The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 178

Ella & Alexander

Ella

The moment our lips touched, the mate bond exploded to life. The kitchen could have lit on fire for all | cared.

The world could have imploded and it wouldn’t have meant a thing.

All that mattered was the feeling of Alexander's mouth moving against mine and the fact that he wasn’t

pulling away yet.

His hand slid from my cheek into my hair, fingers tangling in the strands to tilt my head so he could deepen the

kiss. | could taste the garlic and herbs from the pasta on his tongue, could smell his cologne mixed with the

kitchen scents, and, Goddess, it was intoxicating.

| pressed closer to him. My hands fisted in his shirt, desperate to feel all of him againstand never let

go.

The stool I'd been sitting on was forgotten as Alexander liftedup, my legs wrapping around his waist

instinctively. He carriedthe few steps to the kitchen island, then gently setdown on the edge without

breaking the kiss for even a second.

We were so close to crossing a line that we couldn’t uncross. So close to giving in completely. So close to

repeating the one perfect night we spent together.

“Alpha?”

Gabriel's flat voice cut through the haze just as Alexander's hand was brushing across the swell of my belly.

Alexander jerked away fromso fast | nearly fell off the counter.

“Gabriel,” Alexander said roughly. “What do you want?”

The Beta’s eyes narrowed on me. “You have a phone call. Campaign business. It’s urgent.”

| watched Alexander's expression shift from desire to something deeply guarded within moments. The mate

bond, which had been humming just moments ago, suddenly felt muted again.

He at least had the grace to look atand hesitate for a moment.

| forced a smile. “Go ahead. | should eat this pasta before it gets cold.”

Alexander nodded and left without another word.

| ate dinner by myself, picking at the delicious food that now tasted like ash in my mouth. The domesticity of the

evening felt like a cruel joke now. For a few minutes there, I'd actually believed that maybe things between us

were changing. That maybe Alexander might actually wantfor more than just political convenience.

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Chapter 178

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But reality had crashed back in, just like it always did.

So much for taking risks and living my life to the fullest.

| was only halfway through my meal when | heard the front door slam and the sound of a car engine starting. |

went to the window and watched Alexander's car disappear down the driveway, red taillights vanishing into the

darkness.

He didn’t chthat night.

Alexander

| strode into my office to find Gabriel standing beside my desk. As | suspected, there was no phone call.

Just a manila folder in his hands.

He tossed the folder onto my desk. “I have more information on the investigation.”

| strode forward with a huff and snapped the folder open, revealing a photograph of a stocky middle-aged man

with a mustache. The picture was grainy and | didn’t recognize the man at all.

“Who the hell is this?” | asked. My wolf growled in frustration, furious that whatever had been about to happen

with Ella had been cut short. And | had no doubt that Gabriel had chosen that tto do just that.

“That's the man who cut the brake lines on your parents car.”

| took a single staggering step backwards, feeling like someone had just stabbedin the heart. That was the

man who had caused my parents’ car accident all those years ago.

That was the man who had caused their deaths.

“Who is he?” | growled.

“Thomas Black. He's been working for the Stormhollow pack for fifteen years. Currently employed as a

groundskeeper on their estate.”

My hands clenched into fists. After all these years of wondering, | finally had a name. A face. Someone | could

actually confront.

“Where is he now?”

“At home, most likely. He lives alone in a cottage on the outskirts of Stormhollow territory.”

“Let's go, then,” | said, already reaching for my keys. “I'd like to pay this Thomas Black a little visit.”

The drive to Stormhollow territory took nearly two hours, and by the twe reached Thomas Black's cottage, it

was well past midnight. The small house sat at the end of a dirt road, isolated and perfect for the kind of

conversation we needed to have.

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Gabriel had brought rope and a few other tools of persuasion, but | hoped we wouldn't need them. Fear could be

just as effective as pain, and | wanted answers, not bloodshed.

We didn’t knock.

Gabriel picked the lock in under thirty seconds, and we slipped inside without a sound. The cottage was sparse

and tidy, indicating that Thomas was a bachelor living on his own.

Thomas was asleep in his bed when we found him. He woke up to findstanding over him with Gabriel

blocking the only exit, and before he could scream, | slammed my hand over his mouth.

Chapter 179

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