Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 270

Abby

Karl’s arm loops around my waist, and he draws me closer, his touch sending a pleasant shiver down my spine.

“Stay by my side tonight,” he says. “That’s all I ask; don’t leave me.”

My heart skips a beat, and a rosy blush tints my cheeks. After our romp in the snow, I can’t say no right now. My wolf probably wouldn’t let me, anyway. “I will,” I say quietly. “Just for tonight.”

Karl smiles softly and then begins leading me through the throng of people. The air in here feels thicker now after being out in the cold woods, but it isn’t an entirely unwelcome change.

The memory of our exhilarating romp in the woods still lingers in my thoughts, leaving me with a heady mix of emotions. I can still feel his body tangled with mine, can still feel the sensation of his lips, cold from the winter air, against my skin. Out there, it was like a different world.

Out there, our breaths mixed in the air above us, our soft moans filling the silent woods.

“Karl,” I had murmured as his thick cock had worked its way into me, filling me to the brim. I can still hear the sounds of his soft grunts above me. I can still feel his hands on my throat, his fingers brushing my snow swept hair out of the way so he could kiss me as he moved on top of me.

And once again, I’m reminded of how things were before, back when things were good. Back when our passion for each other was unparalleled and when we couldn’t keep our hands off of each other.

I know that, if we get back together, it will be like that once again.

I steal a glance at Karl as we navigate the lively masquerade party, wondering what it would be like if I allowed myself to fully embrace this connection between us. Could I picture myself living in this grand house, indulging in the comforts of his love and support?

The notion of him funding a new restaurant for me here teases my imagination as well, whispering promises of a shared future. Part of me almost wants to accept. It could be a new beginning—the second new beginning I’ve experienced, rather.

And yet, guilt tugs at the edges of my conscience.

My restaurant in the city, despite the recent food poisoning scandal, has been flourishing. I hold firm to my belief that the true culprit will be exposed, and my business will reclaim its former glory.

I can’t abandon my loyal patrons and dedicated employees who rely on me, especially not during their time of need.

No, I can’t come back here. There’s no more room for ‘new beginnings’; and beside, this wouldn’t be a new beginning. It would be going back to the way things were before, back to the old version of Abby.

And I don’t have the time for the old version of Abby. She’s gone now, a ghost. And if this can’t work with the new version of both of us, then I’m not sure if I want to give it a chance at all, despite how glorious it felt to be with Karl in the snow.

Karl, observant as ever, almost seems to somehow detect my distant thoughts. He’s always been too intuitive for his own good; or maybe I just have a face that can’t hide any emotion, no matter how hard I try.

“Drink?” he asks, nodding his head toward the bar. “I’m thirsty.”

I nod, feeling grateful. “A drink would be nice right about now,” I say, lifting my gaze to meet his. “Champagne?”

Karl chuckles. “Champagne it is.”

We make our way to the bar, where Karl orders us two glasses of champagne. I can’t deny my thirst after earlier, and I take the flute from his hands with a smile. Our glasses clink together and we share a knowing, mischievous look before we both take a sip. The bubbles tickle my nose, and it’s just the right amount of dry and sweet.

But as we’re sipping quietly, a sudden growl rumbles from my stomach. My eyes widen, and I place my hand over my belly, shooting Karl an apologetic look.

“Hungry?” Karl asks with a laugh.

I can’t help but blush a bit. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” I admit quietly. “And after earlier…”

“Say no more.” Karl grins and takes my hand, leading me away. I sip my champagne some more as I follow him, just grateful for the feeling of the alcohol and the way it makes my mind fuzzy around the edges, causing my racing thoughts to start to go quiet for once.

Finally, after weaving through the thick crowd, we make our way to the hors d’oeuvres table. It seems as though the food has been popular tonight, because many of the plates are beginning to go empty.

Thankfully, Karl and I carefully prepared two rounds of everything earlier, which means that there will be enough food to last the whole night; but I’m just glad to see everyone enjoying my food after the Alpha party debacle.

“Enjoy the fruits of your labor,” Karl says, handing me a plate. “You were the one who made all of this delicious food happen.”

“Yeah,” I say, already loading my plate with food, “and you helped.”

Karl shrugs. “I was there for… moral support,” he says.

“No, Karl,” I say with a laugh. “You were a huge help. A real sous chef.”

Karl opens his mouth to say something, but before he can, his eyes widen slightly. “Act natural,” he says quietly. And before I can ask what the hell he’s talking about, I hear it.

“Hello, Karl. Abby.”

It’s Ethan. I turn around to see Ethan and Gianna standing there, both dressed with their masks covering their faces. My eyes flit over to Karl, who’s the perfect picture of poise.

“Ethan, Gianna,” he says. “I hope you’re enjoying the party.”

Ethan nods. “I know I didn’t receive an invitation, but everyone has been talking about this party,” he says. “We had to see what it was all about.”

As Ethan speaks, Gianna is silent, but her eyes speak volumes behind her mask. Her gaze flickers down to the hem of my dress, which is still slightly damp from rolling around in the woods with Karl. She gives me a smirk, as if she knows what I’ve been up to tonight. And I can feel her judging me.

For a moment, I almost expect Karl to tell his brother and Gianna to leave. But to my astonishment, Karl handles the situation with remarkable grace and composure. His welcoming words, devoid of resentment or hostility, take me by surprise.

“No need for an invitation,” he assures them, a warm smile on his lips. “This is a gathering for the entire pack. Please, enjoy the party. And the food.”

“Who prepared the food?” Gianna asks, eyeing the plate of hors d’oeuvres in my hand.

“Abby, of course,” Karl proudly announces.

As Karl speaks, Gianna’s face drains of color. There’s a long silence between us; then, she hurriedly ushers Ethan away without another word.

“What was that about?” I whisper, turning to face Karl. “They just ran off.”

Karl’s smile has faded now that they’re gone, but he shakes his head. “Ignore them,” he murmurs. “They’re not worth it.”

I nod, even though my instincts are burning. Together, Karl and I finish preparing our plates and turn to rejoin the party.

But as we’re crossing the room in search of a table, something happens.

A stranger in the crowd, someone who I cannot see and who is already gone by the time it happens, bumps against me. I stumble in my high heels, and my plate and my champagne flute go flying from my hands, shattering on the floor and causing nearby partygoers to fall silent, turning to see what happened.

But my plate and my glass aren’t the only things that have fallen; my mask has jostled off, too, and now lays on the floor, amongst the wreckage.

And everyone is staring at me, murmuring my name.