The sickened luna’s last chance

Ella & Alexander

Ella

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The charity auction was everything I'd expected it to be-packed with socialites who were all dressed to the

nines, elegant white linens and crystal chandeliers, and tables full of auction items lining the walls.

Alexander and | had been making the rounds for about an hour, his hand never moving away from its position on

my lower back as we moved from table to table, examining the various items up for bid.

A weekend getaway to the mountains. A vintage wine collection. A private dinner with a celebrity chef.

All of it felt hollow and meaningless when so many other couples were bidding on the more intimate options, and

all the while | was wearing a fake mark and pretending to be madly in love with a man who could barely stand to

touch me.

“Smile,” Alexander murmured in my ear as a photographer approached. “Look interested in the jewelry.”

| plastered on my Luna smile and leaned closer to examine a diamond tennis bracelet on the table in front

of me. The photographer snapped a few pictures, and | made sure to angle my neck so the fake mark was clearly

visible.

Just another performance in our endless charade.

Once the photographer grew tired of us, we moved to the next table, where Alexander struck up a

conversation with another Alpha about sbusiness deal while | perused a collection of rare antique

books. | was actually reading the spines, trying to find something that Lilith might like, when | felt something

slam intofrom behind.

| stumbled forward, catching myself against the edge of the table, but | felt something catch on the corner

and snap against my neck. The delicate chain of Lilith’s locket broke, and | watched in horror as the piece of

jewelry fell to the floor.

“Oh my Goddess, I'm so sorry!”

| turned to find Sophia standing behind me. She was wearing a stunning red dress, and her blonde hair was

swept up into an elaborate style.

“I didn’t see you there,” she said. “How clumsy of me!”

Before | could react, she stepped forward as if to help, but her heel cdown directly on Lilith’s locket with a

sickening crunch.

“No!” | gasped, hand flying to my throat as | stared down at the necklace. The delicate engravings were

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11:30 Sat, 23 Aug

Chapter 59

scratched and dented beyond repair, and the chain was completely destroyed.

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Lilith’s family heirloom. Generations of history, crushed under the heel of Sophia’s shoe in the span of one

night.

“Oh dear, it's completely ruined, isn't it?” Sophia said airily. “What a shame. It looked so... quaint.”

Quaint.

She knew exactly what she’d done. This wasn’t an accident.

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| turned slowly to look Sophia directly in the eye. For a moment, | seriously considered slapping that smug

expression right off her perfect face. My hand actually twitched with the urge.

But | caught myself when | saw the onlookers staring at us from behind their folding fans and glasses of

champagne. Causing a scene at a charity auction wouldn't help anyone, least of all me. It would only give the

gossips more ammunition and make Alexander look bad..

“Accidents happen,” | said quietly, clenching my hand into a fist at my side.

Sophia gestured to the tables around us. “Well, at least you're surrounded by plenty of jewelry to replace it

with.”

| didn’t trust myself to respond to that. Without another word, | turned and stalked away, weaving through the

crowd toward the bathroom. | could feel Alexander's eyes on me, but | didn’t look back. He'd probably

side with Sophia anyway-he always did.

The bathroom was mercifully empty when | reached it. | locked the door behindand finally let the tears

fall.

It was gone. The one real thing | had these days, the symbol of someone’s unconditional love for me...

destroyed.

| leaned against the sink, trying to pull myself together. | had to go back out there, of course. People would begin

to ask questions soon.

But as | straightened up, the room suddenly tilted sideways. My knees went weak, and | had to grab the edge of

the sink to keep myself upright. The familiar weakness was back, only this time, it was worse than

before.

| gripped the cold marble until my knuckles went white, waiting for the dizziness to pass. My reflection in the

mirror looked pale and drawn, and for a terrifying moment, | wondered if this was it. If | was finally going to

collapse for good.

But slowly, the room stopped spinning. | managed to steady myself, although my hands were still trembling. |

splashed cold water on my face, careful not to ruin my makeup, and took a few deep breaths.

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Chapter 59

Then, | plastered that smile back on and returned to the auction.

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BS]

Alexander

| stooped to pick up the broken pieces of the necklace and felt my heart ache. Earlier, I'd overheard Lilith

giving this jewelry to her; she'd said it was a family heirloom. Ella was so upset she had just run off without

picking it up.

“Gabriel,” | called, motioning my Beta over. When he reached me, | handed him the broken pieces of the locket.

“Take this to the best jewelry maker in the territory. Tell them to fix it, no matter the cost.”

Gabriel frowned as he looked at the damaged silver. “It’s pretty badly damaged, Alpha. Are you sure it can be

repaired?”

“It has to be.” | felt a muscle feather in my jaw, recalling the moment | had overheard earlier, when Lilith had

given it to Ella. It clearly meant everything to them. “It’s irreplaceable.”

Gabriel nodded and pocketed the necklace. “Very well. I'll take it to the jewelry maker tonight.”

“Good.”

As Gabriel left to handle the locket, | found myself wandering aimlessly through the auction displays, my mind

spinning. | couldn't spot Sophia anywhere, as if she had left abruptly after the accident.

Finally, | stopped in front of a display of delicate jewelry. Most of it was too flashy for Ella’s tastes, but one piece

caught my eye: a simple silver bracelet with a small charm in the shape of a cherry blossom.

It was a ridiculous impulse. Ella didn’t need more jewelry, and she certainly didn’t need gifts from me. Our

relationship was contractual and temporary. | had no business buying her presents on a whim like this.

But | couldn't stop staring at that bracelet. The cherry blossom charm was delicate and perfect, just like the

flowers Ella loved so much. The ones I'd brought to her hospital room without really understanding why.

“You're going soft for her,” my wolf's voice echoed in my mind.

| pursed my lips. “It’s not like that. I just feel bad.”

“It's because you want her. You love-"

“Enough.”

My wolf went silent at my command, but | could still feel his amusement as he curled up and went back to sleep.

Before | could talk myself out of it, | found the volunteer managing that particular table and placed a bid. It

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was a charity auction, after all-everything was for a good cause.

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“That's a lovely piece,” the elderly woman said as she wrote down my bid number. “Your wife has excellent

taste.”

“Thank you.”

Twenty minutes later, | was the proud owner of one silver cherry blossom bracelet. | slipped the small jewelry box

into my jacket pocket, all the while trying to convince myself that | was only doing this to make up for what had

happened to the locket.

Nothing more.

| made my way toward the bathroom, planning to wait for Ella to emerge so | could give her the bracelet.

As | rounded the corner, | saw Ella already stepping out of the bathroom. She looked composed again, her

makeup refreshed and her smile firmly in place.

She turned towardand began to approach. But before she could reach me, her knees buckled beneath her,

and she began to pitch forward.

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