Chapter 116

Agnes

The moment I saw the video posted online, my stomach dropped.

It was everywhere. Footage of Mason kissing me, my wide eyes staring up at him, followed by the look of hurt on Elijah’s face as he stormed after Thea. The caption beneath it was nothing short of brutal: “Luna Agnes caught in a scandalous embrace with her ex. Is the Alpha’s new marriage in trouble?”

The comments were even worse.

“I always knew she wasn’t fit to be Luna.”

“How could she do that to Elijah? He deserves better.”

“She’s a cheater and a liar. She doesn’t belong in Silvermoon.”

I felt sick. My hands trembled as I scrolled through the endless stream of judgment and vitriol. It didn’t matter that the kiss hadn’t been consensual, that Mason had taken me by surprise. All anyone saw was the image of me in another man’s arms, and the narrative had already been written.

According to them, I was the villain.

I tossed my phone onto the couch, unable to stomach any more of it. The house was eerily quiet without Elijah and Thea, and I hated it. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

If only I hadn’t made that stupid perfume. If only I hadn’t been so desperate to feel closer to Elijah, to make him want me more than he wanted Olivia, to mimic the pleasure he received from his mate bond, then none of this would have happened.

It was all my fault. Maybe I was the villain in a way.

I sank into the couch, burying my face in my hands. No matter how hard I tried to keep the thoughts away, I kept replaying everything in my head—especially the moment I had seen those tears streaming down Thea’s face.

The last thing I ever wanted was for Thea to feel an ounce of pain. Even if she wasn’t my biological daughter, I had still made a solemn promise to be the best mother I could be for her, and I had failed. Tremendously, might I add.

Just then, a knock at the door startled me out of my thoughts. I hesitated, not sure if I had the strength to face anyone right now. But the knocking persisted, followed by Gertrude’s voice calling out, “Agnes, open up! We know you’re in there.”

I dragged myself to the door and opened it to find Gertrude and Evelyn standing on the doorstep, holding bags of food and bottles of wine. Gertrude’s glasses were slightly askew, and Evelyn’s hair was windswept, as if they had rushed over.

“We heard,” Evelyn said by way of greeting, pushing past me into the house.

Gertrude followed, her expression softening as she took in my disheveled state. “We brought wine,” she said, holding up a bottle. “And food. And a listening ear, if you need it.”

“I don’t deserve any of that. You guys should just leave.”

“Nonsense,” Evelyn said with a brisk wave of her hand. “You’re our friend, Agnes. And friends don’t let friends wallow in self-pity alone.”

Before I could protest, they had set up camp in the living room, spreading out an array of food and pouring generous glasses of wine. I accepted the one that Gertrude handed to me and sat cross-legged in front of the coffee table. Food didn’t seem particularly appealing right now, but the wine helped.

“Talk to us,” Gertrude said after a moment, adjusting her glasses. “What happened?”

I took a deep breath, and then the words spilled out in a rush like a dam had burst. I told them everything, down to the very last detail, including the strange perfume Thea and I had made. By the time I finished, my glass was empty, and Gertrude was refilling it without a word.

“I messed up,” I said, staring down at my lap. “I’m a terrible Luna. I’ve made so many mistakes—yelling at Olivia at the resort, badmouthing Elijah to Gertrude in public at the fashion show afterparty, and now this. How can anyone respect me after all of that?”

Gertrude snorted, setting down the wine bottle with a thud. “Agnes, you’re being too hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. The difference is, most people don’t have their failures broadcast to the entire world.”

“She’s right,” Evelyn added with a nod. “Being a public figure means your every move is scrutinized. But that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person—or a bad Luna.”

I shook my head, tears spilling down my cheeks. “You don’t understand. I’ve caused so much trouble for Elijah. He trusted me, and I let him down. And Thea… she looked at me like I’d betrayed her. I don’t know how to fix this.”

Suddenly, Evelyn reached out and took my hand, giving it a squeeze. “You know, when I first became Luna, I made plenty of mistakes,” she said.

My eyebrows rose, and Evelyn continued with a rueful smirk, “I once accidentally insulted the Alpha of a neighboring pack during a formal dinner. It caused a huge diplomatic incident, and I was convinced I’d ruined everything. But aside from my husband being pissed at me for a solid week, everything turned out fine.”

“And let’s not forget, you’ve done a lot of good, too,” Gertrude added, her mouth full of cheese and crackers. “You organized that charity fashion show entirely by yourself, which raised thousands for single mothers. Plus, you’ve been a mother to Thea, even though you didn’t have to be.”

“And you married a man who has a mate bond with another woman,” Evelyn continued. “That’s fucking hard. My husband is sleeping with other women, and they’re not even mated, but I understand your pain. To an extent, anyway.”

My friends’ words were kind. But I wiped my eyes and shook my head. “It just doesn’t feel like enough,” I muttered, chewing my lip.

Evelyn and Gertrude exchanged glances. Finally, Gertrude sighed and said, “Alpha Elijah is a good man. He’ll understand if you just talk to him.”

“But he took off,” I said, waving my hand toward the empty space around us—the space devoid of Elijah and Thea. “And even when he returns, I’m afraid I’ll clam up and I won’t be able to explain myself properly.”

“Then write it down,” Gertrude suggested, pulling a small notepad and a pen out of her purse. She handed it to me. “Put it on paper. I do that when I need to organize my thoughts, and it really helps.”

I hesitated, then nodded. It was a good idea. If I could just find the right words, then maybe I could make him understand. Thea, too.

We spent the next hour drafting the letter, Gertrude and Evelyn offering suggestions and encouragement as I poured my heart onto the page. I wrote about the perfume, about Mason, Olivia, about my regrets and my hopes for the future. By the time I finished, my hands were trembling, but I felt a sense of relief wash over me.

“This is good,” Evelyn said, reading over my shoulder. “It’s honest and heartfelt. If he doesn’t appreciate that, then he’s a fool.”

I nodded, folding the letter carefully to give to Elijah later. Just then, there was a knock at the door. My heart leapt into my throat. Had Elijah returned already?

I hurried to the door, my hands shaking as I pulled it open. “Eli—”

But it wasn’t him standing on the doorstep.

It was Olivia.