Chapter 46

Chris

Lily glided into the foyer of my Packhouse apartment, looking beautiful in a sky blue dress with a string of pearls around her neck. She was a stunning girl, truly—but I wasn’t here because I wanted to be.

I had invited her here only at Ava’s request; she, along with the Elders, had been adamant, and I had wanted to prove to her that I could never feel the same way for anyone else. Maybe it was wrong of me to be doing this, to be leading Lily on.

But what else was I to do?

“You clean up nicely,” Lily teased, holding out a bottle of wine for me.

“As do you,” I managed in return, taking the bottle and gesturing for her to take a seat at the small table I had laid out with candles and a light supper spread. “Ah, red wine. My favorite.”

“It’s a Moonrise pack specialty,” Lily replied, settling gracefully into the chair across from mine. “I heard you were partial to red wine, so I brought you one of our finest bottles.”

“That’s very kind of you. I can’t wait to try it.”

As I moved to pour us each a glass from the bottle, I paused for a moment to inhale the aroma of the wine. It smelled quite sweet; almost too sweet. Not at all like the homemade wine Ava and I had shared the other night.

“This is very nice,” Lily said, gesturing to the table once I had handed her a glass and taken my own seat. “Although I can’t help feeling like we're being… evaluated.”

I arched an eyebrow at her, although I had a feeling I knew where she was going with this. “What do you mean?”

Lily let out a soft huff, shaking her head slightly. “Oh, come now. We both know why we’re here—why your Elders have decided to nudge us together like this.” She took a dainty sip of her wine, holding my gaze over the rim of the glass. “You need a Luna, and I’m their top candidate.”

Well, she certainly didn’t mince words. I felt the corners of my lips quirking upwards wryly.

“So much for subtlety, I suppose,” I murmured, leaning back in my chair. “But you’re not wrong.”

“Is that what you want?” she asked, a knowing look in her gaze. “Me? As your Luna?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but then closed it again with a faint frown. She was far more blunt than I had expected now that we were alone and no longer in the presence of others; it was a trait I admired, but not one that I had been prepared for.

“Maybe it’s foolish of me,” I finally said, “but I want a relationship that’s born of candid love and affection. Not something arranged simply for political reasons.”

My thoughts faltered then as I thought back on Ava—how I had all of those things with her. She may have tried to deny it, but I know she felt them. Our connection. And the way she had rejected me during our last meeting had burned more than I liked to admit.

Perhaps sensing the change in my demeanor, Lily reached across the table to brush her fingertips lightly over my knuckles.

“Chris?” she prompted gently. “Where did you go?”

Blinking rapidly, I forced myself to refocus on the woman in front of me instead of dwelling on the one who had so thoroughly captured my heart—the one who seemed determined to keep it at arm’s length.

“Sorry,” I said with a shake of my head. “I’m afraid my mind was elsewhere for a moment.” I offered her a tight smile, taking another sip of wine to buy myself some time to collect my thoughts.

Lily blinked at me, that knowing look crossing her gaze again before she spoke. “I know there’s another you think about,” she blurted out. “Your Acting Luna.”

I nearly spit out my wine at her words. Goddess, she’s good, I thought to myself.

“How did you…?” I managed.

She blushed slightly. “I’ll admit I… overheard a conversation last night,” she said softly. “Forgive me; I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No, no, you haven’t,” I said, my mind scrambling until I managed to land on the conversation she must have heard: either with the Elders or my sister after the party. Maybe both. “I’m so sorry, Lily. I know I said some things that…”

“It’s alright,” she said. “I understand.”

I swallowed. “I want you to know that you’re very beautiful, and wonderful company,” I said, reaching across the table to touch her hand. “But yes. You’re right. And I’m sorry it has to be this way, but I don’t know if I could marry anyone while I’m still in… in love with her.”

Lily was quiet for several moments, seemingly digesting my words. Then, abruptly, she pushed back her chair and rose to her feet.

“You know,” she said slowly, her voice strained, “when the Elders invited me here, they told me the Acting Luna herself had blessed this arrangement. That she was eager for you to have a suitable partner to take over for her. I hope you’re aware of that, at least.”

I felt as though I had been punched in the gut, the air leaving my lungs in a harsh exhale. “What?” I rasped, staring up at Lily in stunned disbelief. “Ava… Ava said that?”

Lily's gaze was almost pitying as she nodded. “It’s true. Or at least, that’s what they told me.”

Before I could formulate a response, I did something I shouldn’t have.

I bolted up from my chair and rushed out of the room.

…

I stood in front of the Elders, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. My words hung heavy in the silence that followed, until Elise stepped forward with a furrowed brow.

“Explain yourself,” she said.

It was all I could do to not scoff out loud. “You know precisely why I’m here,” I said. “You roped Ava into your schemes, too? What’s next? Will you have the whole damned pack scheming to control my life?”

The Elders exchanged looks before Degas spoke. “You’re referring to the arranged marriage,” he said.

“Of course I am. Just tell me the truth, for Goddess’ sake; did Ava conspire with you in this arranged marriage business?”

Elise sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Ava has had a hand in… various things, including the arranged marriage,” she explained. “There’s no use in hiding it now, so yes: Ava has been working with us to keep you in Moonstone. To fulfill the prophecy.”

I felt bile rise into my throat at the thought. Suddenly, all of the moments I had spent with Ava, all of the kind words and intimate moments, hell, even the night we had almost slept together again, all clicked together.

“Prophecies,” I spat out. “When will you people learn that these ‘prophecies’ are nothing more than the ramblings of old wolves on their deathbeds?”

There was an audible gasp that rippled through the Elders at my words. Only Elise put her hand up, silencing them.

“You can try to run from your heritage all you want, Chris,” she said, “but the truth of the matter is this: our prophecies always come true. And it is not only Ava’s duty, but our duty to ensure that you stay here in order to fulfill—”

“Damn your prophecies.” I spun on my heel and made for the door, my heart clenched tighter than it had ever been—tighter, even, than all of the moments Ava had told me that we couldn’t be together.

Before the Elders could retort, I flung the door open and stormed out. My mind whirled with thoughts as I stormed back toward my apartment, fury mixed with betrayal mixed with frustration. Goddess, how could Ava do something like this to me? I had thought we had something special, and that we only needed time.

But to find out now that she had been conspiring with the Elders all along, stringing me along while setting up arranged marriages, just to keep me here for the sake of some… prophecy?

That hurt more than anything.

By the time I made it back to the wing of the Packhouse where my apartment resided, I had made a decision: I would, indeed, leave as soon as a suitable replacement for Alpha was found.

And I would not return.

I froze, however, when I saw the lithe form slipping through my doorway up ahead. Lily paused, her cheeks streaked with tears and her eyes red-rimmed. She said nothing, but whirled on her heel and tore off down the hallway, her sobs echoing through the quiet space.