The Sickened Luna's Last Chance novel Chapter 328

Ella’s POV

The afternoon light filtered through the sunroom windows as Anya and I sat surrounded by piles upon piles of cardstock, gold ribbon, and calligraphy supplies. We’d begun work on the invitations; Anya had wanted to make them herself, both to save money and give them a personal touch.

The wedding was set to happen in just one month.

One. Month.

Seeing the date laid out perfectly felt like swallowing a ticking time bomb. Alexander was going to marry Anya in just four weeks, thirty days, and there was nothing I could do about it.

It didn’t help any that the moon was nearly full, too. My wolf was especially frantic, whining for me to tell Alexander the truth before it was too late. Before our mate got married to another woman and I would have to leave.

But what choice did I have? I was no closer to finding those artifacts Julie had mentioned. The archives had been a dead end, just like every other lead I’d followed. Liam was getting sicker by the day, and I still had nothing to show for weeks of research.

Maybe it was time to face the truth. Maybe there was no cure for this curse. Maybe my mother had been right when she said I’d have to live with it forever. Maybe I really would leave after the wedding.

I’d spent most of last night lying awake thinking about leaving. After the wedding, when Anya was settled in as Luna and Alexander had moved on, maybe it would be better if I disappeared. I could find a job in another territory, somewhere far enough away that I wouldn’t be tempted to tell the truth.

The thought made a knot form in my throat, but it was probably the kindest thing I could do for everyone involved. I feared that my wolf and my heart might get the best of me, and since there seemed to be no cure for the curse, it would only be a matter of time before I accidentally condemned everyone I cared about.

But for Anya’s sake, I put a smile on my face and I helped her make the invitations. I couldn’t let her see how I truly felt- couldn’t ruin her happiness with my own bitterness.

We worked together for most of the afternoon, chatting and smiling, and all the while the pile of invitations slowly grew as time went on. Each one felt like another nail in a proverbial coffin.

By the time we were finished, my hand was cramping and my heart felt like it had been put through a meat grinder. But I kept that smile plastered on my face, helped Anya clean up the calligraphy supplies, and told her how excited I was for her big day.

Such a good friend. Such a loyal maid of honor.

Such a liar.

That night, I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling when the baby monitor on my nightstand crackled to life. Lucien was fussing.

I threw off my covers and grabbed my robe, then padded down the hallway. To my surprise, the nursery door was slightly ajar when I approached. I recalled leaving it shut when I put Lucien to bed earlier.

When I pushed the door open, I found Alexander already there.

He was shirtless, standing by the window with Lucien in his arms, rocking him gently while moonlight streamed through the glass. The nearly–full moon cast everything in silver, making Alexander’s red hair look almost ethereal and highlighting the tender expression on his face as he murmured something to our son.

The sight would have made me smile in my past life, but now, it just made tears spring to my eyes. My mate had no idea that he was holding our son, and that I was standing just feet away from him.

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My wolf surged without warning as I looked at him. The mate bond that shouldn’t have existed suddenly flared to life, sending warmth flooding through my veins.

Alexander’s head snapped up and he turned, green eyes widening slightly upon seeing me.

“Stella.” He straightened. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I heard him fussing on the monitor.” I stepped into the room and hoped he couldn’t notice the way my cheeks were flushed red. “I came to check on him. Is he alright?”

“Just restless. Probably in part due to the nearly–full moon.”

Yeah. The full moon’s pull was affecting all of us, wasn’t it?

When I made my way over to him, I saw that Lucien was already half–asleep again. He looked perfectly content in Alexander’s arms, briefly making me forget about all of the bad things. I smiled faintly and reached out to brush my knuckles across his little cheek, and for a moment, everything felt… okay.

“I’m sorry,” Alexander said quietly. “About this morning. I was out of line.”

“You were worried about your son. I understand.”

“That’s no excuse for how I spoke to you.” He looked over at me. “Seeing Margaret made me on edge, but that doesn’t give me the right to take it out on you.”

“The fact that they didn’t attend the funeral seems to bother you a lot,” I pointed out.

Alexander’s jaw feathered. “Of course it does. She deserved better.”

“She was lucky to have you,” I whispered. “To have someone who loved her enough to be angry on her behalf.”

Alexander scoffed. “I gave her a hard time, too. Her family weren’t the only ones who troubled her. She deserved better from all of us.”

My vision blurred with those pesky tears. I wanted to tell him that I was right here so badly, and that I forgave him. But I couldn’t. I likely would never be able to.

Suddenly, Alexander shot me a sidelong glance. “So. The mate bond. I felt it just now. And I know you did, too.”

My heart stopped. “Alexander-”

“You should reject me,” he blurted out.

I blinked. “You–you want me to?”

“We can’t be together. I still love Ella, and you said yourself that you never intend to be my mate. Why not make this easier on both of us? It might be wise to do it before the full moon comes and our wolves become truly insatiable.”

My mouth went dry at the very notion. The formal words of rejection were binding and permanent. Once spoken, there was no going back. But if I said those words…

“Why don’t you do it instead?” I found myself asking.

Alexander stared at me for a long moment. I could see him considering it, could almost hear the rejection forming on his lips. I braced myself for the inevitable severing of our bond and the searing pain that would follow.

But the words never came.

“It’s late. Perhaps we should discuss this at a better time,” Alexander said, turning toward the crib and shaking his head. When we’re both thinking more clearly.”

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X

I could only state in confusion and shock as he carefully laid a now–sleeping Lucien down and pressed a kiss to his little forehead. Without another word, he walked to the door. He hesitated in the doorway for the briefest of moments, so brief I almost wondered if I imagined it, but then he was gone.

The moment he left, I gripped the crib to keep myself from collapsing. And the first tear rolled silently down my cheek.

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