His Abandoned Luna Chapter 155

|| Lilac's POV ||

The room felt too quiet after everyone left. The weight of my confession still hung in the air, pressing against my ribs like a stone. I had told them everything— well most of it, Kael’s betrayal, the hollow absence of Runa—and yet, the relief I expected hadn’t come. Instead, a new kind of fear slithered in, whispering that even now, fate was slipping through my fingers.

Alaric’s warmth lingered where his hand had been, his reluctance to leave etched in the way his fingers had tightened around mine before he pulled away.

"You should rest up. We can talk later," he had said, his voice low, rough with exhaustion.

"Yes, and I will sort out the mate issue. Madeline and Astrid are on it, too," Alexander added, ever the strategist, already calculating the next move.

I should have felt better. They believed me. But the way my father stared at me—like he was seeing a ghost, not his daughter—left me raw.

Alaric stood slowly, his muscles tense, as if every movement pained him. His dark eyes flickered to mine, and for a heartbeat, I thought he’d sit back down.

"Are you leaving?" My voice was too small, too fragile.

"I better. But I will leave a few warriors here."

"No, don’t. Please—" My fingers curled into his sleeve, desperate. If he walked out that door, the shadows would swallow me whole.

He leaned in, his breath warm against my skin as he pressed a kiss to my temple.

"I will be around, dove. But a lot is going on. Your brother’s coming-of-age ceremony is tomorrow. You cannot show any weakness. The Blackwoods need to stand tall and united."

Alexander nodded. "Alaric is right. Besides, we need to clear up this Elias situation. Alaric being here will raise suspicion."

My father exhaled sharply, running a hand through his graying hair. "I can’t believe all this."

Guilt twisted in my gut. "I’m sorry I caused all this trouble."

"None of this is your fault," Dad said, his voice cracking. "I should have known better. Protected you better."

Mom brushed a hand over my tangled hair. "I’ll be with you, sweetpea. Take a shower, and the medic will be here soon."

☆☆☆☆☆

The water scalded my skin, but I didn’t turn it down. I needed to feel something other than the numbness creeping through me. The blood swirled down the drain, pink and diluted, but the stains on my soul wouldn’t wash away so easily.

When I stepped out, the room was empty. The sheets had been changed—Mom’s doing—and the scent of lavender soap lingered. A clean slate. A lie.

"Sweetpea." Mom appeared in the doorway, balancing a steaming bowl of soup.

"Eat. It’ll give you strength." Her thumb brushed my cheek, her touch featherlight, like I might shatter.

"Thanks, Mom." I smiled.

Ezra slipped in behind her, his usual swagger muted. Without a word, he pulled me into a crushing hug, his heartbeat steady against my ear.

"Hey," he murmured.

"Hey." I forced a smile.

"Well, big day tomorrow! All set?" I asked, trying to sound normal.

"Yeah." He grinned, but his eyes were shadowed. "I’m glad you’re okay."

"You should get some rest now," Mom said, nudging him toward the door.

"Yeah." I sank into the bed, letting her tuck the blankets around me like I was a child again.

The door clicked shut, and silence swallowed the room.

I closed my eyes, but my mind wouldn’t quiet. The rogues’ snarls echoed in my skull. Kael’s smug smile. Elias’s hollow claim.

Then— warmth.

A shift in the air, the scent of pine and something wild curling around me. My eyes flew open.

Alaric

.

He stood by the bed, moonlight carving shadows across his face. His jacket was gone, his sleeves rolled up to reveal the dark ink of his tattoos—marks I’d never asked about.

"Alaric!" I bolted upright.

He sat beside me, the mattress dipping under his weight. "How are you feeling now, dove?"

"Better," I lied.

His thumb traced my jaw. "Never lie to me."

"Are you gonna stay?" I hugged him.

"I want to." His voice was rough. "But I can’t."

Disappointment clawed at my throat.

“Dove, are you hiding something?” he asked suddenly.

I looked into his eyes. My heart raced. Something in the air asked me to trust him. Was that Runa or the pull I felt towards him? I sighed.

“The vision I told earlier wasn’t a vision… I lived through it,” I mumbled.

“I don’t understand,” his eyebrows furrowed.

“I died and came back. The goddess has blessed me with a second chance,” I admitted finally.

Alaric sat there dumbfounded. The silence stretched, thick with everything we weren’t saying. Then—

“And I won’t let anything happen to you in this lifetime,” he said as he cupped my face. My eyes met him. He never questioned me, judged me.

"Dove, move in with me after Ezra’s ceremony."

I blinked. "Move in? Like, to your pack?"

"Of course to my pack." His fingers tangled in mine. "You’re my Luna, aren’t you?"

The words sent a shock through me.

"Why?" My voice cracked. "Why are you always there? Why are you so nice to me? Why do you call me your Luna?"

He cupped my face, his breath mingling with mine. "Because you are."

Then his lips brushed mine— soft, fleeting, a promise.

I melted into him, my hands fisting his shirt. He exhaled, pulling me against his chest, his heartbeat a steady drum under my ear.

"Sleep, dove. You need your rest. Big day tomorrow," he murmured, his arms tightening around me. "I’ll stay until you do."

The last thing I remembered was his fingers tracing idle patterns on my back, his warmth seeping into my bones, and the unspoken truth hanging between us—

I’m yours. Even if fate says otherwise.