The sickened luna’s last chance

Ella & Alexander

Ella

| barely saw Alexander the next day. He had left the house before | woke up, givingno chance to talk to him

about what happened.

But | tried not to feel guilty about last night. After all, it wasn’t my fault that Alexander couldn't take a joke. And

even if it wasn't a joke, why should | caret He had been cruel tofor years. One comment about him being

aggravating was nothing compared to the five years of torment.

Still, I couldn't help but feel a pang in my chest every t| thought about it.

“You're frowning again,” Lilith pointed out as we shared tea around eleven o’clock. “What's on your mind, dear?”

“Nothing important.”

Lilith tilted her head. “Is this about you and Alexander? | heard he slept in his study last night.”

“The staff gossips too much,” | muttered. “But yes, he did. He got pissed atover a silly gat dinner. Not

that | particularly minded having the bed to myself without him sulking in it, but...”

My voice trailed off, and Lilith sighed. “Well, that won't help with the rumors. Half the pack still thinks your

marriage is just for show. And there's talk that you're both having affairs.”

I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face. | couldn't blthem for thinking that way. Even if we played our

parts perfectly in public, the masks always coff the moment we chome. The staff noticed, and if they

gossiped to the rest of the pack, then everyone would believe them.

“What you two need,” Lilith added, “is another public date.”

“We go out together all the tnow.”

“You accompany him during his Alpha duties. You need a date,” she clarified. “A real date-or at least, real in the

eyes of the public. You want him to do well in the election, don’t you?”

| nodded, thinking back to the contract. Alexander never said he would pull out of it if he didn’t win the election,

but I didn’t know him well enough to know that for certain. | often laid awake at night, fearing what might

happen if he didn’t follow through at the end of the nine months.

With only three months to live after that... What would | do then?

No, | needed to ensure he did as well as possible during the election. Even if he lost, | had to ensure it was by no

fault of mine. Only then could | be certain that he would divorceand rejectlike he said.

Which meant that we had to keep up appearances, especially with all these rumors floating around. And if | was

being completely honest with myself, the thought of another “date” with Alexander did make my heart flutter a

little.

“What would you want to do?” Lilith asked, pullingfrom my thoughts. “If you could go on any date with

him?”

| thought about it for a moment. The truth was, I'd never been on a real date before. My father had kept me

sheltered in high school and then | was married off to Alexander as soon as | was of age. There were so many

experiences I'd never had.

“I don’t know,” | admitted. “Something simple, | guess. A movie, maybe?” | bit my lip, feeling suddenly shy. “I've

always wanted to... you know... hold hands in a dark theater. Stupid, right?”

Lilith’s expression softened. “That's not stupid at all, sweetheart. It's actually very sweet.”

| looked down at my hands, embarrassed, it felt so juvenile for someone in their twenties to still want something

so innocent, but | had missed out on so many normal milestones. First kiss until the press conference, first real

date, first... everything,

1/3

Chapter 32

“You should do it,” Lilith said firmly. “Buy the tickets. Take him to a movie.”

“You think he'd agree to that?”

“It'll look good for his campaign, won't it? He'll agree.”

An hour later, | had purchased two tickets to a horror movie showing that evening at the focal theater. Horror

wasn't exactly my first choice, but it was the only thing playing that seemed like something Alexander might

enjoy.

| spent an embarrassing amount of tgetting ready, trying on different outfits before settling on a simple blue

dress that I'd been told brought out my eyes. | curled my hair, applied a light layer of makeup, and even put on a

bit of perfume.

All for a fake date with my husband. Goddess, | really was pathetic. Somehow, this felt worse than when | had

genuinely tried to be perfect to garner his

affection.

A little while later, | found Alexander outside the post office in town, deep in conversation with Gabriel. When

Alexander spottedapproaching, he did a double take.

| rarely dressed up like this unless it was for a formal pack event. And | certainly never went anywhere dressed

like this specifically to see him, of all people.

“Ella,” he said, straightening a little as | approached. “What are you doing here?”

| held out the movie tickets, hating the way my hand trembled slightly. “I thought we could go see a movie

together.”

Alexander

| stared at the movie tickets in Ella’s outstretched hand. A horror film. Tonight. Just the two of us.

The thought of sitting next to her in a dark theater for two hours felt too close for comfort. Especially when she

looked like... this.

The blue dress she wore hugged her curves in a way that made my wolf turn restless. Her hair fell in soft curls

around her face, and the scent of cherry blossoms and vanilla seemed stronger than usual, making my nostrils

itch.

She had clearly put effort into her appearance.

But | knew this was just a performance.

After last night, | thought | knew what Ella truly thought of me. aggravated her. She wanted to throw things at

my head. She'd never feel anything positive toward me.

So | figured | had nothing to worry about. Even if | stupidly developed feelings for her, she wouldn't feel the same

way. Therefore, | wouldn't be at risk of having a romance with someone who could have potentially had

something to do with my parents’ death.

“Alright,” | agreed, taking the tickets. “We should go now if we want to find seats in time.”

Gabriel suddenly cleared his throat beside me. “What a coincidence! | was planning to see that exact movie

tonight.”

Ella frowned. “You were?”

“Absolutely. Horror films are my favorite.” Gabriel turned towith a look in his eyes that | knew all too well.

“You don’t mind if | join you, do you, Alpha?”

| knew he had no intention of seeing the movie before. He just wanted to act as a buffer in case anything went

down.

“Three is a crowd, don’t you think? We're supposed to seem like a real couple.” Ella pursed her lips and looked at