The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 260

+25 BONUS

Chapter 260

Ella

The morning of the hunt, I woke up with a plan.

I dressed in the most impractical outfit I could find: a white blouse that would show every speck of dirt and a pair of ballet flats that would be useless for running through the forest. I braided my hair loosely so it would come undone and look disheveled. I even borrowed some of Lilith’s red lipstick and tucked it into my pocket along with a book I’d grabbed from the library.

Perfect. I looked like someone who had never spent a day outdoors in her life.

After feeding Lucien and making sure he was settled with Lilith for the day, I made my way to the main grounds where all of the contestants were supposed to gather.

The place was already buzzing with activity when I arrived. Women in hunting gear were stretching and checking their weapons. Others were huddled in groups, whispering amongst themselves–having teamed up to make it to the next round.

I spotted Anya near the edge of the crowd, looking nervous but determined in a practical brown outfit and sturdy boots. She’d clearly done her research on what to wear for a hunt. I almost felt bad that I was planning to get myself eliminated instead of teaming up with her and helping her out.

Then, turning, I spotted her. Sophia.

She was standing near the front of the group, dressed in an expensive hunting outfit that didn’t have a speck of dirt on it. Her hair was pulled back into a perfect, sleek ponytail and she was grinning widely as a group of girls fawned over her.

I almost wanted to laugh. Last I’d seen Sophia was when she and Alexander were dancing drunkenly together. She’d been hanging off of him like her life depended on it.

And he was still making her go through the trial like everyone else.

making her compete along with the Omegas,

low to keep pursuing this man after all these years. How many times could someone get rejected and

she could have him now. I didn’t want Alexander anymore, and honestly, I was glad to no longer be a victim of Sophia’s constant scheming. It was nice, for once, not to be the object of her hatred. And if she wanted to deal with Alexander’s sour moods and disloyalty and his tendency to lock up his own wife over false

platform that had been set up at the edge of the forest. Alexander stepped up onto it, looking every inch the Alpha King in his dark suit. He surveyed the crowd of contestants with a sharp gaze, skimming straight over

first round of the Luna Trial,” he announced. “Today’s challenge is a hunt. The rules

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Chapter 260

of you will enter the forest, but only seventy rabbits have been released. This means

looked confident, others nervous. Anya sidled up next to

whispered. “We can help each other

“I’ve never hunted before and I’ve always been the worst when it comes to physical exercise. You might want to find

little bad again, but this was for the best. I was going to make a fool out of

continued, “contestants who kill multiple prey can eliminate additional competition. The more rabbits you bring back, the better your chances

look of absolute focus nearby. She still had that gaggle of teammates around her

Alexander said.

another peal of the horn, the crowd surged forward into the forest. I hung back, letting everyone else rush ahead before I casually strolled into the trees. No point in

wandered deeper into the forest, taking a path I knew that led to a small clearing where I’d be unlikely to run into other contestants.

sat down against a large oak tree and pulled

on my clothes to look like blood. I’d return to the starting point with no prey and a story about how a rabbit had gotten the better of me—maybe say it bit me

weak and completely unsuited

but to eliminate me, and I could go back to my quiet life as

I heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. Probably just another contestant passing through, I figured, so I kept reading. But

search of clover to eat. My wolf immediately bristled at its closeness–close