His Abandoned Luna Chapter 160

|| Lilac’s POV ||

The air was thick with the cloying scent of roses and champagne, the garden now transformed into a grotesque parody of celebration. Everywhere I turned, someone was raising a glass—to Ezra, to Elias, to me—their smiles too wide, their congratulations too loud.

"Such a perfect match!"

"The Goddess truly blessed you both!"

I wanted to scream.

Instead, I forced a smile so brittle I feared my cheeks would crack, accepting their hollow words with a grace I didn’t feel. Elias watched me from across the terrace, his blue eyes burning with something between triumph and suspicion.

Congratulations, mate. You’ve successfully trapped me in a farce.

I drained my wine in one gulp and turned away.

"Lilac!"

Elara’s voice was a lifeline. She crashed into me, her arms wrapping around my shoulders in a hug that smelled like vanilla and steel. Astrid followed, her sharp green eyes scanning my face with the precision of a strategist assessing a battlefield.

"How are you?" Astrid asked, though the tilt of her brow said she already knew.

I let out a breath that bordered on hysterical. "Well, let’s see. I got kidnapped, my so-called mate is a backstabbing bastard, and my father just announced our mating ceremony to the entire kingdom. So—peachy."

Astrid’s lips twitched. "That bad, huh?"

Elara nudged me. "At least your Cursed Alpha rescued you."

"And about the rest—we knew," Astrid added casually.

I nearly choked. "You knew?"

They exchanged glances.

"Care to explain now?" I hissed, folding my arms so tightly my nails bit into my skin.

Elara leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Your father is a brilliant strategist."

"He just announced my engagement to a man I don’t even trust!" I tried to keep my voice down.

"No," Astrid corrected, her breath warm against my ear. "He announced a ceremony. One that will never happen."

I stilled.

Elara picked up the thread. "Elias challenged Ezra publicly. Then reporters just happened to ask about your kidnapping? That’s not coincidence, Lilac. That’s a trap."

Astrid nodded. "We suspected your mate might be after your Beta lineage. We were prepared for the challenge. But the kidnapping leak? That’s no accident."

A cold realization slithered down my spine. "Coco’s involved somehow."

Astrid scoffed. "That omega? She’s a pawn. She doesn’t have the fangs to take down a Blackwood."

"So you suspect Elias too?"

Elara’s expression darkened. "He’s a classified warrior, Lil. The man once lead a squad of thirty men to took down three hundred rogues. How did he get knocked out tonight?"

"And when I asked him to run toward the house during the attack, he refused," I muttered.

"He’s connected," Astrid agreed. "But he’s not strong enough to orchestrate this alone."

"He doesn’t have the power or the connections to challenge your father," Elara added.

The pieces clicked together. "So you laid a trap."

Elara’s grin was all teeth. "For the snake who leaked the attack."

"And Alaric?" I couldn’t help but ask.

Astrid smirked. "Oh, he’s just enjoying the show."

"And Alexander?"

"Getting ready for the next act."

My gaze snapped to where Alexander stood with Elias, clinking glasses like old friends. Others had joined them—warriors, dignitaries.

"What are they up to?"

Elara winked. "What, worried about your mate?"

"Not at all," I lied, snatching another glass of wine from a passing tray.

This time, I didn’t sip.

I chugged.

The alcohol burned its way down my throat, but it did nothing to dull the storm inside me.

They knew. They all knew.

And no one had told me.

I was a pawn in their game, just as much as Elias was in someone else’s.

Across the garden, Alaric leaned against a marble pillar, his dark eyes tracking me with predatory focus. When our gazes met, he raised his glass—slow, deliberate—as if toasting my fury.

Bastard.

But then his lips moved, shaping silent words.

"Trust me."

And the worst part?

I did.