be found. I discovered through Lilith, as I scarfed down a plate of toast and eggs, that he had left at the crack of dawn to handle last–minute meetings and preparations.

“Do you think he’s going to win?” I asked around a mouthful of eggs as Lilith sipped her coffee across from me.

She shot me a look. “Do you think he’s going to win?”

“You’re deflecting,” I chuckled.

Lilith sighed, then nodded. “I think he has a very good chance. Thanks to you.”

Right. Thanks to me. Not the baby I was carrying in my belly. “Sometimes, I think the growing bump gave him a little push.”

“In more ways than one,” Lilith commented.

My brows shot up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You don’t think he’s been acting differently?” Lilith asked. “He certainly seems to be looking at you in a new light.”

I couldn’t help the blush that spread across my face at her words. It was true; things felt… different between us lately. Even now, days after the picnic, I could still picture the look on his face when he felt our kicking. He’d looking almost… loving.

But of course, there was the matter of the contract. We hadn’t had a chance to talk about it since that night, seeing as how busy he was preparing for the election, but the last conversation we had was nothing short of confusing.

Alexander had said that he wanted to extend the contract to include the first eighteen years of our child’s life. And yet, when I asked if he really intended to have a fake relationship for that long, I could have sworn I saw something almost hesitant in his gaze.

I didn’t want to read too much into it, but it was easier said than done.

I needed a distraction.

Pushing away from the table, I said, “Let’s bake a cake.”

Lilith looked surprised, but she wasn’t the type to pass up the opportunity to bake something. For the next few hours, we worked side by side, measuring ingredients and mixing batter. The familiar rhythm of baking was soothing.

“You know,” Lilith said as she greased the cake pans, “I really haven’t seen Alexander smile as much as

he has lately.”

folding chocolate chips into

sure that’s all

the prepared pans with a sigh. “Listen, I just don’t want to get my hopes up too much, alright? So maybe we

“Very wise of you.”

turned to find him leaning

the mixing bowl and turned to

I mean.” Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t

I’d endured years of Gabriel’s nonsense, and I was

a step closer, letting my Luna authority bleed into my voice without even meaning to. “You seem to have some kind of problem

jaw tightened, and I could tell he was trying to resist my Luna Voice, just as he had that one

“You’ve never

it.”

is.” I smiled sweetly. “Was that so hard? Now everyone

face went red. Behind me, Lilith made a small sound that might

loyal to this pack,” Gabriel

we’re

respond, but no sound came

a moment, he recovered enough to sneer at me.

stalked out of the kitchen. Only once he was gone did

after a

hated me since the day I’d married Alexander, and his bitter comments weren’t anything new. If anything, I felt better for finally telling

on,” I said, sliding the cake pans into the oven. “Let’s finish getting

o’clock, our guests had gathered in the living room. Liam had arrived with beer, and

joined us to watch

cake Lilith

waiting for

couch, his leg bouncing as the news anchors discussed

projections. I could feel the

reached over and

at our joined

show just how shocked I was that he

“I think you’ll win.”