Chapter 128

Chris

I hung my head at the bar and nursed my drink, feeling like a complete and utter fool. The hour had grown late and the ball around me had erupted into an all-out party, but I couldn’t seem to enjoy myself.

How could I have even suggested such an absurd idea to Ava? She was right—it would have been selfish and childish of me to leave Moonstone behind, especially now when the pack needed strong leadership more than ever. And I would certainly never let her be my secret mistress.

“May I?” A soft voice broke through my thoughts. I turned to find Amelia gesturing to the barstool beside me. “Is this seat taken?”

I shook my head. “Please, sit,” I said, offering her a tense smile. “Can I order you a drink?”

“A gin and tonic would be lovely right about now.”

“A gin and tonic for the lady,” I said to the bartender, then slid my glass over. “And another whiskey.”

The bartender nodded and walked away to get our drinks. There was a silence as we waited, and when the bartender returned, I was glad to have another glass of liquid courage to help dull my bad mood.

“Cheers,” I said to Amelia, raising my glass. She smirked and clinked her glass against mine.

For a few moments Amelia just watched me over the rim of her glass, those pale green eyes studying me carefully. “You know,” she said after a moment, “they say the truest test of one’s character is how one handles a broken heart.”

I scoffed into my drink. “Broken heart?” I said, feigning ignorance. “I’m not sure what you’re—”

“Didn’t I tell you earlier that there was no need to play coy?” She grinned, running a fingertip along the condensation on her glass. “Take it from me—a woman who has had her fair share of heartbreaks in this life. The pain never really goes away. But how we choose to move forward... that is what defines us.”

Move forward. The words made my chest constrict painfully. How was I supposed to move forward when everything seemed so bleak?

Before I could even begin to formulate a response, Amelia leaned over and touched my arm. “Come on,” she said, flashing me a reassuring smile as she slid off her barstool. “Let’s dance. It’ll help take your mind off things.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but she had already grabbed my hand and was pulling me insistently toward the dance floor. With a resigned sigh, I allowed myself to be led away from the bar, downing the last swig of my whiskey before setting the glass aside.

The music had long since shifted away from the stuffy orchestral music from before, now fading into something more upbeat and energetic. The dance floor was practically one big throng of moving bodies, the sounds of raucous laughter and lively chatter filling the air.

It should have been fun, but it wasn’t. If anything, it just made me even more depressed.

After all, it should have been Ava beside me—not any of these women. But Ava was mad at me, and she had dug her heels in about the prospect of us not being together.

“Loosen up, Alpha,” Amelia cooed, grabbing my hand.

Despite myself, I smiled in response. If nothing else, then I needed to at least play the part of the dutiful Alpha tonight, if only to shut up the Elders. Stepping forward, I took one of Amelia’s hands and placed my other on her waist so we could sway together.

But as the song progressed, Amelia started to press herself closer, her hands slipping around to the small of my back. I tensed, my muscles coiling in response to the sudden invasion of personal space. Gently but firmly, I grabbed her wrists and guided her hands back up to a more appropriate position on my chest.

Amelia’s brow furrowed in confusion, but she seemed to think better of questioning my actions. We continued to dance in silence after that, and I tried to keep my eyes from flickering around in search of Ava if only to be polite.

When the music finally faded, Amelia pulled back with a soft smile. “Thank you for the dance, Alpha,” she murmured, leaning up on her tiptoes to press a quick kiss to my cheek.

I simply nodded, unable to find any words. Amelia gave my hand one last squeeze before melting back into the crowd, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more. Only once she was gone did I finally let my smile fall; I glanced around at the other bachelorettes, many of whom were coyly watching me from behind folding fans and glasses of champagne, and felt my shoulders slump.

I didn’t want any of them.

But if I had to choose a Luna who wasn’t Ava... If Ava would really refuse to figure out a way to let us stay together…

Then Amelia wouldn’t be a terrible option, I supposed. At least she seemed to understand my situation.

No, I thought to myself; the veru thought made my stomach churn. No, I couldn’t even entertain the idea of replacing Ava. I needed to talk to her, and then… And then I would take her hand, drag her over to the Elders, and tell them to shove their antiquated ideals where the sun doesn’t shine.

Yes, that was what I would do. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking, but I was tired of hiding my love for Ava for the Elders’ sake.

And I was going to handle it right now.

Gritting my teeth, I scanned the crowd in search of Ava’s familiar face. But when my gaze finally landed on her petite frame across the room, my heart plummeted.

She was leaving. And she wasn’t alone.

That same man from before had glued himself to her side, his hand brushing across her shoulder as he led her toward the door. My wolf immediately bristled, a low growl rumbling in my chest as I watched them go. Who even was that bastard…?

I was just about to storm after them when a stern voice rang out behind me. “Alpha Chris.”

Gritting my teeth, I spun around to find Elder Elise regarding me with a cool gaze. “What is it?” I bit out, struggling to keep my tone respectful.

“We must begin the process of selecting the top three candidates to undergo the next round of testing for your future Luna,” she said coolly, her hands folded in front of her. “The announcement should be made tonight.”

My jaw clenched at her words. I didn’t want to select any of these bachelorettes, especially not when the woman I loved was leaving with another. I needed to stop Ava, tell her that I wasn’t going to let her go, and announce our love to the world.

Right here, right now. Screw anyone else.

“With all due respect, Elder Elise,” I ground out, “I don’t have time for this right now. I need to—”

“This is a matter of great importance, Alpha,” Elise interrupted, her voice hardening. “The entire pack has been awaiting your decision on a new Luna for far too long. We cannot afford any further delays.”

I opened my mouth to protest further, but a sudden commotion across the ballroom made us both turn. There was a cry, followed by a dull thud as someone crumpled to the ground.

My heart stopped as I realized who it was.

“Elder Degas!” a shrill voice rang out. “Elder Degas has collapsed!”