His Abandoned Luna Chapter 40

|| Lilac's POV ||

As we walked into the house, the familiar scent of home wrapped around me like a warm blanket. The tension from the council meeting still clung to my shoulders, but the sight of Mom rushing toward us, her face etched with worry, made me push it aside. She had been waiting anxiously, her hands wringing together as she paced the living room. The moment she saw us, her eyes lit up with relief.

“How did it go?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly. I could see the worry in her eyes, the way her brows furrowed as she searched our faces for answers.

Before I could respond, Ezra stepped forward, his excitement bubbling over. “You should have seen Lilac out there!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with pride. He launched into a dramatic retelling of the events, his hands flying as he mimed punches and jabs. “It was like Lilac threw a jab at Kael one from the left, one from the right and he couldn’t dodge any of them!”

Mom’s eyes widened as she listened, her worry slowly giving way to amusement. She laughed, a sound so genuine and full of joy that it made my heart swell. It had been a long time since I’d heard her laugh like that. The house, which had felt so heavy and quiet lately, suddenly felt alive again.

Mom shook her head, half in disbelief and half in admiration. “I never thought I’d see the day Kael would be put in his place,” she murmured. “And by my daughter, no less.”

I swallowed hard at her words. There had been a time when I would have done anything for Kael’s approval, a time when his rejection had crushed me beyond repair. But now, standing here with my family, with their unwavering support surrounding me, I realized how much had changed. How much I had changed.

“And then,” Ezra continued, his voice rising with excitement, “came the prince charming!”

Mom raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. “Prince charming?”

“Alexander showed up,” Ezra said, his grin widening. “And he delivered the final blow. Total knockout!”

Mom’s eyes widened further. “Alexander? As in Alpha Asher’s son?”

“The one and only,” Ezra replied, his tone teasing as he glanced at me.

I nodded, my throat suddenly dry. Ezra, ever the storyteller, was practically vibrating with excitement as he continued recounting the events of the day. His animated gestures and exaggerated expressions made it sound more like a legendary battle than a council confrontation, but I let him have his fun.

Mom reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from my face. “And Alexander he really stood up for you?”

I hesitated before nodding again. “He did.”

Her expression softened. “He’s a good man. A strong leader.”

There was something else in her tone, something unreadable, but she didn’t press the subject further. Instead, she glanced at Ezra, who was still brimming with energy. “And you? Were you at least behaving yourself?”

Ezra scoffed. “Of course! I was Lilac’s number one supporter.” He puffed out his chest dramatically. “If I hadn’t been there, who knows what could’ve happened?”

Mom chuckled. “I’m sure she would’ve managed just fine.”

The laughter that followed felt light, almost cleansing, washing away the heaviness of the past few weeks.

Ezra, ever the instigator, couldn’t resist adding, “And when everything was over, guess what? He asked permission to court someone.”

Mom’s gaze snapped to me instantly.

“Is that true?” she asked, her voice filled with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

I shot Ezra a glare. “You weren’t supposed to listen. Were you eavesdropping?”

Ezra just grinned, clearly enjoying himself.

“This is big,” Mom said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Ezra, sensing my growing irritation, dramatically ran away, leaving me alone with Mom. She turned to me, her expression softening.

“I like that kid better than Kael,” she said thoughtfully. “And their pack has more morality.”

“Mom,” I groaned, my cheeks flushing.

“Also, to think about it, he’s really handsome,” she added, her tone teasing.

“Mom!” I exclaimed, my face burning.

“You two would be a good match, actually,” she said with a bright smile, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

“Mom, there’s nothing between us,” I insisted, though my voice lacked conviction.

The conversation with Ezra and Mom had been light, filled with laughter and teasing, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a sense of peace. The weight of the past few weeks seemed to lift, if only for a moment.

My phone buzzed on the coffee table, and I reached for it, a smile tugging at my lips as I saw Elara’s name on the screen.

“Hey,” I said, my voice cheerful as I picked up the call.

“No time to waste, open the news right now,” Elara’s voice came through, urgent and excited.

I blinked, caught off guard by her tone.

“Oh, okay…” I replied, setting my tea down and grabbing the remote. I turned on the TV, the screen flickering to life. Dad’s face appeared, his expression calm but serious as he stood at a podium, surrounded by reporters. It wasn’t unusual— after every council meeting, there was always a press conference, and Dad usually handled it.

“What’s up?” I asked Elara, my brow furrowing as I tried to figure out why she sounded so worked up.

Mom, who was sitting across from me, mouthed the same question, her eyes curious. Ezra, lounging on the armchair, gave me a confused look, his eyebrows raised.

“Listen, you idiot,” Elara said, her voice sharp but playful. “Turn up the volume.”