The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 1

Ella POV

“Luna, you...only have one year to live.” The doctor slowly took her glasses off and stared at the floor. “Your wolf

has entered a dormant state.”

| couldn’t believe Dr. Evelyn's words.

“My wolf... is dormant?” | breathed. “Surely there must be a mistake—"

“I'm sorry, Luna, but we double-checked the test results. This disease can be caused by long-term stress and...”

She paused, givingan uncertain look. “... Lack of intimacy with one’s found but unmarked fated mate.”

| swallowed hard. Stress and a lack of intimacy with my mate...

That did sound like my life.

“Based on the few rare cases | could find, | am supposed to suggest you to mark your fated mate or reject each

other completely. But you are my Luna, and your fated mate is our Alpha...” Dr. Evelyn sounded uncertain.

“I'm not even marked yet,” | whispered, trying not to confuse this kind young woman anymore than I already

had.

Dr. Evelyn looked up atin surprise. “You and Alpha Alexander aren't marked? But you're married.”

| bit my lip, my face flushing hot with embarrassment. It was true; | was married to my fated mate, Alpha

Alexander Solace of Ashclaw pack. We had been man and wife for five years, and should have been marked by

now.

But we weren't.

From the moment | recognized him as my fated mate on the annual Alpha ball, | was captivated by him-his

handsyet stubborn jaw, the shock of red hair atop his head, his sage green eyes. He was a remarkable

leader, too, intelligent and headstrong and everything an Alpha should be.

However, on our mating day, Alexander had handeda contract and toldto sign it.

“Our relationship will be purely contractual,” he had said. “For my Alpha reputation, | can’t reject my fated mate.

But | won't mark you, and there will be no intimacy. End of story.”

| did think about taking all the bland rejecting Alexander after finding out that he was just a jerk, but my

father, Alpha Richard Eden of Stormhollow pack, had insisted that | accept in order to gain Ashclaw’s support.

My father had said he was too old to continue managing Stormhollow, and my younger half- brother, Brian, was

too young and naive to handle it on his own. We desperately needed Ashclaw’s

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help.

After all, Alexander was a formidable Alpha; he had taken over Ashclaw at a young age following his parents’

untimely death. Ashclaw didn’t just survive under a teenager's rule-it thrived.

And besides, my father had raisedto be the perfect Luna-the gentle and obedient woman who would stand

alongside an Alpha. It was what | was meant to do, and so, when my father pleaded withto put my feelings

aside and marry Alexander, | had obeyed. As always.

Like a good little girl, I married him. | signed the contract.

| bechis Luna in title and responsibility, but behind closed doors, we were nothing to each other. | moved

into the west wing of his mansion, all the way on the opposite side of the house from his quarters.

And intimacy? That was entirely out of the question. Even when | initially tried to garner his affection by

preparing meals, setting up dates, even just trying to bump into him in the hallway, he didn’t reciprocate.

Eventually, | gave up. | remained obedient and quiet and hardworking and bottled it all up, even if it broke my

heart to think that my husband would never love me.

Somehow, | had a feeling that even if | told Alexander about my death sentence now, he still wouldn't love me.

“One year, Luna,” Dr. Evelyn said gently as | gathered my things. “If you want to live, you must make a decision:

mark Alpha Alexander or... reject him.”

Lilith, my Gamma maid, was waiting forin the lobby. She wore a simple gray cardigan and a skirt today, her

silver hair pulled back into its usual neat bun. She rose quickly from her seat when she sawcoming.

“Well? How did it go?”

| took her hand and pulled her out of the hospital, into the cool spring air. The breeze cooled my flushed cheeks,

and the scent of blooming flowers soothedsomewhat. | always loved spring the most, and the thought of

never experiencing another one again was almost too much to bear.

“I'm dying,” | said simply.

Lilith stopped short. “You... what?” The words cout choked, and when | looked at her, there were already

tears welling up in her weathered hazel eyes.

The sight of her made tears well up in my own, too. Lilith was old enough to be my mother, but she felt more like

a sister to me. The thought of leaving her felt even worse than the thought of never seeing spring again.

| took her hand and squeezed it.

“My wolf is dormant after all,” | said calmly, evenly, as if we were discussing the weather-partially

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because | feared that if anyone else sawcrying or trembling, they might talk, claim that the lovelorn Luna of

Ashclaw was finally crumbling. “I have a year to live.”

Lilith sniffled. “I told you to go to the doctor sooner, you silly girl. You should have gone a long tago, the very

moment you started noticing your wolf fading. They could have caught it, treated it before-”

“There is a way to fix this.” | pulled my shoulders back and leveled my friend with an even stare. “Alexander

needs to markor reject me-one or the other. If he chooses one of those options, then I will live.”

Relief washed over the Gamma'’s features, but it was short-lived. “Which do you think he would choose?” she

whispered, low enough so only | could hear. “Do you think you can handle it if he breaks up with you?”

| hated to admit it, but the very thought of our marriage ending made my heart stutter painfully in my chest. We

didn’t have a relationship, not in the ways that mattered, but... a small part ofwanted him to markand

not reject me.

Finally, | managed, “We'll have to find out.”

“So you're going to make him choose,” she said.

| nodded. Lilith’s eyes widened as | turned abruptly and made my way to the car.

Her shock wasn’t misplaced, however; | had always pushed down my own wants and needs for the sake of being

a competent Luna for the pack and Alexander, and it wasn’t liketo suddenly advocate for myself.

But what else could | do? | had to save myself. | could no longer be Ella, the selfless Luna who would push

through heartbreak and loneliness and sickness without a complaint.

For once, | had to stand up for myself.

It was either that... or lose my life at just twenty-two years old.

When we returned to the mansion, | was unsurprised to find that Alexander was holed up in his study. He always

was-rather than wandering the vast halls of the ancient manor or enjoying the many sunrooms and sitting rooms

the space had to offer, he was always locked up in that stuffy office, poring over paperwork.

| strode up to the large wooden double doors, hearing Alexander's deep voice rumbling from within. His Beta,

Gabriel, was standing sentry outside-and stepped in my way just as | reached for the handle.

“You don’t have an appointment,” Gabriel grunted.

“I need to speak to my husband.”

“Well, then you should have made an appointment sooner. The Alpha is indisposed at the moment

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-he’s in the middle of a meeting. One that you are not invited to.”

| bristled at the Beta’s insubordination. Gabriel had always looked down on me, had always disrespected me. And

I had let him.

But no more. When you only have a year left to live, you suddenly don’t have tanymore to maintain the

image of a gentle wolfling who rolls over at the slightest provocation. Especially not with subordinates.

“Move,” | commanded.

Gabriel stiffened, his brown eyes taking on that ethereal golden glow that | had only seen before when Alexander

used his Alpha voice.

| had never used my Luna voice before. But | had to admit... It felt good to finally use it now.

Gabriel's jaw clenched, and | knew he didn’t want to move. But he had no choice. His muscles moved of their

own accord, neck tilting slightly as if to bare his throat to me. I lifted my chin and waited, willing my face into a

mask of authoritative calm.

Finally, he stepped aside. “As you wish, Luna.”

| gritted my teeth and flung the door open, storming inside.

Chapter

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