The days blurred together after Alexander returned from his trip. I spent most of my time in bed, sleeping fitfully or staring out the window at the garden below. The bandage on my head had been reced with a smaller one, but the headaches were still pretty persistent.
Alexander barely spoke to me anymore. He woulde to bedte, long after I’d pretended to fall asleep, and he would leave early in the morning before I woke up. When we did cross paths, we would just exchange angry res and then go our separate ways.
It was better this way. Easier.
33
I didn’t have to pretend anymore that there might be something between us. Didn’t have to wonder if those moments in the hospital or the way he’d looked at me for those brief seconds meant anything.
Gabriel had made it crystal clear what Alexander really thought of me: weak, maniptive, pathetic. He
didn’t care if I died. He only cared about himself.
I hated him.
The cherry blossom bracelet was still somewhere behind the dresser where I’d thrown it. I could have asked
Sarah to retrieve it, but I didn’t want to see it again. Didn’t want another reminder of how stupid I’d been to
think Alexander might actually care.
On the fourth day, there was a soft knock on the bedroom door. I expected it to be Lilith with soup or Sarah
with her fake sweetness, but instead, Liam poked his head around the door.
“Hey,” he said gently. “Mind if Ie in?”
“Of course.” I struggled to sit up straighter, smoothing down my hair. I probably looked like hell.
Liam entered and closed the door behind him, then pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down. His
face was serious.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” I said automatically.
“E.” He gave me that knowing look that he’d always been too damn good at. “How are you really feeling?”
I sighed and let my shoulders sag. “Like shit. But what else is new?”
“I talked to Alexander.”
My stomach clenched. “About what?”
11:32 Sat, 23 Aug –
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“About your condition. About what you’ve been going through.” Liam leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “E, why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“Because I didn’t want anyone’s pity.”
“It’s not pity. It’s concern. From people who care about you.” Liam’s voice was gentle but there was an edge of frustration there. “You’ve been suffering alone for months. You could have died, and none of us would have known why.”
I looked away, focusing on the pattern of the wallpaper like I hadn’t already counted every line over the past
days. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. I’m not angry with you. I’m just… I wish you’d trusted me enough to tell me.”
“I know. I should have.<i>” </i>The words felt hollow in my mouth. What was the point of rehashing it now? “But it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Of course it matters. E, you need to hang in there. Alexander knows the truth now, and I think he really
wants to help. He might mark you soon, and then all your problems will be solved.”
I let out a bitterugh. “That’s not happening.”
Liam blinked. “What do you mean?”
“I mean Alexander made it very clear that he thinks I’m a maniptive liar. He’s not going to mark me.” I
picked at a loose thread on the nket. “He told Gabriel I was weak and pathetic and that he would never
mark someone like me.”
“That doesn’t sound right.” Liam frowned. “When I told him about your condition, he seemed really
concerned. Upset, even. Like he cared about what happened to you.”
The thought made my heart flutter, but I squashed that feeling so fast it almost physically hurt. “He was probably just acting,” I blurted out.
“Acting? Why would he-”
“Because you’re still evaluating him for the election.” I finally met Liam’s eyes. “He can’t look like a heartless
bastard who would let his mate die, not when there’s an Alpha Council member watching his every move.
So he ys the concerned husband, says all the right things about wanting to help when he really has no
intention of doing that.”
Liam’s frown deepened. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, the bedroom door swung open without so much as a knock. Sarah breezed in carrying fresh linens.
“Oh,” she said. “I didn’t realize the Luna hadpany.” She set the linens down on the end of my bed and
looked like she had no intention of being the one to leave.
11:32 Sat, 23 Aug 1
“I should get going,” Liam said, standing. He squeezed my hand gently. “We’ll talk moreter, okay?”
I nodded, although I doubted there was much left to say. Liam was a good friend, but he didn’t understand.
He never would.
After Liam left, Sarah hastily moved to fluff my pillows before I could even sit up. The movement jostled my head, making me wince as pain shot through my skull where I’d mmed it on the tiles the other night.
“Careful,” I muttered.
“Sorry.” Sarah giggled. “You just look so fragile lying there. Like <i>you </i>might break if I breathe on you wrong.”
I bit back my first response, which would have involved several colorful words about where she could shove her observations. Instead, I just said tly, “I’m recovering from a head injury.”
“Of course you are.<i>” </i>Sarah moved around the bed and began unceremoniously ripping the linens off even though I was stillying there. “Must be nice, having everyone wait on you hand and foot. I wish I didn’t have to work for a living!”
“Sarah,” I said slowly, warningly, “I don’t appreciate your tone.”
She paused in her bustling, looking at me with those bright blue eyes. “I’m sorry, Luna. I didn’t mean any
disrespect.”
But there was disrespect in every line of her body, every fake smile, every word that came out of her mouth. She’d been doing this for days now–ensuring she was just polite enough that I couldn’t formallyin, but rude enough <i>to </i>make her distaste for me obvious.
I was certain that Alexander and Gabriel had put her up to this.
“Just… please be more careful,” I said, <i>too </i>tired to make a bigger deal out of it.
Sarah nodded and moved to my vanity, where she began rearranging the bottles and jewelry boxes. I watched her nervously as she handled my things, some of which were delicate or had sentimental value.
“Actually,” I said, “you don’t need to clean that area. I can take care of it myself when I’m feeling better.”
“Oh, but it’s such a mess,<i>” </i>Sarah said. “Really, Luna, when was thest time you organized any of this? It’s like a tornado went through here.”
“It’s fine the way it is.”
“No, no, I insist.” Sarah picked up a crystal perfume bottle that had belonged to my grandmother, sniffed it, then wrinkled her nose at the scent. “A Luna should have higher standards. What would people think if they saw your vanity looking like this? That you’re a slob?”
My temper red. “Put that down. I told you to leave it alone.”
11:32 Sat, 23 Aug
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“About your condition. About what you’ve been going through.” Liam leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “E, why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“Because I didn’t want anyone’s pity.”
“It’s not pity. It’s concern. From people who care about you.” Liam’s voice was gentle but there was an edge of frustration there. “You’ve been suffering alone for months. You could have died, and none of us would have known why.”
Hooked away, focusing on the pattern of the wallpaper like I hadn’t already counted every line over the past
days. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. I’m not angry with you. I’m just… I wish you’d trusted me enough to tell me.”
“I know. I should have.” The words felt hollow in my mouth. What was the point of rehashing it now? “But it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Of course it matters. E, you need to hang in there. Alexander knows the truth now, and I think he really wants to help. He might mark you soon, and then all your problems will be solved.”
I let out a bitterugh. “That’s not happening.”
Liam blinked. “What do you mean?”
“I mean Alexander made it very clear that he thinks I’m a maniptive liar. He’s not going to mark me.” I picked at a loose thread on the nket. “He told Gabriel I was weak and pathetic and that he would never
mark someone like me.”
“That doesn’t sound right.” Liam frowned. “When I told him about your condition, he seemed really concerned. Upset, even. Like he cared about what happened to you.”
The thought made my heart flutter, but I squashed that feeling so fast it almost physically hurt. “He was probably just acting,” I blurted out.
“Acting? Why would he-”
“Because you’re still evaluating him for the election.” I finally met Liam’s eyes. “He can’t look like a heartless bastard who would let his mate die, not when there’s an Alpha Council member watching his every move. So he ys the concerned husband, says all the right things about wanting to help when he really has no
intention of doing that.”
Liam’s frown deepened. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, the bedroom door swung open without so much as a knock. Sarah breezed in carrying fresh linens.
“Oh,” she said. “I didn’t realize the Luna hadpany.” She set the linens down on the end of my bed and looked like she had no intention of being the one to leave.
Sat 28 Auy
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“I should get going,” Liam said, standing. He squeezed my hand gently. “We’ll talk moreter, okay?”
I nodded, although I doubted there was much left to say. Liam was a good friend, but he didn’t understand.
He never would.
After Liam left, Sarah hastily moved to fluff my pillows before I could even sit up. The movement jostled my head, making me wince as pain shot through my skull where I’d mmed it on the tiles the other night.
“Careful,” I muttered.
“Sorry.” Sarah giggled. “You just look so fragile lying there. Like you might break if I breathe on you wrong.”
I bit back my first response, which would have involved several colorful words about where she could shove
her observations. Instead, I just said tly, “I’m recovering from a head injury.”
“Of course you are.” Sarah moved around the bed and began unceremoniously ripping the linens off even
though I was stillying there. “Must be nice, having everyone wait on you hand and foot. I wish I didn’t have to work for a living!”
“Sarah,” I said slowly, warningly, “I don’t appreciate your tone.”
She paused in her bustling, looking at me with those bright blue eyes. “I’m sorry, Luna. I didn’t mean any
disrespect.”
But there was disrespect in every line of her body, every fake smile, every word that came out of her mouth. She’d been doing this for days now–ensuring she was just polite enough that I couldn’t formallyin, but rude enough <i>to </i>make her distaste for me obvious.
I was certain that Alexander and Gabriel had put her up to this.
“Just… please be more careful,” I said, <i>too </i>tired to make a bigger deal out of it.
Sarah nodded and moved to my vanity, where she began rearranging the bottles and jewelry boxes. I watched her nervously as she handled my things, some of which were delicate or had sentimental value.
“Actually,<i>” </i>I said, “you don’t need to clean that area. I can take care of it myself when I’m feeling better.”
“Oh, but it’s such a mess,<i>” </i>Sarah said. “Really, Luna, when was thest time you organized any of this? It’s
like a tornado went through here.”
“It’s fine the way it is.”
“No<i>, </i><i>no</i>, I insist.<i>” </i>Sarah picked up a crystal perfume bottle that had belonged to my grandmother, sniffed it, then wrinkled her nose at the scent. “A Luna should have higher standards. What would people think if they saw your vanity looking like this? That you’re a slob?”
My temper red. “Put that down. I told you to leave it alone.”
11:33 Sat, 23 Aug 11 D
“I’m just trying to help-”
“I said put it down.”
63%
Sighing, Sarah set the perfume bottle down with a sharp click, hard enough that I was surprised the ss didn’t crack. Then she reached for the music box sitting in the corner of the vanity.
“Don’t touch that,” I said sharply, sitting bolt upright despite the pain in my head.
But Sarah had already picked it up, holding it by its delicate base instead of supporting it properly. It was small and old, made of carved wood with intricate flowers painted on the lid.
It was my mother’s. It yed a luby when you opened it, and I liked to imagine my mother humming it to me when I was a baby, although I was so young when she died that I couldn’t remember. I didn’t even know the sound of her voice or if she liked to sing.
“This old thing?” Sarah said, turning it over in her hands. “It’s so dusty. When was thest time you-”
The music box slipped from her fingers.
I watched in horror as it fell, seeming to move in slow motion as it tumbled toward the hardwood floor. The delicate wooden corners hit first, and I heard the sickening crack of wood splintering. The lid popped open on impact, and the tiny ballerina inside broke off from her post, spinning uselessly as the music box came to
rest in three separate pieces.
The melody it had yed for fifteen years was silenced forever.
田