The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 85

Ella

My heart cscreeching to a stop in my chest.

The locket. Lilith’s family heirloom.

I'd thought it was ruined beyond repair at the auction.

“He asked you to pick up my locket?” | blurted out. “I thought it was broken.”

Gabriel's jaw tightened, and he admitted quietly, “Alexander toldto have it repaired.”

| couldn’t believe it. Alexander had told Gabriel to take the broken locket, the trinket I'd thought he didn’t care

about, and have it repaired.

Something warm bloomed in my chest at the thoughtfulness of Alexander's actions. He must have wanted to

make up for what Sophia had done. Maybe Alexander actually-

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Gabriel muttered, apparently reading the expression on my face. “It wasn’t out of

love.”

The warmth in my chest immediately turned to ice. “What do you mean?”

Gabriel's eyes flashed with something that looked an awful lot like that twisted sense of satisfaction I'd grown to

know so well.

“Alexander realized the locket was valuable,” he said with a one-shouldered shrug, as if it were nothing to him.

“Antique silver, probably worth a small fortune given its age and craftsmanship. He wanted it appraised and

repaired so it could be added to the Alpha Collection.”

Lilith stiffened beside me, and my stomach dropped. The Alpha Collection was Ashclaw’s finest and most

expensive collection of artifacts: jewels, artwork, trinkets, even bars of solid gold. It existed deep beneath the

estate, locked behind a solid iron door that only Alexander and Gabriel knew the

code to.

So Alexander wanted to take Lilith’s locket and lock it away in the vault like it was a trophy to him. He actually

thought he had a right to keep it just

because it was valuable.

“And the reason why | didn’t want to go to the jeweler,” Gabriel continued, “is because | already picked it up

yesterday and put it in the safe. Forgot to mention it to Alexander with everything that happened at the hospital,

and obviously | couldn't tell him with you standing right there.”

No wonder Gabriel had wantedto leave the room earlier. He was probably intending to tell Alexander that

their precious necklace was safely locked away, but they knew I would freak out if | found out.

And rightfully so. That locket belonged to Lilith’s family. | had to get it back for her.

But how? Gabriel had already made it clear that as far as he was concerned, the locket now belonged to the

pack’s collection. Alexander would probably be thrilled when he found out it was already safely stored away.

But

my

wolf was back. | was marked and mated and stronger than I'd ever been. | wouldn't let them take this from me.

“Takehome,” | said quietly.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Done shopping?”

“Yes. Takehome. Now.”

Gabriel, oblivious, nodded with satisfaction and pulled out of the parking lot. Lilith, who had been quiet

throughout the entire exchange, shota wary look. | simply reached over and squeezed her hand—a silent

promise.

She had been the mother I'd never gotten to have. She was the only one who was truly there forwhen | was

ill. Hell, if it hadn't been for her, |

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13:28 Mon 25 Aug 09®

Chapter 85

wouldn't have survived that rogue kitapping

Twas going to get that locket back for her.

When we pulled into the thier way, | was out of the car before Gabriel had even turned off the engine. He jogged

to catch up withas i crude towar

the front door

“Luna, perhaps you should rest. You've had quite a week with the hospital and

“Gabriel.” | stopped walking and turned to face him. The Beta skidded to a halt. “I need you to take ine to the

safe.”

“I'm sorry, what?”

“The safe. Under the estate. Where you put my locket.” | folded my arms across my chest and fixed him with a

withering glare “I want to see it. Now”

Gabriel's face paled. “Luna, | don’t think that’s appropriate. The Alpha collection is Alexander's private domain |

can't just

“You can and you will.” With a breath, | let that familiar authority slip into my voice. | wasn’t afraid of using it

anymore, and now that my wolf had returned, all it took was the slightest change in timbre and suddenly Gabriel

was tilting his neck like a green pup who had been caught red handed.

“I... | can’t refuse a direct order from my Luna,” he muttered, clearly struggling to hold back the words to no

avail.

“No, you can’t. Taketo the safe.”

Gabriel's jaw worked like he wanted to refuse, but the gestured toward the mansion.

Luna Voice made it impossible for him to disobey. With obvious reluctance he added

“This way.”

| followed him through the front door and down the hallway. We passed Alexander's office, the formal dining

room, and several other room Gabriel stopped in front of the basement door.

Pulling a small keyring out of his pocket, he unlocked the door and pushed it open, revealing the narrow staircase

that led down to the basement. | wrinkled my nose at the musty smell; | never went down there, finding the

entire space creepy, and Alexander had never givenaccess to the Ashclaw jewels like a typical Luna would,

so there was no reason forto enter.

Because to him, my neck wasn’t worthy of wearing his family heirlooms.

But | wasn’t going down there for jewels or gold. | just wanted a little silver locket that was far more valuable to