<b>Chapter </b><b>36 </b>
E
1 froze on the staircase, my fingers curling tightly around the banister. “What do you mean
Alexander won’t be attending?<b>” </b>
Gabriel’s sneer deepened. “Sophia called. She needed him for something urgent.” He shrugged as if it were obvious. “So he decided not to go tonight”
A knife twisted in my chest. I should have known that even after everything, Alexander would drop it all the moment Sophia called to him, but it still hurt.
“I see,” I said evenly, descending the remaining steps. “I take it he couldn’t be bothered to tell me himself, so he sent his minion?<i>” </i>
“He’s busy.” Gabriel’s eyes flicked over my dress again. “Well, at least you won’t need <i>to </i>wear that dress now since you’re canceling”
“Who said I was canceling?”
Gabriel blinked. “You can’t possibly be nning to go alone.”
“And why not?” I grabbed my clutch from the entryway table. “My name was on the invitation too, you know. Not just Alexander’s.”
“It wouldn’t look right for the Luna to attend without her Alpha. Think of the impact it’ll have on his campaign.”
I almostughed at that. As if Alexander gave a damn how it would “look” for either of us when he abandoned me for Sophia. As if he ever considered my feelings in any of this. It was just about how he looked at all times.
In the past, perhaps I would have simply nodded and retreated back upstairs. No, not “perhaps“-simr situations had happened before, and I had chosen to stay home.
I would have changed out of my dress, washed off my makeup, and spent the night alone while Alexander was off doing Goddess–knows–what with Sophia or anyone else whosepany he preferred over mine.
I would have been the perfect, understanding Luna, sacrificing her own happiness for her Alpha’s.
But not tonight. Not anymore.
I was done letting Alexander dictate my life. I was done letting him make me miserable. I had put effort into getting ready for this party. I was looking forward to visiting my old home. And I wouldn’t let him ruin that for me.
“Lilith!” I called out, my voice echoing through the foyer. “Lilith, are you home?”
A momentter, Lilith appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishcloth. “Yes? What is it?”
“Would you like toe to that party with me tonight? The one at Stormhollow?”
Lilith’s eyes widened, darting between me and Gabriel like a deer caught in headlights. “Oh! I… well, I’m not dressed for-”
“I don’t mind waiting for you to get changed,” I assured her. “Please? I’d really appreciate thepany.”
Lilith hesitated for another moment, but then nodded. “Give me ten minutes to freshen up.”
She hurried upstairs, leaving me alone with Gabriel once more. His face had darkened with each passing second, and when I turned back to look at him noticed that his cheeks were trembling with rage.
“This is ridiculous,” he hissed once we were alone again. “You can’t go parading around another pack’s territory without your Alpha<b>, </b>especially not dressed like… that.”
My blood boiled. “Excuse me?”
<i>1/3 </i>
“You heard me. That dress is inappropriate enough with Alexander present. Without him, you’re just asking for trouble. <b>You </b>need a chaperone
I stepped closer to Gabriel, something dark and powerful surging through me. It was the same feeling I’d had at the theater, when I’d finally stood <b>up </b><b>to </b>him in front of everyone. And it felt good.
“Maybe you’ve forgotten yourself, Beta,” I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, “so let me rify: what I wear is none of your business. Where ! go is none of your business. And what I do with my time when my husband is too busy with his precious Sophia to fulfill his obligations is definitely none of your business.”
Gabriel’s nostrils red. “As Beta, it’s my duty to-”
“As Beta, it’s your duty to show respect to your Luna.” I straightened my spine. “But since you seem incapable of that, perhaps you need a reminder of exactly who I am.”
I hadn’t used my Luna Voice since that day outside Alexander’s office.
But in this moment, with rage burning through my veins like acid, I couldn’t hold back.
“Gabriel,” Imanded, “you will be silent until I give you permission to speak again.”
Gabriel’s mouth snapped shut, his eyes widening in shock. He tried to open it again, but no sound came out. Panic shed across his face as he realized what had happened.
“You will drive me to Stormhollow,” I continued firmly. “You will act as my silent chaperone for the evening, since apparently it’s so important to you. <b>And </b>as my chaperone, you will not cause any scenes, nor will you disrespect me in any way.”
Gabriel’s face contorted with fury, but he remained silent.
“Nod if you understand.”
After a moment of rigid resistance, Gabriel jerked his head stiffly.
“Good.” I turned away from him just as Lilith came hurrying back down the stairs, now dressed in a simple but elegant navy blue cocktail dress with her silver hair pulled back into a neat bun. She looked beautiful, as always.
“Ready,” she said, slightly out of breath. Then she noticed Gabriel’s thunderous expression. “Is everything alright?”
“Everything’s fine,” I assured her with a grin. “Gabriel has kindly offered to drive us to Stormhollow and act as our chaperone for the evening. Isn’t that right, Gabriel?”
Gabriel red at me but nodded again.
I beamed and turned back to Lilith, holding my arm out for her. “Shall we go, then?”
-The drive to Stormhollow was long and silent. Gabriel white–knuckled the steering wheel the entire way, his jaw clenched so tight I thought he might
crack a tooth. Lilith sat beside me in the backseat, asionally chatting about inconsequential things to fill the awkward silence, but she was silent and tense most of the time as well.
As we crossed into Stormhollow territory, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. Thendscape was achingly familiar–the rolling hills, <b>the </b>dense forests<b>, </b>the winding river that cut through the heart of the packnd. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed it until now.
“It’s beautiful here,” Lilith remarked almost wistfully. “I’d almost forgotten…”
I shot her a sidelong nce. “You’ve been to Stormhollow before?”
Lilith’s cheeks reddened, and she waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, you know. Just passing through here and there.”
“I see. Well, it is a beautiful territory,” I said softly. “I used to run through these woods as a child. It was my escape.”
TUUC, PA?J ESS
The memories almost made me tear up. Those were the days before everything went to shit. Before my father remarried Before my half brother w born. Before I was forced to marry a fated mate who didn’t want me.
Before my one year death sentence,
Lilith noticed my shift in mood. She didn’t say anything–just reached over and squeezed my hand. I held onto her fingers like a lifeline. We dayed the that, silent, until the car wound its way up the long, tree lined driveway that led to the Stormhollow mansion.
It looked exactly as I remembered. Sprawling and elegant, gray stone and dark wood, tall windows glowing golden from within. The gardens weerd in full bloom even at nighttime, a riot of color and fragrance that brought back memories of ying hide and seek among the rosebushes.
That was back before I realized that cherry blossoms smelled far sweeter than roses.
Gabriel parked the car, and immediately a small crowd of paparazzi who had been waiting by the driveway surged forward, cameras shing, hews of my return to Stormhollow after five years had clearly spread.
I wondered how many of them had been tipped off specifically to catch me arriving with Alexander. Well, they would be sorely disappointed Perhaps Alexander would regret his decision to run to Sophia in the morning when the tabloids showed pictures of me arriving by myself.
Gabriel opened the car door for us. We stepped out into the shing lights, Lilith and I arm in arm, Gabriel trailing sullenly behind.
The photographers immediately caught onto the fact that Alexander wasn’t with us, but I kept my head high and <i>my </i>expression neutral as we made our way to the entrance. I didn’t bother answering any of the questions as to where my husband was. I also didn’t try to quell the rumors.
Maybe it was time for him to face the consequences. It wasn’t my fault that he chose Sophia over me. I figured he could see how his actions impacted his campaign and maybe, just maybe, he would learn his lesson.
Finally, the massive oak doors swung open, revealing the grand foyer I’d known so well as a child. Crystal chandeliers. Wooden parquet floors that still creaked in all the ces I remembered. A sweeping staircase led to the upper floors where my old bedroom was located.
But the familiar space did little to soothe my frayed nerves as we entered the main ballroom. The moment we stepped through the archway, a hush fell over the crowd. Heads turned, conversations faltered, eyes widened.
I could practically hear their thoughts. The Alpha’s daughter, returned atst. But where was her mate? Why had shee alone? And dear Goddess, what was she wearing?
Across the room, I spotted my father in deep conversation with some officials from the pack. When someone whispered in his ear and gestured in my direction, his head snapped up.
Our eyes met across the crowded ballroom. His expression immediately turned icy, and he made a beeline for me.
“E,” he said stiffly when he reached us, barely acknowledging Lilith and Gabriel with a nod. He grabbed my arm and roughly pulled me closer. “Where is Alexander?”
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<b>08:38 </b><b>Tue</b><b>, </b><b>19 </b><b>Aug </b>
The memories almost made me tear up. Those were the days before everything went to shit. Before my father remarried. Before <b>my </b><b>hall </b><b>brother </b>was born. Before I was forced to marry a fated mate who didn’t want me.
Before my one–year death sentence.
Lilith noticed my shift in mood. She didn’t say anything–just reached over and squeezed my hand. I held onto her fingers like a lifeline. We stayed like that, silent, until the car wound its way up the long, tree–lined driveway that led to the Stormhollow mansion.
It looked exactly as I remembered. Sprawling and elegant, gray stone and dark wood, tall windows glowing golden from within. The gardens were in full bloom even at nighttime, a riot of color and fragrance that brought back memories of ying hide–and–seek among the rosebushes.
That was back before I realized that cherry blossoms smelled far sweeter than roses.
Gabriel parked the car, and immediately a small crowd of paparazzi who had been waiting by the driveway surged forward, cameras shing. News of my return to Stormhollow after five years had clearly spread.
I wondered how many of them had been tipped off specifically to catch me arriving with Alexander. Well, they would be sorely disappointed. Perhaps Alexander would regret his decision to run to Sophia in the morning when the tabloids showed pictures of me arriving by myself.
Gabriel opened the car door for us. We stepped out into the shing lights, Lilith and I arm in arm,
Gabriel trailing sullenly behind.
The photographers immediately caught onto the fact that Alexander wasn’t with us, but I <i>kept </i>my head high and <i>my </i>expression neutral as we made our way to the entrance. I didn’t bother answering any of the questions as to where my husband was. I also didn’t try to quell the rumors.
Maybe it was time for him to face the consequences. It wasn’t my fault that he chose Sophia over me. I figured he could see how his actions impacted his campaign and maybe, just maybe, <i>he </i>would learn his lesson.
Finally, the massive oak doors swung open, revealing the grand foyer I’d known so well as a child. Crystal chandeliers. Wooden parquet floors that still creaked in all the ces I remembered. A sweeping staircase led to the upper floors where my old bedroom was located.
But the familiar space did little to soothe my frayed nerves as we entered the main ballroom. The moment we stepped through the archway, <b>a </b>hush fell over the crowd. Heads turned, conversations faltered, eyes widened.
I could practically hear their thoughts. The Alpha’s daughter, returned atst. But where was her mate? Why had shee alone? And dear Goddess, what was she wearing?
Across the room, I spotted my father in deep conversation with some officials from the pack. When someone whispered in his ear and gestured in my <i>direction</i><i>, </i>his head snapped <i>up</i>.
Our eyes met across the crowded ballroom. His expression immediately turned icy, and he made a beeline for me.
“E,” he said stiffly when he reached <i>us</i>, barely acknowledging Lilith and Gabriel with a nod. He grabbed my arm and roughly pulled me closer. <b>“</b>Where <i>is </i>Alexander?”
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