Chapter 248

Ava

I turned to see Chris walking in through the front door, the lines in his face etched with an uncharacteristic worry.

“Hey.” I strode up to him, my eyes scanning him as if searching for some kind of imaginary injury, even though he had only been handling business at the Packhouse. “How did everything go?”

Chris leaned down to plant a tired kiss against my forehead. “As well as can be expected,” he sighed. “The Elders are... They’re not taking it well. But everything’s set for tonight.”

I nodded, swallowing hard around the lump in my throat. “And Elise?”

“Stone-faced as ever,” Chris replied, his jaw tightening. “I can’t read her at all.”

Before I could respond, a knock at the door made us both jump. Chris opened it to reveal Ophelia standing on the front step, a bag in one hand.

She swept into the room, her floral perfume assaulting my nose. She hadn’t been wearing much perfume lately, as it wasn’t as common here in the werewolf world, but had laid it on thick today—a little extra detail to make it seem like we really were going to the human world and not coming back.

“Are we ready?” she asked, dropping her bag by her feet. The lack of the word ‘darling’ at the end of her sentence was a telltale sign of her worry.

Chris nodded, already striding toward the cellar door. “Let’s say our goodbyes.”

“We’ll be back in a few hours,” I teased.

Chris shrugged. “You never know.”

That made my stomach twist with anxiety.

We made our way down to the wine cellar, where Leonard and Patrick were waiting for us.

“About time,” Patrick quipped, already holding a bottle of wine. “I was beginning to think you three had left without saying goodbye.”

Leonard rolled his eyes, but there was a fondness in his expression that hadn’t been there when Patrick first joined our little group. “As if we’d let them,” he said, pulling Ophelia into a tight embrace. She buried her face in his chest, murmuring something unintelligible.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Chris said, taking the bottle from Patrick and uncorking it. He poured the wine into five glasses and began handing them out for one last toast.

As Chris handed me my glass, I felt a momentary panic. What if I really was pregnant? But I couldn’t refuse without raising suspicion, so I accepted it with a grateful smile, even though I could feel Leonard’s eyes on me.

We raised our glasses, the ruby liquid catching the dim light of the cellar. “To Moonstone,” Chris said solemnly. “And to the future we’re fighting for.”

“To Moonstone,” we echoed. I brought the glass to my lips, pretending to sip while watching the others over the rim. No one except Leonard seemed to notice my deception, too caught up in their own thoughts and emotions to care whether I sipped or not.

As we set our glasses down, the reality of what we were about to do seemed even heavier now. Ophelia was the first to break, throwing her arms around Leonard with a choked sob.

“I love you,” she whispered fiercely. “I know we’ll be back, but… I’m terrified.”

Leonard held her tightly, pressing a kiss to her temple. “It’ll be alright, my dear. This will all be behind us soon.”

I felt tears prickling at the corners of my eyes, and Chris’s arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me close. I leaned into him, drawing strength from the sensation of his warm body against mine.

To my surprise, Chris extended his hand to Patrick. “I know I doubted you at first,” he said, “but I respect you now. I appreciate all you’ve done for us... for Moonstone.”

Patrick’s eyebrows shot up, but he grasped Chris’s hand firmly. “Well, well,” he drawled, a grin spreading across his face. “Is the mighty Alpha Chris actually saying he… likes me?”

Chris snorted, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Patrick.”

Patrick laughed, clapping Chris on the back. “Tell you what,” he said. “When this is all over, we have to have a real drink together. Then we can decide if we’re friends or not.”

“Deal,” Chris agreed.

As we prepared to leave, Leonard pulled me into a tight hug. “Be careful,” he whispered in my ear, his voice low enough so that only I could hear. As we pulled apart, his eyes flicked meaningfully to my belly.

I nodded almost imperceptibly, understanding his implication. “I will,” I promised softly.

With our hugs and temporary goodbyes out of the way, Chris, Ophelia, and I made our way outside. The sunlight seemed harsh after the dimness of the cellar, and I realized that I had been spending far too much time inside lately. I couldn’t wait for this all to be over so I could comfortably tend to my garden again without constantly feeling like there were eyes on me.

We walked through town, putting on our best sad faces. Villagers called out to us, some offering well-wishes, others barely concealing their confusion and hurt. I felt a pang of guilt at the deception, but reminded myself it was necessary. They’d understand why we had to do this. They had to.

The Elders were waiting for us outside the Packhouse, their faces ranging from sorrow to straight-up disappointment. All except Elise, whose expression remained as impassive as ever, just as Chris had said.

“Alpha,” Elder Claire said, her voice trembling. “Luna. Are you sure about this?”

Chris nodded solemnly. “It’s the only way, Claire. We have to do what’s best for Moonstone.”

“What’s best for Moonstone,” Elder Fatima scoffed. “You were meant to stay.”

“If Alpha Chris believes this is for the best, then I trust him,” Elder Bradley said, although his fingers were firmly tangled in his hair.

We walked through the Packhouse, surveying the preparations for Olivia's ‘welcome’ party. The main hall had been transformed, decorated lavishly with streamers and balloons.

And in the center stood a gaudy throne, clearly meant for Olivia.

I had to bite my lip to keep from smirking, and I could see Chris struggling to maintain his composure as well. It was all so ridiculous, so over-the-top... and yet, perfect for our ruse.

As we stood there, taking it all in, a thought seemed to strike Chris. “You know,” he said slowly, “I think you should make this a masquerade.”

The Elders exchanged bewildered glances. “A masquerade?” Elder Fatima repeated. “But why?”

Chris shrugged, the perfect picture of nonchalance. “My sister has always loved masquerades. It would please her to have one thrown in her honor. Consider it... my last request as Alpha.”

There was a moment of hesitation before Elder Paul nodded. “If that is what you want, Alpha, then we will make it happen.”

With that, we made our way to the docks with the Elders trailing behind us in a mournful row. Even some of the villagers had come to see us off, sniffling tearfully as they watched.

Just as we were about to board the boat, I felt a hand on my arm. I turned to see Elise, her grip surprisingly strong.

“Good riddance,” she hissed quietly enough so only I could hear, her fingers digging into my arm. “I never liked you.”

Before I could respond, she released me and turned away, leaving me stunned. I stood there for a moment, blinking, as I watched her face immediately shift back into that stony countenance from before.

“Ava? Are you okay? What did Elise say?” Chris asked softly, drawing me back to reality.

I shook my head, forcing a smile as we boarded the boat. “It doesn’t matter,” I whispered, taking one last glance at the traitor. “Elise will get her comeuppance soon.”