The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 38

Ella

“Where is Alexander?”

| wrenched my arm away, ignoring the sting of pain. “He had something cup at the last minute. | decided to

canyway.”

My father’s face darkened. “Without your Alpha? That's incredibly irresponsible, Ella. If Alexander couldn't make

it, then you should have stayed home

“I was invited, too,” | reminded him. “My nwas on the invitation. Not just his.”

“As Alexander's mate,” he hissed. His eyes flicked down to my dress with disapproval. “And certainly not dressed

like... that.”

| resisted the urge to cover myself. The black dress wasn’t even that revealing compared to what sof the

other women were wearing tonight. But to my father, anything that showed | had a figure at all was

“provocative.”

| glanced at Lilith, who was hovering awkwardly a few steps away. She looked unusually tense, her eyes darting

nervously between my father and me. it seemed strange to see her so uncomfortable-Lilith was normally the

picture of composure. That was why she was my rock.

My father’s nostrils flared. “Ella, go home.”

Up until recently, | would have followed my father’s orders. But not now. Not when | might only have months left

to live.

“No.” | linked my arm through Lilith’s. “Con, Lilith. Let's get a drink.”

Without waiting for my father’s response, | led Lilith toward the bar set up on the far side of the ballroom with

Gabriel trailing silently behind us.

“Are you sure this is wise?” Lilith whispered as we weaved through the crowd. “Your father seems upset.”

“He'll be fine,” | replied with a shrug. “I'm not a child anymore. Maybe it’s about the learns that.”

When we reached the bar, | ordered a glass of champagne for myself and one for Lilith. Gabriel morosely sipped

a glass of whiskey.

As | surveyed the room, | spotted my half-brother, Brian, standing with a group of young men about his age. He

was seventeen now, hadn't seen him much since he was twelve.

almost a man. !

Champagne in hand, | made my way toward Brian. Despite everything, | had always tried to be a good half-sister

to him. It wasn’t his fault that his mother hatedor that our father had always favored him.

Brian had grown tall, nearly as tall as our father now. His brown hair had clearly been styled earlier but he had

run his hands through it carelessly, and the tie on his expensive suit was loose, a few buttons undone, suit jacket

nowhere to be found.

He turned as | approached. “Ella! | didn’t think you'd show up without your husband in tow. What happened, did

he finally realize what a mistake he

made?”

His friends snickered, and one of them lookedup and down with a leer.

“Nice dress,” he said, his eyes lingering unabashedly on my chest. “Is that what all the Lunas are wearing these

days, or just the ones who aren't loved by their Alphas?”

My face heated, but not from embarrassment-from anger.

“You might want to watch your mouth,” I said coolly, looking the boy in the eye. “That's no way to speak to your

superior.”

The boy’s smirk faltered.

“And you,” | continued, turning to my brother. “Is that really how you greet your sister after five years? Making

jokes about my marriage?”

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Chapter 38

“It was just”

Before he could finish, | reached up and pinched his ear, hard, the way | used to when he was being particularly

bratty as a child. Brian yelped, his face turning bright red as his friends stared in shock.

“Ow! Ella, stop!”

“Apologize,” | demanded, still holding his ear. “Now.”

“I'm sorry! Geez, let go!”

| released him, watching with satisfaction as he rubbed his ear, thoroughly embarrassed in front of his friends.

“That's better. Now, if you'll excuse me, | have more mature company to keep.”

As | walked away, | caught a glimpse of my father and stepmother across the room. They were both practically

vibrating with fury now. | lifted my champagne in a mock toast and continued on my way.

“Ella? Is that really you?”

| turned at the sound of my nand found myself face to face with my cousin, Tara. My heart stuttered. Tara

had made my high school years a living hell, mocking my clothes, my hair, my grades, anything she could find to

teardown.

| braced myself for an unpleasant exchange, but to my surprise, Tara was smiling.

“It is you!” she exclaimed, pullinginto a hug. “You look amazing! That dress is absolutely killer.”

| stood frozen for a moment, too stunned to respond. “Thanks,” | finally managed. “You... look good too.”

Tara's expression softened when she noticed the sour look on my face. “Look, | know we weren't exactly friends

in high school. Actually, that’s putting it mildly.”

She shook her head ruefully. “I was awful to you, and I'm really sorry about that. You were always so pretty and

smart, and even though you didn’t have many friends, you never seemed to care what anyone thought of you.

You were just... authentic, in a way | never knew how to be.”

Her words caughtoff guard. Me, authentic? Pretty? That wasn’t how | remembered myself at all. | had been

shy and awkward, always trying to please everyone and failing miserably.

But maybe that wasn’t how others had seen me.

“Well,” | said, offering a small smile, “that was a long tago.”

“It was.” Tara grinned. “And now look at you! Confident, glowing, the kind of woman every woman wants to be.”

“Thanks, Tara. That means a lot.”

We fell into easy conversation after that, catching up on the years we'd missed. Tara was working in marketing

now, still single but dating around. It was nice, talking to someone my age about normal things, things that had

nothing to do with pack politics or death sentences.

“So, a bunch of us are going out after this snoozefest wraps up,” Tara finally said. “Just to a bar downtown for

drinks, maybe sdancing. You should come! It'll be fun.”

| hesitated. Going out to a bar? Dancing? These were normal things that women my age did all the time,

experiences I'd never had bec straight from my father’s control to Alexander's.

“d gone

And what if | did die in a few months? I'd never have those experiences at all.

“I'd love to,” | said before I could second-guess myself. “I've never actually been to a bar before.”

Tara's eyes widened, “Seriously? Oh, then you definitely have to come. We'll show you a good time, | promise!”

08:38 Tue, 19 Aug

Chapter 38

| grinned, already imagining a night of freedom—drinks, dancing, laughter. Just one night to be young and

carefree.

“What's this | hear about going to a bar?”

My father’s voice cut through my fantasy. | turned to find him standing behind me.

“Uncle Richard,” Tara said politely. “I was just making plans to go out with Ella after-"

“I heard. Please excuse us, Tara.” My father put his hand on my shoulder. “I have to speak with Ella.”

Tara hesitated, no doubt noticing the tension, but what was she supposed to do when her Alpha was

commanding her to leave? Finally, she nodded and slipped away.

As soon as she was out of earshot, my father grabbed my arm again, this tdraggingtoward a small

alcove off the main ballroom. | had to struggle to keep from spilling my champagne as | stumbled after him.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” he hissed once we were alone and out of sight. “You show up without

your Alpha, dressed like that, drinking, in public, and now you're planning to go bar-hopping with Tara, of all

people? Have you lost your mind?”

“I'm having a conversation with my cousin,” | said evenly. “And making plans with her, yes. | don’t see the

problem.”

“The problem,” my father growled, “is that you're acting like a slut. Your mate is nowhere to be found, you're

practically half-naked, and you're planning to go out drinking with a girl who has slept with half the males in this

territory.”

“Don’t you dare callthat. I'm an adult, and | can make my own decisions.”

“Not when those decisions reflect poorly on this family! You need to go hto Alexander right now, before you

ruin everything we’ve worked so hard to build because you're going through sbelated rebellious phase.”

“We?” | laughed bitterly. “What exactly have you worked hard to build, Father? All you did was marryoff and

take paychecks from my husband like I'm a prize mare.”

“I got you married to an Alpha from a prestigious pack, who, might | add, didn’t even want you from the get-go,”

he spat. “I secured your future. And this is how you repay me? By acting like a common whore the moment his

back is turned?”

“I'm not hurting anyone,” | ground out. “I'm just trying to live my life for once, instead of being controlled by you

or Alexander or anyone else. And maybe if you hadn't tried to dictate my every move since | was a child, |

wouldn't feel the need to suddenly experience life for the first tin my twenties! And who knows? Maybe |

won't go hto Alexander at all tonight!”

My father’s face twisted. “I didn’t raise a whore!” he snarled, his hand flying up to slap me.

| flinched, bracing for the impact, but it never came.

Instead, Alexander stepped between us and grabbed my father’s wrist.

AD

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