His Abandoned Luna Chapter 173

|| Lilac’s POV ||

The last of the guests had finally dispersed, their whispers lingering in the air like smoke. Some had looked at me with pity, others with something uncomfortably close to amusement. Poor Lilac, twice rejected, twice humiliated.

There was no running from Coco stealing my mate, no matter how many lives I live. Classic!

The moon hung heavy overhead, its silver light washing over the ruined decorations, the overturned chairs, the remnants of what should have been my mating ceremony.

I exhaled, rubbing my arms against the sudden chill.

A warm presence materialized at my side.

"Ready?" Alaric's voice was low, intimate, as if we weren't standing in the wreckage of my failed engagement.

I turned to glare at him. "For what?"

"To be my Luna, of course." He pulled me into a side hug, his arm a solid weight around my shoulders.

I wriggled free, heat crawling up my neck. "This is not the time, Alaric.”

"On the contrary," he murmured, "the timing is perfect."

“Are you sure you want me as your Luna? I mean I am the person who got rejected during her engagement. TWICE!" I asked.

“Don't say that ever again.” His voice became firm. A shiver ran down my spine as he pulled me closer, grabbing my waist and then leaned in, pressing a kiss to my cheek that sent sparks skittering down my spine, “you are my luna, Lilac. Mine alone.”

"What are you doing?" I shoved at his chest, acutely aware of my mother still lingering near the terrace, her eyes sharp. "My family is right there!"

"Kissing my Luna," he said simply, as if that explained everything.

I groaned. "Ugh, you're impossible."

His chuckle was dark, satisfied.

Alexander appeared out of the blue, his usual composed demeanor slightly ruffled.

"All set?" he asked Alaric, ignoring my bewildered expression, as if he expected me to be found in Alaric's arms.

"Yeah," Alaric replied with a smile.

"What now?" I demanded to know. I didn’t want to be left out again!

Alaric's smirk widened as he spoke, "We have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" I echoed, my voice rising. "Really? After all these dramas? You still have something left in your pocket?"

"I do. I will never run out of surprises. But for that," he continued, undeterred, "you'll need to come back to my pack."

I crossed my arms. "So I can be your prisoner again while everyone gets to plan against Coco?"

Alaric's expression shifted, the teasing glint in his eyes fading into something more intense.

"You are my Luna, Lilac," he said softly, "not my prisoner. Never my prisoner."

My breath caught.

Ezra chose that moment to materialize out of the shadows, slinging an arm around my shoulders.

"Go with him," he said, grinning. "It's better."

I elbowed him. "Since when are you on his side?"

"Since always," Ezra said cheerfully. "Now quit stalling."

“Did he bribe you or something?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“No, you dumbhead,” Ezra said as he pulled me towards Alaric's car. As if he was trying to get rid of me! Heaven!

Alaric's car wound through the forest, the headlights cutting through the inky darkness. I stared out the window, my mind racing.

"Where are we actually going?" I asked for the third time.

Alaric's fingers tightened on the steering wheel. "You'll see."

The villa appeared suddenly, a sprawling stone structure hidden deep in the woods. Torches flanked the entrance, their flickering light casting eerie shadows across the facade.

Marcus stood at the door, his massive arms crossed. "Took you long enough."

Alaric ignored him, his hand finding the small of my back as he guided me inside. The air was cool, tinged with the scent of damp earth and something metallic— blood.

My stomach twisted.

"Alaric…" I gasped.

"Basement," he said simply.

The stairs creaked underfoot as we descended, the temperature dropping with each step. The basement was dimly lit, the walls lined with shelves of supplies—and at the center, bound to a chair, was Elias.

My breath left me in a rush.

He looked terrible. His golden hair was matted with sweat and dirt, his once-pristine ceremonial blacks torn and stained. A bruise darkened his jaw, his lip split and bleeding.

But his eyes…. his eyes burned with defiance when they landed on me.

"Lilac," he rasped, his voice hoarse. "Come to gloat, my dear mate?"

Alexander stepped forward, his expression grim. "He hasn't been very cooperative, let's just say."

"Shocking," I muttered.

Alaric's hand settled on my lower back, steadying me.

"We expected him to run," he said, his voice calm. "My warriors were waiting."

Elias's laugh was bitter. "Of course they were. So he is the one in your heart, huh?"

I swallowed hard, stepping closer.

"Why, Elias?" The question tore from me, raw and unfiltered. "Why pretend to be my mate? What connection do you have with the rogues?"

Silence.

Elias leaned back in his chair, the ropes creaking. "I have nothing to say to you."

Alexander sighed, rubbing his temples. "We've been at this for hours. He won't talk."

Alaric's grip on me tightened slightly. "Then we try something else."

Elias's gaze flickered between us, something like triumph glinting in his blue eyes.

"You can't break me," he said softly. "I made a vow."

"To who?" I demanded.

But Elias just smiled, slow and cruel. "You'll find out soon enough. And when you do, let's just hope it’s not too late."

The words slithered down my spine, colder than the basement air.

Alaric's voice was a growl.

"We're done here." He turned me toward the stairs, his body a solid wall between me and Elias. "Let's go."

I didn't argue.

But as we climbed the steps, Elias's voice followed us, taunting.

"This isn't over, MATE. We will meet again!"

I didn't look back as I replied, "of course it's not. Only the fact is, you are not my mate."