The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 31

Ella

Over the next few days, the cameras continued to follow us everywhere, documenting our every move. So

Alexander and | continued our charade, playing the happy couple whenever we stepped outside the mansion.

I mostly just accompanied Alexander during his Alpha duties, smiling at his side during meetings, playing the

role of a doting and loyal wife everywhere we went. To the outside world, we were the perfect Alpha and Luna

duo, completely in love and utterly devoted to each other.

But the moment we would step inside the house, the act would drop. Within the walls of that mansion, we would

always go right back to our usual pattern-distant and cold, sharing a bedroom only out of necessity.

One evening, after a particularly exhausting day of playing the doting wife, | found myself sitting alone at the

dining table, picking at a plate of roast chicken and vegetables. Alexander had disappeared into his office the

moment we'd returned hwithout even bothering to say goodbye.

“Dining alone again?”

| looked up to find Liam standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets.

| stabbed a piece of broccoli with my fork. “As usual.” There was no point in lying anymore. Liam knew that our

marriage was loveless. He didn’t know everything, but he knew enough. He had extended his stay and had seen

plenty of tense moments to know that there was no real romance between us.

“Does he ever dine with you?” Liam asked.

| hesitated, then shrugged. “No. Not really.”

Something dark flashed across Liam's face, although he quickly smoothed it away. Without asking permission, he

pulled out the chair across fromand sat down. | watched as he reached for an empty plate from the stack at

the center of the table and helped himself to sfood from the serving

dishes.

“No one should eat alone,” he said simply.

A lump formed in my throat at that. How pathetic was I, getting emotional over someone merely sitting with me

during a meal? But after five years of dining alone night after night, the company felt like a gift.

“Thank you,” | whispered.

Liam smiled warmly. “So, how was your day?”

I snorted and popped a piece of chicken into my mouth. “Oh, you know. Just another day in paradise.”

“I saw the pictures from your lunch date the other day. Very convincing.”

“Well, that's the point, isn’t it?” | sighed, setting down my fork and reaching for my wine. “To be convincing.”

We fell into easy conversation after that, reminiscing about our childhood, sharing stories from the years we'd

been apart. It felt good to laugh, to talk. without thinking about every word, to simply exist.

| was so engrossed in our conversation that | didn’t notice Alexander's arrival until Liam's eyes flicked to the

doorway and his smile faded.

1 | turned to find Alexander standing there with a blank expression. But for a brief moment, something flashed in

his eyes. If la would have thought it was jealousy.

now any better, |

Before | could speak, Alexander pulled out the chair at the head of the table and sat down, serving himself from

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the dishes.

The atmosphere instantly shifted. | froze as Alexander picked up his fork and began to eat. Liam's fingers

tightened almost imperceptibly around his wine glass.

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Chapter 31

Alexander never ate with me. Not once in five years, except for the lunch date the other day, which wasn’t a

terribly pleasant experience. And now here he was, dining withlike we did

every night.

Except he seemed to forget one thing: conversation.

He just... sat there. And ate. Quietly.

The silence becalmost unbearable. | pushed my food around my plate, my appetite suddenly gone.

“So,” Liam finally said, clearing his throat, “this is nice. The three of us, having dinner together. Very... civilized”

Alexander grunted in response.

“We should play a game,” Liam suddenly suggested. “To pass the time.”

| raised an eyebrow. “A game? What kind of game?”

“Twenty Questions,” Liam replied with a smirk. “But with a twist. We each think of a person, and the others have

to guess who it is. And,” he added, reaching for the bottle of wine on the table, “we drink if we get a question

wrong.”

“That seems childish,” Alexander muttered.

“Afraid you'll lose?” Liam challenged, already pouring wine into his glass.

Alexander's jaw clenched. “I don’t lose.”

“Then prove it.”

| watched this exchange with fascination. It was clear that neither man wanted to back down, their Alpha

instincts kicking in at the stlike two switches being flipped at once. But it wasn't just that-it was the

way Alexander's eyes kept flicking to me, then back to Liam.

Was he actually jealous? The idea seemed absurd, but the way he was looking at us madewonder if I'd been

mistaken before, and my heart did a stupid little flip.

But Alexander was an Alpha at the end of the day, and | was his mate. It was likely just biology. | repeated that

thought in my head and forcefully shoved down whatever feelings that had begun to form before they could take

root.

“Fine,” Alexander finally said, leaning back in his chair. “I'll play.”

Liam’s grin widened as he filled our glasses with wine. “Excellent. The rules are simple: think of the first person

who comes to mind. Then we take turns asking questions to figure out who it is.”

“I'll go first,” Liam offered, leaning back in his chair. “I've got someone in mind.”

“Is it a man or a woman?” | asked

“A woman.”

“Is she younger than thirty?” Alexander asked.

Liam thought for a moment. “No. Drink.”

Alexander scowled but took a sip of his wine.

“Is she from Stormhollow?” | tried next.

“Yes.”

The gcontinued, with Liam answering our questions about this mystery woman from Stormhollow. As we

narrowed it down, | began to suspect who

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08:37 Tue, 19 AUG TO

Chapter 31

it might be.

“Wait,” | said, laughing as it began to hit me. “Is it Mrs. Melbourne? Our old first grade teacher?”

Liam beamed. “The very same.”

lerupted into giggles. “Oh Goddess, she was the worst! She was so mean. Do you remember when she gave me

lunch detention and madespell out my nthree hundred times because | forgot to put my last non

one of my papers?”

“Of course | remember,” Liam snorted. “Which was insane, because you were the only Ella in the entire school.

It’s not like she didn’t know the paper was yours.”

| continued to laugh at the memory, so much so that tears began to cto my eyes. As | dabbed them away

with my napkin, I glanced at Alexander who was merely swirling his wine around in his glass with an unreadable

expression on his face.

“That's not fair,” Alexander finally said. “How could | have known it was her if | don’t know the woman?”

Liam hesitated, then nodded and picked up his wine glass, still chuckling slightly. “You're right. I'll drink to make

up for it.” He took a large gulp before turning to Alexander. “Your turn. Think of someone.”

Alexander’s gaze dropped to his wine for a moment before he nodded. “Fine. I've got someone.”

“Is it a man or a woman?” | asked.

“A woman.”

“Someone from Ashclaw?” Liam asked.

Alexander hesitated before answering. “No. Drink.” Liam grunted and took another big swig of wine.

“Is she older than you?” | asked.

“No,” he replied, and I took a sip.

The questions continued, and with each vague answer Alexander gave, a sinking feeling grew in my stomach.

Young woman not from Ashclaw. Alexander's age. Someone he’d known for years. Someone he saw regularly.

There were two people who fit that description.

“Is it Sophia?” | asked.

Alexander didn’t answer immediately, which I took as confirmation. Of course it was Sophia. Of course his mind

went straight to her.

Why did | ever think it could be me?

“My turn,” | said quickly, not wanting to dwell on the sting of realizing that even in a silly game, Alexander's

thoughts went to Sophia and not to me-his actual mate.

“Ready,” Liam said. “Man or woman?”

The first person who cto mind was Alexander/Despite everything, he was always my first thought. My

knuckles turned wh

ind my wine glass.

“Man,” | replied.

“Is he from Ashclaw?” Liam asked.

“Yes.”

The questions continued, and with each answer, it becmore obvious who | was thinking of. | tried to keep

my answers light, as if that could

08:37 Tue, 19 Aug

Chapter 31

somehow hide the bitterness | felt beneath it all.

“How does this person make you feel when you look at them?” Liam finally asked, which was his fifth or sixth

question.

| paused, thinking about how to answer. How did Alexander makefeel? Angry. Hurt. Confused. Longing,

Frustrated. Drawn to him despite everything “Hardly anyone aggravatesas much as this one,” | finally said.

“Sometimes | want to throw something at his head.”

Alexander's eyes snapped up and met mine. The realization seemed to have started to hit him two questions

ago, but now it seemed to fully sink in.

Without a word, he stood so abruptly that his chair scraped loudly against the floor, nearly making Liam-who

was decently drunk by now—spilt his wine. For a moment, he just stood there, looking down atwith that

fucking blank expression on his face.

Then he turned and walked out of the room.

Liam and I sat in stunned silence for a moment.

“I think you hurt his feelings,” Liam finally said.

“I was just joking. | didn’t mean it like that.”

A

But even as | said it, | knew that wasn’t entirely true. | had meant it. Alexander did aggravate me. He did make

And yet, somehow, beneath it all, | couldn’t help but feel bad for saying those things. As if a tiny part of me

didn’t find joy in hurting my mate, no matter how cruel he had been to me.

After dinner, | made my way upstairs to our bedroom, rehearsing what | would say when | ran into Alexander. But

when | pushed open the door, the room was empty.

He didn’t cto bed all night.

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