The Sickened Luna's Last Chance novel Chapter 314

Ella’s POV

The party was still raging on downstairs, the sounds of music and revelry like an insult to my broken heart. It would continue like this all night, probably even until the sun rose.

As for me, I must have been wallowing in my bed for the better part of an hour now, still wearing the stained dress. I thought about returning to the party more than once, even just in my Omega uniform to check on Anya and find out if everything had been resolved, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I knew what would happen; I would find out that Alexander had named Anya his Luna after all, that gossip was spreading like wildfire, and most of all… I would break my heart for the millionth time.

No, it was better if I stayed in my room. Alone and safe where no one could see my tears.

Just then, the sound of a key in the lock from the other side of my door made me lift my head. I looked up to see Lilith quietly stepping into the room with a small tray of tea and a few of her famous cookies. She set the tray down on my nightstand, then took a seat on the edge of the bed.

“Come here, dear,” she said gently.

Lilith held her arms wide, and I didn’t hesitate to crawl into her embrace. For a few minutes, she just held me without saying a word, rubbing soothing circles on my back.

Finally, Lilith said softly, “Do you want to talk about it?”

I turned my face just enough to look at her through the mess of my auburn hair, tangled and sticky with tears now. “Not really.”

With a soft sigh, Lilith pulled me up gently until I was sitting beside her. She poured two cups of tea and pressed one into my hands, and the scent of chamomile flooded my stuffed nostrils, instantly clearing them. I took a bite of one of the cookies, although it tasted like ash in my mouth.

“His wolf recognized me,” I finally said around a second mouthful of cookie that tasted considerably better and more comforting than the first. “He still knows who I am somewhere deep down.”

“Of course he does. The mate bond didn’t just disappear because you’re in a different body.”

“But it should have.” I swallowed thickly and set aside my tea and half–finished cookie. “It would be easier if it did. Then I could just be Stella the nanny and watch Lucien grow up without all of this… this pain.”

Lilith was quiet for a moment. She reached over to my nightstand and handed me a tissue, waiting while I blew

my nose.

“It will be okay,” she finally said. “I know how difficult this curse is. I’ve lived with it for over twenty years, remember? The pain does fade eventually.”

“Well, right now it feels like my heart is being ripped out of my chest every single day. Every time I look at Alexander, every time I see him with our son in his arms, every time he gets that confused look on his face because his wolf senses something but he doesn’t know what…”

1/2

My throat closed up, and I couldn’t keep talking.

“This happened because you got too close to him,” Lilith said gently. “I warned you about keeping your distance.”

“I know.” I looked away bitterly. “I know I got too close. But how could I not? He’s still my mate. And Lucien is my son. I thought I could handle it, thought I could just be the nanny and watch from the sidelines, but I can’t. I broke my own heart all over again.”

Lilith pulled me against her side, and I let myself lean into her warmth again.

“I keep making mistakes,” I said against her shoulder. “First with the farmer, then with Liam, and now this. I want to stay close to Lucien more than anything in the world, but I’m terrified I’ll say or do something I’ll regret if I stay here. What if Alexander’s wolf keeps recognizing me? What if one day he finds out the truth? I can’t risk it. I can’t condemn him to death like I did the others.”