Chapter 14

Elena

Any normal wife would have been jealous, angry, even hurt over catching her husband and another woman alone together in such a compromising state. Tiffany had her hand on Killian’s chest, her head tilted back as if to kiss him, her long lashes half-lidded. They were close. Far too close for mere colleagues.

But I wasn’t a normal wife anymore. I never had been, really, now that I looked back on it. And so, when I saw them together, I felt nothing other than an urge to roll my eyes at the ridiculousness of it all.

Even with Natalie gone—at least for now, until her ultimate “rebirth”—Killian would always choose someone else over me. If it wouldn’t be Natalie, his first true love who could never do wrong, it would of course be Tiffany.

After all, Tiffany was the woman who he had entrusted with the Luna duties that should have belonged to me. She was the most ideal woman to stand by his side in all of the important ways if Natalie wasn’t here. She was beautiful, intelligent, responsible, strong.

As for me? I was just the fated mate he never loved.

Killian, at least, had the courtesy to look somewhat embarrassed. Tiffany, however, just curled her lips into a slight sneer and didn’t even bother to pull her manicured hands away from my husband’s tie. It wasn’t until Killian stepped away, muttering, “I can explain,” that she pulled back.

“No need,” I said calmly, ignoring the faint twinge of frustration at seeing my mate so close to another woman. I lifted my chin and said, “It’s actually good you’re both here, because what I have to say concerns all three of us.”

Killian blinked, whether from surprise by my apparent disinterest in his situation or something else, I wasn’t sure.

I cleared my throat. “I’d like to resume control of my Luna authority.”

This time, both Tiffany and Killian stared at me as if I had just told them the sky was purple or the trees were made of cotton candy. And if I was being honest, I couldn’t entirely blame them.

“But… you’ve never assumed your authority,” Tiffany said.

“Well, I want to do so now.” I kept my gaze fixed on Killian, who just looked dumbfounded.

Tiffany was right, even if I didn’t want to admit it. In my past life, I had let so much of my time revolve purely around pleasing Killian at home that I hadn’t left any to handle my duties. Not that it was entirely my fault—when we had gotten married, he had assigned Tiffany as his female Beta almost right away, and I had never bothered to prove that I was capable or even interested in the work.

But I had plenty of time on my hands now that I wasn’t focusing solely on being Killian’s perfect little housewife.

And since he wouldn’t approve the divorce for now, then I had to grasp any bit of power I could reach. It was the only way to truly protect myself for what was to come, because it would come, and political weakness would only make it that much easier for Natalie to accuse me.

I saw fidgeting out of the corner of my eye, and when I glanced at Tiffany, I was surprised to see her wringing her hands. Tiffany never looked anxious, not even once, which was partially why Killian had chosen her to assume my role. It seemed I had struck a nerve.

Killian finally spoke. “Are you sure you want that?”

I nodded, and Tiffany whirled toward him. “Alpha, surely she can’t handle so much responsibility. Maybe just a little, but not—”

“I won’t hear any more of it. Tiffany, give your pin to Elena.”

Now it was Tiffany and I who stared incredulously at Killian. I tried to mask my surprise, but I couldn’t completely contain it; Killian was just… handing over the Luna pin to me? Giving me Tiffany’s duties without so much as a moment of hesitation?

Had he gone insane, or had he been replaced by a doppelganger at some point during the night? Because the Killian I knew wouldn’t have easily given me so much power. He didn’t even make me beg for it like I thought he might.

Tiffany’s lips parted. “But—”

“You were only meant to assume her duties temporarily,” Killian said curtly. “That time has ended. It seems my Luna has taken an interest in her responsibilities, so you are relinquished of your position.”

Tiffany stared at both of us in shock, then frustration, then outright anger. My eyes flicked to the little silver pin on her blouse, and I held one hand out in expectation. Finally, she sighed and removed the pin and placed it in my palm. It was cool and heavy in my hand, and my breath caught slightly as I realized that it was finally mine.

She left without another word, although I saw her glare of hatred as she brushed by me.

Once we were alone, Killian nodded toward the little crescent-moon-shaped pin and said, “Well? Are you going to put it on?”

I hesitated for a moment, still feeling the weight of it in my palm, then glanced up at him through my lashes. I almost expected him to be smirking, maybe even for Tiffany to come back in and laugh and for them to say it was all just a practical joke to humiliate me.

But Killian’s face was serious.

“You look surprised,” he said.

I pursed my lips as I placed the pin on the front of my blouse. “I’ll admit I didn’t expect you to give me so much responsibility so quickly.” And it was true that I felt that way; I had spent the entire night preparing a speech with a detailed performance plan proposal, and had even intended to use the public and Killian’s upcoming political campaign to force him to give me the duties.

And yet he had just… given them to me.

Maybe I was the one who was going insane. I had to be imagining all of this, right?

Killian simply shrugged. “You’re the Luna. It’s expected of you to perform your duties.”

“But you’ve never tried to convince me to do them before.” The words tumbled out before I could stop them. “Honestly, I thought you didn’t see me as worthy of being a Luna in any of the ways that matter.”

He shrugged again. “I told you, I intend to change my ways. So if you want your duties back and really intend to make the best of them, I won’t stop you from doing so.”

My shoulders slumped with an unexpected feeling of relief. So he had been thinking a lot about our conversation—about how he had treated me poorly and wanted to be a better husband.

A tiny, traitorous little thing in my chest fluttered slightly at the thought of Killian finally stepping up to the plate and being a good husband and mate. But I quickly shoved that thought down, because I knew that it would only be a matter of time before Natalie returned, and Killian would never choose me over her while she was still alive. He might have said that wasn’t the case, but I knew the truth—I had lived it.

All I could hope to do was protect myself in the meantime and keep the two of them from accusing me of plotting Natalie’s murder like before.

“I suppose you’ll be expecting a thank-you,” I said, half-laughing. “But I won’t get on my knees.”

Killian looked at me for a moment, then moved forward. Before I could slip away, he wrapped his arms around my waist and tugged me close so that I was flush against his chest.

His breath was warm across my neck as he leaned in and whispered, “I’m not saying you have to get on your knees. But if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

I froze, my mouth hanging open at his words. Was he… flirting with me?

Why had he never tried so hard to get close to me in my past life, but now, in the one life where I refused to be his puppet, he seemed to want me more than ever?