Luna Forsaken (Arya and James) novel Chapter 119

119 Marcel’s Lies in Silk

James’s POVO

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I straightened, shoved the phone into the drawer instead of leaving it in plain sight, and forced my face back into something controlled.

“Come in.

A guard stepped in, looking tense.

“Alpha. Marcel Rainhorn has arrived.”

I stared at him.

“Here?”

“Yes, Alpha. He says he came to see you personally.”

Of course he did.

My mouth went dry, then cold.

The call had not been enough for him. He wanted to come here, look me in the face, measure what I knew, push me back into line if he could.

Jasper’s growl came sharp.

Two-faced bastard.

I rose slowly, “Bring him to my office.”

The guard nodded and left.

I moved behind my desk and sat before Marcel entered. I wanted him walking into my space, not the other way around. I wanted him to see me still in the chair, not pacing like an angry fool.

A few seconds later, the door opened again.

Marcel stepped in wearing concern like a polished suit.

Perfect posture.

Carefully arranged expression.

Just enough tension around the eyes to suggest sympathy without weakness.

< 119 Marcel’s Lies in Silk

If I didn’t already suspect him, I might have believed the performance.

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“James,” he said, voice warm in that controlled way he used when he wanted to sound older, wiser,

more established. “I came as soon as I could.”

I leaned back in the chair and studied him. “Did you.

He paused for half a heartbeat, then smiled faintly and closed the door behind him.

“I heard things were still unstable after the attack,” he said. “I thought it best to come in person. We

are partners in this, whether some people like it or not.”

Partners.

The word sat wrong in my mouth now.

“Sit,” I said.

He did, smooth and unhurried, crossing one leg over the other like a man who expected to be listened

I let silence stretch for a moment and watched him fill it.

He started with concern.

How were the perimeter checks?

How many men had I reassigned?

Did I need support from nearby allied packs?

Had I considered a temporary reinforcement arrangement?

On the surface, it sounded helpful.

But every few lines, he slipped back to the same things.

Land

Security

Gold.

Exposure.

“Your territory is valuable,” he said, steepling his fingers. “In times like this, value attracts attention. A weakened pack sitting on gold is an invitation.”

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I kept my face neutral.

“There it is,” I said.

Marcel’s brow lifted. “What?”

“The gold.”

His mouth tightened slightly. “I’m discussing strategy.”

“You’re discussing my land.”

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He leaned back, as if trying to look patient. “James, your land and your strategic future are directly tied

to your Union standing. I am trying to help you secure both.”

I nodded once, slowly. “Then let’s talk about the Union officers.”

The shift in him was tiny.

But it was there.

A flicker in his eyes. A slight change in his shoulders. Gone almost instantly.

“What about them?” he asked, tone smooth.

I folded my hands on the desk. “I want clarity.

“On what?”

“On why that whole process feels like smoke every time I try to touch it.”

He laughed once, but it was thinner than usual. “You’re under strain. You’ve suffered losses. It makes

sense that you’re second-guessing everything.”

Rehearsed.

Too smooth. Too ready.

Jasper snapped inside me.

Listen to him. He prepared for this.

I kept my expression flat. “Then answer plainly. When exactly am I getting what was promised?”

Marcel’s eyes hardened by a fraction. “These matters take time

“That’s not what you told me.”

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He inhaled through his nose, patient mask slipping at the edges. “I told you the process could be expedited, not magically completed overnight”

“And yet,” I said, “the only thing that moved quickly was the pressure

He stared at me.

I held his gaze and pressed just enough to test him.

“Since we started this arrangement, I’ve delivered on what I said I would. I aligned publicly. I gave room where I did not want to give room. I tolerated more interference than most Alphas would What have you delivered that isn’t a promise dressed up as progress?”

Marcel’s jaw tightened.

He tried another angle.

“My daughter has stood by this arrangement despite humiliation,” he said. “Leah has shown more

patience than she should have needed to,”

I cut him off. “This has nothing to do with your daughter.”

His eyes flashed. “Everything has to do with my daughter if she is to become your true Luna.”

The words struck a live nerve.

I felt my chest go tight.

My unborn child.

Arya.

The life we lost because everything around us became strategy and panic and manipulation.

I kept my voice low and controlled because if I let anger lead now, he would redirect it.

“When I am done mourning my unborn child,” I said, each word deliberate, “I will decide what comes

next in my household. Until then, stop putting pressure on me about Leah.”

The office went very still.

Marcel blinked, then his mouth thinned.

“Pressure?” he repeated, tone turning hard. “You talk as if I am forcing you into an alliance that benefits you.”

“I’m talking,” I said, “like a man who is tired of being moved around while being told to be grateful.”

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He leaned forward, dominance pushing into the room now, old Alpha habit, old politician trick. “Watch

how you speak to me, James.

I didn’t move.

“Then give me something worth respecting.”

His nostrils flared.

For one second he looked like he might lose his temper entirely. Then he tried to smooth it over, but the

anger stayed in his eyes.

“If my daughter were not fixated on you,” he said, voice colder now, “I would not have invested this

much effort.”

There it was.

Not partnership.

Not shared interest.

A transaction.

I let out a short breath and looked at him with open disbelief. “Thank you for finally saying it.”