I Refuse To Be Your Luna (Flourish and Harold) novel Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Alpha Harold’s POV

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31

Finished

The sharp scent of antiseptic clung to the air. I hated infirmaries. No matter how advanced the healers became, they still smelled the same, clean and sterile, enough to keep my wolf on edge.

I leaned back against the raised pillows and rubbed a hand over my jaw. The wounds across my shoulder and ribs had been stitched and treated with healing herbs, but the pain hadn’t fully faded.

Every time I moved too fast, a dull ache spread through my side.

My wolf was even more irritated than I was, and he’d been replaying the same moments in my head every time I closed my eyes.

Five wolves. Five attackers. Claws tearing through my clothes, teeth snapping close, the way they’d moved around me like they’d planned it.

They’d fought like rogues, but something about them hadn’t felt right.

Across the room, my mother paced. Lady Daciana had never been good at hiding worry, and she stopped in front of my bed for what felt like the tenth time.

“Tell me again exactly what happened.”

“Mother.”

“Harold.”

Her tone made it clear she wasn’t dropping it. I glanced toward my father instead. Alpha Ragnar stood near the window with his arms crossed, and unlike my mother, he wasn’t pacing or fussing, which was usually worse.

When my father went quiet, it meant he was thinking, and when he was thinking, somebody usually ended up uncomfortable.

“I already told you what happened,” I said. “I crossed into an unmarked section of territory coming back from a meeting and got attacked.”

“By rogues?” my mother asked.

“Yes.”

She frowned. “That doesn’t make sense, Harold. Think about it. Rogues from where? We every neighboring territory. Why would a rogue pack suddenly show up there?”

16:51 Wed, Sep 30

Chapter 32

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“I don’t know.”

That was the truth. The wolves had smelled like rogues, dressed like rogues, moved with the kind of aggression rogues usually did.

But rogues fought without discipline, and these five hadn’t.

One had distracted me while another came from behind. By the time I turned, two more had already boxed me in.

I shifted against the pillows and pain shot through my ribs. My wolf growled. I ignored him.

My father finally spoke. “How many?”

“Five.”

He raised his brows. “Five rogues did this to you?”

I clenched my jaw at the implication. Five ordinary rogues shouldn’t have been able to put an Alpha in a hospital bed.

“They caught me off guard.”

He nodded slowly, but I could tell he wasn’t buying it. Neither was I.

Before either of them could push further, the infirmary door opened and Phina walked in carrying a small basket. My mother’s face softened at once.

“Phina, dear.”

“Lady Daciana.” She smiled and came to my bedside. “I brought some fruit.”

My mother squeezed her hand. “You’re too thoughtful.”

“It’s nothing.”

I watched them quietly. Ever since Rowan died, everyone treated Phina like she might break. Most of the time I understood it.

She’d lost her mate and spent years alone afterward, and I’d promised him before he died that I’d look after her. I’d kept that promise.

But lately the whispers around her had gotten harder to ignore, and I looked away rather than sit with that thought.

My mother straightened. “Come with me a moment, I need to speak with the he

16:51 Wed, Sep 30

Chapter 32

31

Finished

Phina glanced between me and my parents before following her out. The door closed and the room went quiet.

I already knew what was coming.

My father stayed by the window a few seconds longer before turning to face me. “Now tell me what’s actually happening.”

“There isn’t anything happening.”

“Harold.”

That was the same warning tone he’d used on me since I was a boy. I sighed. “What do me to say?”

you want

He studied me. “I want you to explain why Lady Flourish keeps telling people she’s ending your betrothal.”

I stiffened.

“You were attacked, and I’m sure she heard. Yet she isn’t here. What’s actually going on between you two?”

I rubbed my temples. There it was, the conversation I’d been avoiding. “She’s just angry, Father.”

“Angry about what?”

I laughed without any humor in it. “I don’t know. Everything.”

His expression didn’t change. “Try again.”

I looked away. “She’s upset about Phina.”

Flourish knew what Rowan meant to me, knew the promise I’d made, knew I couldn’t just abandon Phina after everything she’d been through.

Somehow she’d still convinced herself that helping a widow meant abandoning our future

“Flourish is overreacting.”

“Is she?”

“Yes”

“Then why does she seem so determined to leave?”

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Chapter 32

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Finished

I had no answer for that. A week ago I’d have laughed if anyone suggested Flourish would actually walk away.

She’d spent years preparing for our Luna Rite, built her whole life around the future we were supposed to share.

The idea that she could just decide she didn’t want it anymore still didn’t sit right with me.

“Have you spoken to her properly?” my father asked.

“I’ve tried.”

“Has she listened?”

“No.” It came out sharper than I meant. Every conversation turned into an argument, every explanation became another accusation, and every attempt to fix it somehow made it worse.

My father watched me for a long moment, then sighed. “I hope you’re right.”

“What do you mean?”

“I hope this really is just a fight.” His expression hardened. “Because if it isn’t, you have a much bigger problem.”

“What problem?”

He walked back toward the window. “The same one your mother and I have been discussing for months.”

I already knew where this was headed. “Phina.”

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