The Luna Queen's Rebirth (Ellie and Dominic) novel Chapter 185

Chapter 185

Ellie POV

The first time I laughed, it surprised me.

It slipped out before I could catch it, bright, totally unguarded, and the sound felt unfamiliar in my own throat, as if my body had forgotten how to make it without flinching afterward.

For a second I expected the room to turn sharp again, for something to snap-Vivian’s voice, a glass shattering, a whisper turned into a weapon-but nothing happened. The chandeliers kept glowing. The music kept swelling in soft waves across the polished floor. The guests kept smiling, dancing.

The reception hall was a different world from the chaos of the morning. It wasn’t the harsh brightness of ceremony light and vows and sacred silence. It was warmth and gold and candle-sweet air, the scent of honeyed wine threaded through the perfume of crushed flowers scattered across the tables.

Amazing food. Moon sigils hung from the rafters, silver and pearl, catching and scattering the light with each lazy sway.

I kept waiting for a wrongness to enter.

I had been on edge ever since we left the chapel, skin tight, eyes flicking to every corner like I could catch disaster before it caught me. I’d been waiting for Vivian to appear with her perfect smile and her poisoned sweetness, for her to find a way to twist this night into something ugly again despite her good deed, to remind me that happiness is always rented, never owned

She didn’t. She left, along with my mother, without even attending the ceremony.

Whatever. I told myself I didn’t care about any of it. Instead, I let Sarah pull me into the crowd. I let myself smile until my cheeks ached.

But then I saw Lucas standing near the far wall, half in shadow, not drinking, not laughing, not even pretending to enjoy the spectacle. Which was odd for a guy known for always smiling.

The light caught his profile and left the rest of him dark, like a painting where someone forgot to finish the background. His posture was too still for celebration. His gaze was fixed.

Watching.

Not the crowd.

Me.

Something hard settled in my stomach.

r

I supposed it made sense for him to be here. It would be stranger if he weren’t. An Alpha’s wedding draws every important wolf for miles, like moths to a flame they swear won’t burn them.

I hesitated.

I could have turned away. I could have pretended I didn’t see him.

But Lucas had been part of my life in ways I couldn’t pretend out of existence just because I was wearing a

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify