His Abandoned Luna Chapter 144

|| Lilac’s POV ||

I woke up to the warm caress of sunlight on my face, the golden beams filtering through the curtains and painting the room in soft hues. For a moment, I lay still, my mind groggy and disoriented. The events of the previous night came rushing back— Madeline’s revelation, the unsettling truth about Elias, and the weight of the decisions I had to make. But for now, in the quiet of Elara’s apartment, I felt a rare sense of calm.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Elara’s voice broke through the silence, her tone light but carrying an undercurrent of concern.

“Morning,” I mumbled, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The couch was comfortable, but my body ached from the awkward position I’d slept in.

“Where are the rest?” I asked, glancing around the room.

“Well, they left after you dozed off,” Elara said, sitting down beside me. She handed me a steaming mug of coffee, the rich aroma immediately waking me up.

“Oh,” I said, taking a sip of the coffee. The warmth spread through me, grounding me in the moment.

“But you need to be very careful,” Elara said, her tone serious. “It’ll be better if we keep this to ourselves for now.”

“Yeah, I agree,” I replied, my voice tinged with unease. The thought of Elias pretending to be my mate sent a shiver down my spine. “Why would he do this? I mean, why would he pretend to be my mate out of the blue?”

Elara sighed, leaning back against the couch. “Well, for once, you’re from a royal Beta family. That alone gives you a lot of influence.”

“Yeah, but Elias already had a good reputation. He didn’t need my help to be on the council either,” I said, my voice filled with frustration.

“Still,” Elara said, her voice trailing off as she fell silent.

I stared into my coffee, the dark liquid reflecting the turmoil in my mind.

“Elara, what do you know about the Nightshades?” I asked, my voice low.

Elara raised an eyebrow, her expression wary. “I thought this chapter was closed.”

“I don’t know why, but I’m having this feeling that they’re somehow entangled in this,” I admitted, choosing my words carefully. I couldn’t tell her everything—not yet—but I could give her some hints.

Elara took a sip of her coffee, her eyes narrowing in thought.

“We can do some digging,” she said finally.

“That’ll be great, but where do we start?” I asked, my voice tinged with frustration. “No one knows anything about them. And if they find out we’re investigating, it might be risky.”

“For starters, we can dig into their history. That might give us some leads,” Elara said thoughtfully.

“Okay,” I said, though the idea of poking around the Nightshades’ past made my stomach churn. They were untouchable, their secrets buried deep. But if they were involved in this mess, I had no choice.

Before I could say more, Elara’s phone rang, the shrill sound cutting through the quiet. She glanced at the screen and sighed. “It’s your dad,” she said, handing me the phone.

I took a deep breath before answering.

“Hi, Dad,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Lilac, where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you,” my father’s voice was sharp, filled with worry.

“I was with Elara,” I lied, my heart pounding. “I must’ve forgotten to charge my phone.”

“You need to come home. We have matters to discuss,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“Okay, I’ll be there soon,” I said, hanging up and handing the phone back to Elara.

“Trouble?” she asked, her brow furrowed.

“Dad wants me home. He sounded… urgent,” I said, my voice tinged with unease.

Elara nodded, standing up.

“I’ll drive you. But first, let’s get you changed. You can’t go home looking like you’ve been through a war.”

I glanced down at my rumpled clothes and sighed. “Thanks, Elara.”

She disappeared into her room and returned with a fresh set of clothes— a simple blouse and jeans. I changed quickly, the fabric soft against my skin. As I buttoned the blouse, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread creeping in. What did my father want to discuss? Was it about Elias? The election? Or something else entirely?

Elara grabbed her keys and gestured toward the door. “Let’s go.”

The drive to my parents’ house was quiet, the tension between us palpable. I stared out the window, my mind racing with possibilities. The streets were bustling with activity, the city alive with the hum of life. But inside the car, it felt like we were in a bubble, cut off from the world.

“Lilac,” Elara said, breaking the silence. “Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. You’re not alone in this.”

I turned to her, my heart swelling with gratitude. “Thanks, Elara. This means a lot to me. I honestly don't know what I would do without you all.”

She smiled, her eyes softening. “You’d probably be a mess, but we’ll pretend you’d manage.”

I chuckled despite myself, the tension easing slightly. But as we pulled up to my parents’ house, the weight of the unknown settled over me once more.

The house loomed before us, its grandeur a stark reminder of the responsibilities I carried. My father was waiting at the door, his expression unreadable. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever was coming.

“Oh boy! He looked serious,” Elara asked, her voice gentle.

“yeah,” I said, stepping out of the car and into the unknown.