The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 64

Alexander

The pack’s territory in

question was a three-hour drive north, through winding mountain roads that slowed the entire journey. The

Alpha, a stern older man named Kieran, metat the pack house with a

scowl that could have frozen hell over.

“Alexander,” he said, clearly not bothering with pleasantries today. “I wasn’t expecting you to cpersonally.”

“When my Beta tellsthere's a dispute over a trade contract, | handle it myself,” | replied, stepping out of

the car.

The Alpha’s expression darkened further. “Your Beta, yes. Interesting man. Very... forthcoming about your pack’s

intentions.”

Something cold settled in my gut. “What do you mean?”

“Come. We'll discuss this in my office.”

We made our way to the Alpha’s office, where he launched right into his tirade.

According to Kieran, Gabriel had contacted him two days ago, claiming that Ashclaw was planning to pull

out of our long-standing trade agreement. Gabriel had allegedly told him that | was looking for better deals

elsewhere and that Kieran’s pack should prepare for the contract to be terminated.

“So naturally,” Kieran said, spreading the paperwork across his desk, “we decided to cut ties first. Better to

end things on our terms than be left scrambling when you inevitably broke the agreement.”

| stared at the documents, my jaw clenching so hard | thought my teeth might crack. “Gabriel told you!

wanted to terminate our contract?”

“He said you were dissatisfied with the current terms and were actively seeking other partners.” Kieran

leaned back in his chair. “Was he lying?”

“Yes, he was fucking lying.” The words cout in a rush. “Our contract is solid, and | have no intention of

changing suppliers. It seems my Beta overstepped his authority.”

It took another two hours to straighten everything out. | had to reassure Kieran that Ashclaw remained

committed to our partnership, review the original contract terms, and promise that Gabriel would face

consequences for this.

By the t| left the territory, my blood was boiling. What the hell was Gabriel thinking? Making unilateral

decisions about pack business without consultingfirst? jeopardizing important trade relationships?

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11:32 Sat, 23 Aug t-

Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Alexander

The pack’s territory in

question was a three-hour drive north, through winding mountain roads that slowed the entire journey. The

Alpha, a stern older man named Kieran, metat the pack house with a scowl that could have frozen hell over.

“Alexander,” he said, clearly not bothering with pleasantries today. “I wasn’t expecting you to cpersonally.”

“When my Beta tellsthere's a dispute over a trade contract, | handle it myself,” | replied, stepping out of

the car.

The Alpha’s expression darkened further. “Your Beta, yes. Interesting man. Very... forthcoming about your pack’s

intentions.”

Something cold settled in my gut. “What do you mean?”

Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt

“Come. We'll discuss this in my office.”

We made our way to the Alpha’s office, where he launched right into his tirade.

According to Kieran, Gabriel had contacted him two days ago, claiming that Ashclaw was planning to pull out of

our long-standing trade agreement. Gabriel had allegedly told him that | was looking for better deals elsewhere

and that Kieran’s pack should prepare for the contract to be terminated.

“So naturally,” Kieran said, spreading the paperwork across his desk, “we decided to cut ties first. Better to end

things on our terms than be left scrambling when you inevitably broke the agreement.”

| stared at the documents, my jaw clenching so hard I thought my teeth might crack. “Gabriel told you |

wanted to terminate our contract?”

“He said you were dissatisfied with the current terms and were actively seeking other partners.” Kieran leaned

back in his chair. “Was he lying?”

“Yes, he was fucking lying.” The words cout in a rush. “Our contract is solid, and | have no intention of

changing suppliers. It seems my Beta overstepped his authority.”

It took another two hours to straighten everything out. | had to reassure Kieran that Ashclaw remained

committed to our partnership, review the original contract terms, and promise that Gabriel would face

consequences for this.

By the t| left the territory, my blood was boiling. What the hell was Gabriel thinking? Making unilateral

decisions about pack business without consultingfirst? jeopardizing important trade relationships?

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Chapter 64

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| drove back to Ashclaw faster than | probably should have on those winding, dangerous roads, but | didn’t

care. Gabriel had sexplaining to do.

| found him in his office, calmly reviewing pack reports like he hadn't just nearly destroyed one of our most

important partnerships.

“Alexander,” he said, looking up with surprise. “You're back early. How did the negotiations go?”

“Cut the bullshit, Gabriel.” | slammed the door behindhard enough to rattle the painting hanging beside it.

“What the fuck did you tell our allies?”

Gabriel's expression didn’t change, but | caught the slight tightening around his eyes. “I informed him that there

might be changes to our current agreements.”

“You told him | wanted to terminate the contract.”

“I told him you were exploring other options.”

“I wasn’t exploring anything! You had no right to speak for me.” | stepped closer to his desk, letting my Alpha

presence fill the room like thunder rumbling in the distance. The force of it almost seemed to dim the lights. “You

nearly cost us that partnership. Not to mention the fact that you fucking senton a wild goose chase while my

wife is sick in bed.”

Gabriel's face paled slightly, but he held his ground. “I was protecting your interests.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

He stood slowly. Too slowly. “I talked to Ella, you know. She toldshe has no intention of letting you mark her.

And she actually said spretty heinous things.”

The storm raging inside ofguttered momentarily. “What?”

“You're falling for her, Alexander. | can see it written all over your face. And | knew she was going to say some

hateful, horrible things, so | did what | thought best to get you out of the house so she could say them to me

instead.”

| couldn't believe it. My Beta, my friend, had lied to me... because he wanted to protect me? From Ella?

“I'm not falling for her,” | growled.

Gabriel scoffed. “Right. Because the hospital visits, the public appearances, all of it isn’t making you soften

toward her. You've been distracted from pack business because of her, and you know it.”

“You're out of line.”

“Am 1? When was the last tyou reviewed our quarterly reports?” Gabriel's composure was starting to crack.

“I've been covering for you, handling things you should be managing yourself.”

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Chapter 64

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The accusation stung because there was struth to it. | had been distracted lately, spending more time.

thinking about Ella than | should have. But that didn’t give Gabriel the right to make decisions behind my

back.

“Regardless, you don’t make unilateral decisions about pack partnerships,” | said, my voice deadly quiet. “Ever.

If | catch you overstepping again, you'll find yourself in the sposition you were in after you insulted my mate

right in front of her parents. Are we clear?”

Gabriel's face went pale at the reminder of his punishment. I'd practically beaten him to a pulp in that alleyway,

and then afterwards, | had made him scrub the entire mansion from top to bottom until he vomited from the

physical effort.

“Say ‘yes, Alpha?” | took another step forward, fangs slipping out in warning.

Gabriel's throat bobbed. “Yes, Alpha.”

“Good. Now, you're going to fix this mess. You're going to contact Kieran and beg him for forgiveness. Then

you're going to contact all of our other trading partners and make sure you haven't filled their heads with

lies too.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

| left Gabriel's office before | did something I'd regret, like rip his throat out. My Beta was walking a very thin line

lately, and | was getting tired of his insubordination.

But | hated that he was partially right.

| was falling for Ella. Hard and fast and far deeper than | ever wanted to.

And... It hurt to think that she had said she didn’t wantto mark her. What else had she said?

But | couldn't trust a word out of Gabriel's mouth, so | decided to go straight to her. It was a relief to know

that she was awake, and now it was tto talk.

| found her in the bedroom, sitting by the window with a book in her hands and a blanket spread over her lap.

She looked up when | entered, but there was no warmth in her expression. No relief that | was back. She just

blinked atslowly, then returned to her book.

“Ella,” I said, closing the door behind me. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.” Her voice was flat.

I moved closer, noting the bandage on the side of her head where she’d hit the bathroom floor. “I'm sorry | had

to leave. The trade dispute couldn't wait.”

“Of course it couldn't.”

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Chapter 64

The coldness in her voice madepause. “Gabriel gave you my message, | take it?”

“Yes.”

| waited for her to elaborate, but she just stared at her book like | wasn’t there. “And?”

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Ella finally looked at me, and the emptiness in her eyes was like watching stars wink out of the night sky in real

time. “I want you to rejectas soon as possible. | don’t want your worthless fucking mark. | never did, and |

never will. | want to finish our contract and then | want you to rejectand | never want to see your face again

as long as | live.”

“Ella-"

“It’s what | want.” She turned toward the window. “And since Liam is gone now, I'll be moving back to my old

room. There's no need to keep up the charade anymore. | hated sharing a bed with you and | can’t wait for it to

be over.”

“No.” The word cout sharper than | meant it to.

Ella’s eyebrows rose slightly. “No?”

“You're not moving back to your room. Not yet.” | scrambled for a reasonable explanation that didn’t involve

admitting I'd gotten used to having her besideat night. “The pack needs to see a strong Alpha- Luna

relationship. It's good for morale, and it'll help with the election.”

It sounded hollow even to me, but it was better than the truth. Better than admitting that the thought of sleeping

alone again made my heart ache.

Ella stared atfor a long moment, then looked away with something that might have been disappointment.

“Fine. Whatever you want. It's always about what you fucking want.”

| stared at her for a long moment, stunned. She seemed so angry. So hateful. As if | hadn't offered to do

whatever she wanted to solve her problems.

The silence stretched on interminably. | wanted to say something else, but the words wouldn't come. What

was there to even say? She hated me. She didn’t wantto mark her. She just wanted to complete our

contract and get divorced. She had never felt anything towardexcept for loathing.

“I'll let you rest,” | said after a few eternal moments.

She didn’t acknowledge me. Just licked her thumb and forcefully flipped to the next page of her book. | realized

then that she wasn’t wearing the bracelet I'd purchased for her.

| clenched my jaw and turned on my heel, storming out, the door slamming shut behind me. As | made my way

down the hall, I nearly ran into a young woman carrying a tray of tea. I'd never seen her before.

“Oh!” she said, stumbling back with a sweet smile. “I'm so sorry, Alpha. | didn’t see you there.”

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| steadied her automatically, noting that she was pretty in a generic sort of way. Brunette hair, blue eyes,

probably early twenties. She sort of looked like Sophia. But | didn’t recall hiring her despite her wearing a maid's

uniform. “Who are you?”

“Sarah, sir. I'm the new maid. I've been helping Luna Ella with her recovery.” Her smile widened. “It's such an

honor to meet you.”

| nodded distractedly. “Right.” Ella must have hired her. “Well, if you'll excuse me.”

| walked away before she could say anything else, too frustrated with the conversation with Ella to make small

talk with a random maid I'd never seen before.

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