The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 14

Ella

| couldn’t speak as | looked up into those familiar green eyes. Alexander smelled like his usual scent combined

with fresh sweat and earth, but there was something else there, too-the coppery scent of dried blood.

Was he injured? Was | injured?

I didn’t have tto dwell on it before Liam, standing behindand dusting the hay off his shirt, said, “What

the hell happened?”

Alexander's face, which had momentarily been a mask of shock and maybe even a hint of relief, hardened. He

setdown. | was glad to find that my legs were indeed not broken; there wasn’t even a scratch on me.

“I was just wondering the sthing,” he said, glancing first at me, then at Liam, then up-toward the open hay

door | had just fallen out of.

Liam opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly cut off by a shrill scream.

“Ella! Oh, Goddess, Ella! Are you alright?”

We all turned to see Sophia running around the corner of the barn, her hair disheveled and her eyes wide. She'd

gone pale and was out of breath from having climbed down the barn ladder and run over in a rush.

“Did she push you, Ella?” Liam pointed at Sophia. His eyes were practically red with rage.

| turned to her, looking her up and down. She certainly seemed surprised-and although we never got along, she

had never done anything so heinous as to try to injurebefore.

But my suspicions remained.

“| felt something shove my back,” | said slowly, deliberately. “Sophia was the only other one up there with me,

and | doubt the cows know how to climb a ladder.”

Sophia's eyes began to water as she clutched at her pearl necklace. “I would never do such a thing!” she cried

out. She whirled toward Alexander. “Alex, you have to tell them! You know me! | wouldn’t-"

“Enough.” Alexander held up his hand, and it was then that | noticed he was indeed covered in blood-most of it

not his own. It was caked in his hair, his eyebrows, trailing down his neck as if it had sprayed down on top of his

head.

It must have been an intense battle, and a small part ofcouldn't help but feel relieved that he had walked

out of it alive.

Sophia made a little sound of worry and began wringing her hands.

Alexander then said in a surprisingly calm and even voice, “Sophia, did you push Ella?”

Sophia sputtered. “No! Absolutely not. It was an accident. The wind caught her dress-I saw it.”

| narrowed my eyes. The wind... It had felt like two warm hands shoving against my lower back. Unless the wind

could suddenly grow hands...

“She’s lying,” Liam said, his voice taking on a dark edge as he turned to Alexander. “She pushed your mate,

Alpha. With intention to harm, if not kill. What are you going to do about it?”

Alexander glanced at Liam, and | could practically hear the gears whirring in his head.

Obviously, he had to act appropriately in front of the Board. They were all watching now-a small crowd had

gathered

1/3

around us.

But Alexander would never suspect his darling Sophia of such a crime.

In his eyes, she was as innocent as a lamb. And those crocodile tears she was crying only further served to

exonerate her.

It was moments like this that had sent my wolf into her sorrowful slumber.

My fated mate wouldn't stand by me. He would always trust others more than he trusted me, especially when it

cto Sophia.

The very thought made my heart turn bitter and black. Maybe once, | would have stepped down and let Sophia

get away with something like this. But not now. Not when my very life was on the line in more ways than one.

“She did push me,” | said firmly. | turned to Alexander and looked at him. Only him. “I felt her hands on my back.

She was the one who suggested we go into the hayloft, and she pushed me.”

Green eyes blinked atfrom behind a blood-spattered face. For a moment, there was no sound save for

Sophia's soft whimpers and the gentle breeze blowing through the treetops. Enough to knock over a pitcher of

iced tea, perhaps, but an entire person?

Highly unlikely.

And Alexander knew it.

After a long moment, Alexander turned to Sophia. | half expected him to set her free, but surprisingly, he

gestured for one of the pack guards to cover.

“Please escort Sophia back to her house,” he said calmly.

Sophia’s mouth dropped open. “But—"

“Go,” Alexander cut her off.

Of course he would only send her home, | thought bitterly; her father spoiled her. This wasn't a real punishment.

But | kept that to myself.

As the guard escorted a whining Sophia away, Liam took a step closer. His eyes flashed, his face still dark with

anger. I'd never seen a look like that on him before. Never.

“If you want the Board's approval, I'd recommend you start trusting your Luna more,” he growled before

brushing past Alexander and returning to the picnic.

Alexander stared after him, jaw ticking. It was then that | noticed his leg—he had a large gash across his thigh,

his leathers torn straight through around that area. It wasn’t too deep, but it was enough to makewince just

looking at it.

“You're wounded,” | said, taking Alexander's arm. “Let's get you cleaned up.”

Alexander huffed but didn’t argue as | led him back to the house. In the barracks, he sat down on a chair by the

fireplace while | gathered swarm water, antiseptic, and bandages. | perched on a footstool in front of him

and carefully dabbed at his wound with the water, cleaning away sof the dried blood.

“You're dragging the cloth through the wound,” Alexander grunted.

“You'll live,” | said coolly. Once | was finished, | poured sof the alcohol on a gauze pad and began to dab

gently at the gash. Thankfully, it didn't seem deep enough to need stitches, and Alexander's Alpha healing had

already begun to mend the damaged flesh around the edges.

“You should stay off of this leg for the rest of the day,” | chided gently as | worked. “Give it tto—"

2/3

“I know how to handle my own wounds.”

Alexander's jab made my teeth clench, but I continued working. | couldn't tell if he was jealous or bitter or just

being surly for the sake of it, but | refused to indulge him.

“Being passive aggressive will get you nowhere,” | said without looking at him. “Whatever you have to say, just

say it directly.”

“Fine. Your affair with Liam is too obvious. It's going to negatively affect my reputation and the election.”

My hands stilled as | wrapped Alexander's leg. His reputation? That was all he cared about, wasn’t it? Not the

fact that his precious childhood friend had likely pushedout of a hayloft.

“Nothing has happened betweenand Liam,” | said, tying off the bandage with a jerking motion. “Ever since

he got here, | have been respectful and nothing more than friends.” | stood so | was now towering over

Alexander. “It’s you who has had another woman in the picture since the beginning of our marriage.”

Alexander blinked up at me. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, don’t play dumb. Sophia,” | said, tossing the leftover bandages into the first aid kit. “You take her to the

Spring Market every year. You've never invited me. Not even once. Not even in front of the Board you care about

so much. Not until Liam, out of pity, offered to takeinstead.”

| shook my head and forcefully grabbed the bowl of bloody water, causing sto slosh out onto the stone floor.

“For years, you have always chosen her over me. You allow her to walk all over me, to bossaround for

banquets, to treatlike a servant in the hthat | should be in charge of. | am your Luna, Alexander. But not

to her. To her, and maybe even to you, I'm just the placeholder.”

By the t| finished my speech, | was breathless. Alexander stared at me, and for a long moment, he didn’t

move or speak.

Then, slowly, he pushed himself to his feet and walked over to me. His scent wrapped around me-bourbon and

woodfire smoke. Sweat, earth, and blood.

| gritted my teeth as I looked up at him, preparing myself for another insult. Perhaps he would tell| was being

foolish. Perhaps he would even tellthat | was right-that Sophia was the real Luna in his eyes.

But | was surprised to see that his face had softened somewhat, and those green eyes flicked down to my

cheeks.

And it was then that | realized my face was wet from tears.

Share to your friends