E
“What?” I sniffled, wiping at my nose with the back of my hand much to the chagrin of the nearby stylist, who looked like she was about to have a conniption as she rushed over to dab fresh powder on it.
“The camp I was sent to had… methods. Harsh methods, but effective.” Something dark flickered across Liam’s face, and for a moment, <b>I </b><b>saw </b>a hint of a man who had suffered deeply at the hands of others. “But I did learn a few tricks for speaking under pressure.”
He looked around the room, his gazending on Lilith, who was arranging flowers in a vase nearby.
“Lilith!” he called. “Can you help us for a moment?”
Lilith set down her flowers and hurried over. “What is it, dear?”
“I need your help preparing E for the press conference,” Liam exined. “We’re going to simte the chaos she’ll experience out there
Lilith looked confused but nodded anyway. “Alright. What do you need me to do?”
“I want you to be as distracting as possible,” Liam said. “Talk over me, walk around E, touch her shoulder, do whatever you can to throw her off Meanwhile, I’ll be hammering her with questions simr to what the journalists might ask.”
Lilith’s eyes widened slightly, but she nodded again. “I see. Alright, I can do that.”
I swallowed hard. “Liam, I don’t think-”
“Trust me,” he said firmly. “This is how they trained me. When I first arrived at camp, I could barely speak to anyone without having a panic attack<b>–</b>you know what I was like. The counselors weren’t gentle with me, and I’ll of course be kinder to you. But some of their methods did help. Obviously.”
Liam was right; when I hadst seen him, he was a meek and socially anxious young boy who could hardly string twe words together with anyone except me. He was far different now; charming, outgoing, well–spoken.
The type of Alpha everyone expected him to be, even if his experiences had added ayer of darkness in between the facade and the boy inside.
I sighed. “Okay. I don’t think we have enough time to make a difference at this point, but I’ll give it a try.”
“Luna E,” Liam began, “can you tell us why you and Alpha Alexander kept your contract a secret from the public?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but then Lilith started humming loudly, circling around me and asionally poking my shoulder or arm. The sudden sensory overload made my mind go nk.
“I… um…” My throat closed up. “We didn’t intend to-”
“Is it true that your father received monthly payments as part of this arrangement?” Liam interrupted.
Lilith bumped into me from behind, causing me to stumble forward. “Sorry, dear!” she said, momentarily breaking her character.
“Answer my question, Luna E.”
“Yes, but-”
“And now you’re both suddenly acting as if you love one another?” Liam cut me off. “What changed?”
I felt my face growing hot. Lilith was now walking <b>in </b>circles around me, her humming growing louder, asionally brushing against my arms <b>or </b>tugging
at my clothing. At one point, she even flicked the back of my head. I couldn’t decide if I wanted tough or cry. The whole situation felt ridiculous.
“Nothing changed, we just-” I stopped, shaking my head. “No, that’s not right. We–”
<b>1/4 </b>
Lilith suddenly pped <b>her </b>hands right by my ear and made me jump.
“Goddess damn it<b>!</b><b>” </b><b>I </b>snapped. “How am I supposed to focus with all of this
“That’s the point,” Liam said. “The press conference will be chaotic–cameras shing, people shouting questions over each other, inlcropéene i shoved in your face. You need to stay focused through all of it.”
“I can’t do this. I can’t.”
<b>“</b>Try again,” Liam insisted. “Deep breaths. Focus on the question, not the distractions.”
We started over. Lilith resumed her harassment, and Liam fired off more questions. But the more we practiced, the worse I felt. Each question seemed to trip me up more, and Lilith’s distractions were driving me to the brink of screaming.
“Luna E, is it true that you and Alpha Alexander are not in love?”
Lilith poked me in the ribs..
“1–we–that’s not-”
“Is there any truth to the rumors that your marriage is a sham and that you never intend to have children?”
I felt tears welling up in my eyes. This was impossible. I was going to make aplete fool <i>of </i>myself in front of the press. I was going to ruin whatever chance Alexander had of bing Alpha King, and then he’d hate me even more, and-
A faint cough made me suddenly realize that <i>the </i>room had gone quiet. Looking up, I saw that a small crowd had gathered around us.
Humiliation burned through me. I couldn’t even handle my own household staff scrutinizing me, let alone hundreds of people.
“Enough.”
Alexander’s deep voice cut through the room. The crowd parted as he stepped forward.
“This isn’t helping,” he said. A sh of irritation crossed his face as he nced at Liam. “You’re just making her more anxious.”
Liam stiffened. “I’m trying to prepare her for-”
“I know what you’re trying to do<i>,</i><i>” </i>Alexander cut him off. “But that’s not what E needs. I know what she needs.”
I blinked. “What do you-”
Before I could finish, Alexander moved beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side. The sudden contact made my breath catch in my throat. He was warm and solid, smelling like that scent I knew so well, and despite everything, my body instantly responded to his
touch.
My heart hammered in my chest, and I couldn’t help but lean into him a little.
“Try again<i>,” </i>Alexander said to Liam, his arm tightening around me. “Ask her another question.”
Liam hesitated for a moment, his eyes flicking to the spot where Alexander’s arm was wrapped around me. Finally, he turned to me. “Luna E, why did you and Alpha Alexander decide to keep your contractual marriage a secret?”
I opened my mouth, expecting <i>to </i>stumble over my words again. But something strange happened. With Alexander’s arm around me, my mind suddenly went quiet. The chaos around me seemed to fade away, and I could focus on the question.
“Our arrangement was private,” I said steadily. “We never intended to deceive the public, but some matters are personal, even for public figures like <b>us</b><b>. </b>
“And the monthly payments to your father?”
<b>Chapter </b>22
<b>“</b><b>Are </b>part of arger arrangement between Ashw and Starmhollow, I answered <b>smoothly</b><b>: </b><b>“</b><b>Our </b><b>packt </b>have always bewn life, at the <b>support </b>was meant <b>to </b>strengthen that alliance.”
Alexander’s hand squeezed my shoulder gently. Was that a silent sign of approval? It was ironic–the man who had caused me so muste pain wi one helping me through this.
And all he had done was put his arm around me.
We continued like that for several more minutes, with Liam firing questions and me answering them Eventually, Gabriel cleared his <b>throat</b><b>. </b>
<b>“</b>It’s time. The press is ready.”
My stomach twisted nervously, but Alexander’s arm remained around me as we made our way toward the exit. Just before we stepped <b>through </b>the doors, he leaned down to whisper in my ear..
“Just like we practiced. I’ll be right beside you the whole time.”
His breath against my skin sent a shiver down my spine.
The moment we stepped onto the front steps, camera shes exploded in our faces. The frontwn was packed with journalists, all shouting questions over each other before we even reached the podium.
If I had been alone, I would have frozen on the spot. But Alexander kept his arm firmly around me, just as he promised. I looked out over the sea of faces and inhaled deeply. His scent washed over me, calming me.
Gabriel stepped up to the microphone first, introducing us and asking for order. Then it was Alexander’s turn.
“Thank you all foring,” he began. “I’m sure you’ve all seen the recent articles about my marriage to Luna E. I’d like to address those reports directly.”
He went on to exin that yes, our marriage had begun as an arrangement between packs; but the alliance had brought to both Ashw <b>and </b>Stormhollow<i>, </i>emphasizing that it wasn’t one–sided or inappropriate.
)
Of course, he left out the… personal details. Like not sleeping in the same room for years and never acting like man and wife behind closed doors.
When it was my turn to speak, I stepped up to the microphone, surprised by how calm I felt. Alexander’s hand remained firmly resting on my lower <b>back</b>.
“When I first married Alpha Alexander, it was out of duty to my pack,” I said. “But over time, it became deeper. We were strangers at first, but the years allowed us to get <i>to </i>know each other.”
The lie tasted strange on my tongue, but I continued anyway.
“We are fated mates<i>. </i><i>And </i>while our rtionship may have had an unconventional beginning, we have grown fonder and closer over time.”
“So the contract was real<b>, </b>but you’ve since fallen in love?” one reporter asked.
“Yes,” Alexander replied without hesitation. “Sometimes fate works in mysterious ways.”
I tried not to look surprised at that. Love. It was certainly not a <i>concept </i>that had ever been a part of our marriage, and I knew it was just a lie, but the way he said it felt all too real.
The lie was so convincing that for a moment, I almost believed it myself. I could almost imagine a world where Alexander and I had truly fallen in love, where our fated mate bond had ovee the barriers between us.
But it was just a fantasy. In nine months, we would go our separate ways. That was the n. That was what I wanted. It was <b>the </b>only way I <b>would </b>survive this, because there was no way he was ever actually going to love me.
Just then, Gabriel pointed to a woman in the front row who had her hand raised.
The journalist wood, <b>her </b>pen fraised <b>over </b>her noterad to write you re o in le she asked <b>any </b>havent pay that de hoy s
<b>AD </b>