The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 253

“Whatever you want to think.” I turned away from her and walked back to my chair. “Applications open in two weeks. You can submit yours with everyone else’s.”

The truth was, I didn’t want to host the trial at all. The whole thing had been forced on me by my Alpha King advisors. They’d cornered me three days after Ella’s funeral and laid it out in terms I couldn’t ignore.

An Alpha King without a Luna was vulnerable. Other Alphas could challenge my position if they thought I was weakened by my loss. The packs needed stability, and stability meant a mated Alpha with a strong Luna by his side.

I’d argued with them for hours, but they wouldn’t budge. Host a Luna Trial or risk losing everything I’d worked for.

The irony wasn’t lost on me, of course. I’d spent years treating Ella like she didn’t matter, and now that she was gone, her absence was threatening to destroy everything.

I never wanted to marry again, truthfully.

the Alpha King did what was best for his people, not what was best for himself. Furthermore, I needed to secure Lucien’s future, and I couldn’t do that

never be intimate with whoever became my new Luna. Lucien would be

Ella gone, I

Sophia

on cloud

He’d practically invited her to compete

had been different, Sophia might have smiled. But for now, she had to hide her smile–had to play the part of an

was it. Finally, after all this time, this was her real

had schemed and plotted and tried to drive a wedge between Alexander and Ella in every way possible. She’d been cruel and manipulative

least not for much longer. Soon, her grave would grow cold and he would have no choice but

of planning would come to fruition. All the

1/2