His Abandoned Luna Chapter 128

|| Lilac’s POV ||

The restaurant was cozy, the kind of place where the walls were lined with faded photos of Italy, their edges curling with age. The scent of garlic and herbs hung heavy in the air, mingling with the faint hum of chatter and the clinking of cutlery. We sat by the window, the soft glow of the afternoon sun casting a warm, golden light over the table. It was picturesque, almost too perfect, and yet, I felt like an outsider in my own skin.

Elias sat across from me, his presence calm and steady, his questions gentle, his tone warm. But every word felt like a struggle, my mind constantly drifting to Alaric. I tried to focus, to give Elias a chance, but the guilt and longing in my heart made it impossible. My wolf was still missing, and without her, I felt untethered, like a ship lost at sea. And yet, even in her absence, my thoughts were consumed by him—Alaric. His dark eyes, his quiet strength, the way he looked at me as if I were the only person in the world. It was maddening.

"Wow! I never thought you'd be down to have lunch in a place like this," Elias said, his voice breaking through my thoughts. He leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing on his lips.

I raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of my wine. The rich, velvety liquid did little to calm the storm inside me. Goddess, I needed this drink. Maybe I should have gone for something stronger.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my tone light but guarded.

Elias chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Well, you are, after all, Lilac Blackwood. The beautiful, elegant daughter of our general. All the alphas, including Kael Reventhorn, were pursuing you. I guess I just never imagined you'd be sitting here with me."

I blinked, caught off guard. So this was my image out there—untouchable, unattainable. It was almost laughable, considering how broken I felt inside.

"What now?" I asked, my voice tinged with surprise.

Elias leaned forward, his expression softening. "Honestly, Lilac, I never thought in my entire life that I could have a beautiful soulmate like you." His voice was warm, almost reverent, and it made my chest tighten.

I didn’t respond. What could I say? That I wasn’t the person he thought I was? That my heart was already tangled in someone else’s web?

"And," he continued, his tone growing more serious, "I’m really sorry that things didn’t work out between you and Kael. But I’m also glad they didn’t. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to meet my soulmate."

His words were kind, patient, and yet they felt like chains, binding me to a path I wasn’t sure I wanted to take. Why couldn’t he be Alaric? Why did fate have to be so cruel? I clenched my fists under the table, forcing myself to focus. I needed to find out his connection to the Nightshades. That was why I was here. Not for this. Not for him.

"Thanks, Elias," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

As we walked out of the restaurant, the cool afternoon breeze brushed against my skin, carrying with it the faint scent of blooming flowers. Elias turned to me, his eyes bright with a boyish enthusiasm.

"Ice cream?" he asked, gesturing toward a small shop down the street.

"Sure," I said, forcing a smile. We walked in silence for a while, the sound of our footsteps echoing against the cobblestone path. My mind raced, searching for a way to steer the conversation toward the Nightshades without raising suspicion.

"So, where do you live?" I asked casually, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye.

Elias hesitated for a moment before answering. "Oh, I know I shouldn’t be saying this, but I live at the border. That’s just how things are. I do have an apartment in the city, though. If you want, I can take you there sometime."

"Maybe some other day," I replied, my tone noncommittal.

"Sure, no rush," he said, his voice easy and understanding.

"And does your family live there too?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light.

Elias’s expression darkened, and he looked away.

"No," he said simply.

I frowned, sensing the shift in his mood.

"Oh, so where are they from?" I pressed, my curiosity piqued.

He stopped walking and turned to face me, his eyes searching mine.

"Come with me," he said, his voice quiet but firm.

We took a left, walking in silence for a few more minutes until we stopped in front of a small, weathered building. The sign above the door read Silver Moon Orphanage. My heart sank as I realized what this place was.

"This is where I grew up," Elias said, his voice tinged with sadness. "I don’t really remember my parents."

I felt a pang of guilt for asking so casually, without thinking about the weight of my question.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t know," I said softly.

Elias shook his head, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "After I shifted, the dean here noticed that my wolf was bigger than the others. He recommended me to be a warrior. I passed the tests and was picked by the Alpha King. After my training was over, I was sent to the border. I have no living relatives or kin, so I never complained. There’s no home for me to come back to."

His words cut deep, and I felt a surge of empathy for him. He had been alone his entire life, just like Alaric. Despite having a family, Alaric had grown up isolated, burdened by a step family. The parallels between them were unsettling. Why was he in my head again?

"After the last rogue encounter, the alpha King offered me to stay back. That's why I were in the ceremony. he wanted to gave me a position in the council. He also thought I might have alpha blood in my wolf which might explain the strength of it. But I honestly didn't care. I declined his offers since I had no one to hold on to. What's the point living a life in the city when I had to go back to some empty mansion every night?" He said.

"Elias, I..." I trailed off, unsure of what to say. How could I comfort him when my own heart was so conflicted?

He turned to face me, his hands cupping my cheeks. His touch was warm, but it sent a shiver down my spine.

"But now, I have you," he said, his voice filled with a quiet intensity. "I have a home to come back to."

Oh, Goddess. Why did it have to be so complicated?

"Now I have a reason to stay back," he continued, his smile softening. "I know I’m not an alpha, and I don’t have a lot of money. I’m probably not someone you would have ever dated. But you’re a blessing in my life, Lilac. And I’ll do whatever it takes to give you the life you deserve. I know you might not like my empty apartment in the city, so if that’s the case, I’ll save up and buy you a house by the outskirts. I just want to build a life with you. I want a home to come back to, with my soulmate and my pups. I want a family whom I will love and protect with my whole heart."

He leaned in, his forehead resting against mine.

"Lilac, will you be my home?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

My heart ached, torn between the man in front of me and the one who haunted my thoughts.

"Elias... can we take this slow, please?" I said, my voice trembling. "After Kael, it’s hard... it’s hard to trust again."

It was a lie. Kael was gone from my heart a long time ago. It was Alaric whose face kept popping up in my mind, whose presence I craved even now. Elias was a pure-hearted man, but standing there with him felt like I was betraying Alaric, even though we had no claim on each other.

Elias nodded, his expression understanding but tinged with disappointment.

"Of course," he said, stepping back. "We’ll take it slow. I’ll wait for you, Lilac. No matter how long it takes."

As we walked away from the orphanage, the weight of his words settled heavily on my shoulders. Elias wanted a home, a family, a future. But how could I give him that when my heart belonged to someone else? And how could I reconcile my feelings for Alaric with the destiny the goddess had laid out for me?

The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the path. I felt like I was walking in one of those shadows, caught between light and darkness, between what was and what could be. And as much as I wanted to find clarity, I knew that the answers I sought were buried deep within the tangled web of my own heart.