His Abandoned Luna Chapter 127

|| Lilac’s POV ||

I took a deep breath as I closed the door to my room, leaning against it for support. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each one more overwhelming than the last. I had been given a second chance—a rebirth with a purpose. In my past life, I had never met Elias. Even if I had, I wouldn’t have remembered. My eyes had always been on Kael, and my heart had always broken every time he chose Coco over me. But that was in the past. Now, I wasn’t a competitor for Coco anymore. Or was I? Would she still scheme against me, even though she already had Kael? The thought made my stomach churn.

My mind drifted to the visions from the Goddess. In our first meeting, she had asked me to find my mate and rise to the throne. But how could I rise to the throne if my soulmate was a warrior? Why would the Goddess envision him as the Alpha King? What good would it do? So many capable alphas were there. The questions swirled in my mind, each one more confusing than the last.

Then there was the second vision—the one where she asked me to help the Nightshades. What could I do to help them? They were alphas of alphas, one of the strongest and wealthiest packs in existence. What did she mean by restoring their honor? They were already respected. And how could I restore something I didn’t even know existed?

On top of all that, how could finding a mate help the situation? I had no relationship with the Nightshades. Could it be possible that Elias knew something? My heart skipped a beat at the thought. Maybe he did. That would make sense.

“Sweetpea, are you ready?” My mother’s voice broke through my thoughts, her gentle knock on the door pulling me back to the present.

I jumped, startled. I hadn’t even heard her coming.

“Yeah, almost,” I said, quickly grabbing the first dress I found in my closet. It was a floral dress, one I hadn’t worn in years. I slipped it on, the soft fabric brushing against my skin.

“I’m coming in,” Mom said, opening the door. Her eyes scanned my outfit, and a warm smile spread across her face. “You look pretty in this. You look like you.”

I glanced at the mirror, my reflection staring back at me. The dress had several layers starting from the waist, stopping just above my knees. It was the kind of dress that could be worn off-the-shoulder, but I preferred to keep my shoulders covered. I remembered why I had stopped wearing this type of dress after marrying Kael. I had to maintain a certain image—elegant, poised, always perfect. But things were different now.

“Let me do your hair,” Mom said, guiding me to sit on a stool. I closed my eyes, savoring the moment as she brushed my hair. Every stroke of the brush seemed to take away a bit of my discomfort. I had missed this—spending time with my mom, living life freely. Since my rebirth, I had been so focused on saving my family and myself that I hadn’t realized how my secrets had drawn me further away from them.

Mom finished with a French braid, and I smiled at my reflection. I looked carefree, almost like the girl I used to be. Maybe finding my mate wasn’t so bad. Maybe I needed this. But then my thoughts drifted to Alaric, and my heart ached. I sighed, pushing him out of my mind. I had to focus on Elias and what connection he might have with the Nightshades.

I applied light makeup before heading downstairs, my heart pounding with every step. As soon as I reached the bottom, I saw my father talking to Elias. They seemed to be getting along, and a part of me felt guilty. Dad had put Alaric in a difficult position, and now he was warming up to Elias. Shouldn’t I be happy? But all I felt was guilt.

Calm down, Lilac, I told myself. No more tears, no more heartbreak. Focus.

Elias stood up as soon as he saw me, his smile warm but nervous.

“Hey,” he said, his voice soft.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I replied, forcing a smile.

Elias opened the car door for me, his manners impeccable. As we drove, he tried to make conversation, his tone light and friendly. But every word felt like a struggle, my mind constantly drifting to Alaric.

“So, what do you want to eat?” Elias asked, glancing at me.

“I’m good with anything,” I replied, my voice short.

“Come on, what’s on your top two list?” he pressed, his tone playful.

I wanted to say my mom’s cooking, but the words caught in my throat. Memories flashed in my mind—Alaric asking me the same question, the way I could open my heart to him so easily. I smiled faintly, remembering how he had taken me to his pack for the first time, how he had cooked for me. I could see a life with him. Why couldn’t I see a life with Elias?

“What do you like?” I asked instead, deflecting the question.

Elias chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Me? I’m a warrior, remember? Anything works for us. But if you’re asking what I crave the most, that would be a home-cooked meal.”

His words struck a chord, and my heart raced. He was so much like me, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.

“So, when you’re in town, where do you usually go? We can go there,” I said, trying to keep the conversation going.

“There’s an Italian place,” Elias replied, his tone hesitant. “But I don’t think you’ll like it. It’s not very date-oriented, you know.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, curious despite myself.

“I mean, it’s just a restaurant, not a fine-dining place or something,” he said, his voice nervous.

“That’s fine by me,” I said, forcing a smile.

“Really? Are you sure?” His eyes widened in surprise, and I could see the genuine happiness in them.

“I mean, their food is amazing. You’ll love it,” he said, his smile widening as he drove us to the restaurant.