His Abandoned Luna Chapter 135

|| Lilac’s POV ||

The night had been long and restless, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Elias was leaving for the border today, and while a part of me felt relieved, another part was tangled in guilt and confusion. I didn’t know what to do, how to feel, or even how to process the mess my life had become. I stayed up late, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts racing in circles until exhaustion finally pulled me into a fitful sleep.

When I woke, it was to the sound of Elara’s voice, sharp and insistent.

“Hey, how come you’re still sleeping?” she asked, her tone a mix of concern and exasperation.

I blinked, disoriented, as I sat up in bed. The sunlight streaming through the windows was too bright, too cheerful for the storm brewing inside me.

“Elara, what are you doing here? What time is it?” I asked, my voice groggy.

“It’s half past noon. What happened? We were supposed to meet yesterday. No call, no messages,” Elara said, her hands on her hips as she stared me down.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the fog of sleep.

“Elias is leaving. Today. For the border,” I replied, my voice hollow.

Elara’s expression softened, and she sat down on the edge of my bed.

“Oh no. Don’t be sad, Lil…” she began, but I cut her off.

“That’s the issue. I’m not sad. I’m happy—even relieved,” I admitted, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

Elara raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking into a half-smile.

“Oh boy. Another mate situation?” she asked, using the term we’d coined for any weird feelings towards my so-called soulmate.

“Yeah,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

“So, is it a good thing?” she asked, her tone cautious.

“I don’t know. Is it?” I questioned, my voice tinged with desperation.

Elara sighed, leaning back on her hands. “Well, it’ll give you some time to get over you-know-who. And you can wrap your head around things here as well. Then, when he’s back, you can focus only on your mate, and maybe things will be better between you two.”

“Yeah, it sounds better,” I said, though the words felt empty. I wasn’t sure if I believed them.

“So, shouldn’t you go and say goodbye to him at least?” Elara asked, her tone gentle.

“He must be gone by now,” I replied, remembering how he’d said he’d leave by morning. The thought of facing him, of seeing the hurt in his eyes, made my chest tighten.

“Alright. Maybe that’s for the best,” Elara said, though her tone suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced.

“Now, go and freshen up. We’re meeting Astrid and some other alphas in two hours,” she said, her tone brisk as she stood up.

“Yeah,” I said, forcing myself to get out of bed. I quickly got ready, my movements mechanical as I tried to push my thoughts aside. When I went downstairs, I grabbed a mug of coffee, the bitter warmth doing little to soothe the ache in my chest.

“Ready?” Elara asked, her tone cheerful as she grabbed her keys.

“Good to go,” I replied, though I felt anything but.

The drive to the meeting place was quiet, the silence between us heavy with unspoken words. We arrived at the restaurant, a sleek, modern place with floor-to-ceiling windows and a view of the city skyline. Astrid was already there, seated at a table near the window, her expression tense.

“Well, they’re not coming,” Astrid said as we sat down, her tone frustrated. “Apparently, they have a new council member joining today, so they had to do some last-minute rescheduling.”

“Great,” Elara huffed, rolling her eyes. “Just what we needed.”

Astrid turned to me, her gaze critical.

“You really need a makeover, Lil,” she said, her tone blunt.

“Well, she had another mate situation,” Elara replied, launching into an explanation of the previous night’s events.

I sat there in silence, my eyes fixed on the window as I tuned out their conversation. My mind was elsewhere, tangled in thoughts of Elias and the mess I’d made of things. But then, my heart stopped. Elias walked into the restaurant.

“Lilac,” Elara whispered, her voice sharp with surprise.

Elias looked around for a moment, his gaze scanning the room before it landed on me. His eyes gleamed with determination as he strode toward our table.

“Elias… I thought you were gone,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

“Can we talk?” he asked, his tone firm but not unkind.

“I have to go,” Elara said suddenly, standing up. “And Astrid promised to help, so she’s leaving too.”

“Yeah, I did,” Astrid said, grabbing her bag and giving me a pointed look. “We’ll see you later, Lilac.”

They walked away, leaving me alone with Elias. He took a seat across from me, his expression softening as he reached for my hands.

“Hey,” he said, his voice gentle.

“Hey,” I replied, forcing a smile.

“I’m sorry I walked out on us yesterday,” Elias said, his grip on my hands tightening.

“It wasn’t your fault.” I replied, trying to smooth the situation.

“I was a bit distressed, and I took it out on you,” he admitted, his eyes filled with regret.

“But I won’t give up on us, Lilac. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he said, his smile warm but tinged with sadness.

“And I can see how much this election means to you. So, I decided to stay and help,” he finished, his tone resolute.

“Really?” I asked, my voice tinged with surprise. But what help could he offer? I wondered. Still, we weren’t on good terms, and I didn’t want to upset him further.

“Yeah. Remember I told you I was offered a position on the council? I took it this morning. I can vote now, and I can help you convince others on the council. I can get you inside information too,” he said, his eyes shining with determination.

“I get to stay here as well. I know you probably wouldn’t want to go to the border with me. That’s not safe either. So, it’ll be better for both of us,” he added, his tone hopeful.

“That’s… that’s amazing,” I replied, though the words felt hollow.

So much for the break I thought we could get, I thought bitterly. Shouldn’t I be happy that he stayed back? Why am I sad instead? I’d always thought Kael was a terrible mate, but now, looking at myself, I wondered if I was the worst of all.

“I’m glad you liked my plan,” Elias said, his smile widening.

“I’m proud of you, Elias,” I replied, forcing the words out. It was the least I could do, even if it didn’t feel like enough.