The Sickened Luna's Last Chance novel Chapter 406

**Chapter 406**

**Ella’s POV**

The sun had barely begun to rise when I found myself parked in front of Liam’s apartment building, anticipation bubbling within me. As I glanced over, I caught sight of my friend peering out the window, a grin spreading across his face that was infectious.

“Ah, home. Never thought I’d see it again,” he said, his voice filled with a mix of nostalgia and relief.

“Hold that thought until you’re actually inside,” I quipped playfully, shifting the car into park and stepping out to assist him. “For all you know, the place could have been taken over by termites or something equally horrifying.”

Liam let out a snort of laughter, leaning on me slightly as I guided him through the entrance. It was a comforting gesture, but he didn’t need to rely on me as heavily as he had in the past. He seemed to radiate strength now, a stark contrast to the frail figure I had seen just days earlier. The doctors had assured us that the tumor was nearly undetectable, and the signs of remission were unmistakable.

As we stepped into Liam’s apartment, a wave of cool air greeted us, mingling with a hint of dust that had settled over the furniture during his absence. Within moments, however, we began to breathe life back into the space. The warmth of our presence filled the rooms, and soon the rich aroma of coffee wafted through the air. I poured him a steaming cup and flitted around, adjusting his pillows, smoothing the blanket over his lap, and making sure he was as comfortable as possible.

“Ella, you can take a breath,” he said, placing a gentle hand on my wrist to halt my incessant fidgeting with the pillow behind him for the third time in mere minutes. “I’m fine. Really. I’m better, all thanks to you.”

His words sent a rush of warmth to my cheeks, and I nodded, taking a seat across from him. I willed myself to stay still, but the effort was monumental. My hands trembled slightly, and my foot began to bounce restlessly against the carpet. I needed to move, to keep my mind occupied.

“You look worried,” Liam observed, his brow furrowing slightly. “Which is not the expression I expected to see considering the curse is broken and I’m still breathing.”

“I’m fine,” I insisted, though the tremor in my voice betrayed me.

Liam raised an eyebrow, his gaze penetrating and knowing, as if he could see right through the facade I was trying to maintain. He didn’t need to say anything; the silence between us spoke volumes.

With a resigned sigh, I relented. There was no hiding anything from Liam, the one person who could read me like an open book. “Alexander has been experiencing these… hallucinations lately. It’s like he’s seeing dead people all the time. He even has full conversations with them. It’s honestly freaking me out.”

Liam shot forward suddenly, his movement causing me to nearly spill my coffee. “He’s been seeing them too?” he gasped, his eyes widening in shock. “Ella, I’ve been seeing apparitions ever since I woke up!”

I blinked in disbelief. “You… what?”

“It’s true! At first, I thought it was just the exhaustion or the medication, but they didn’t stop,” Liam explained, his voice animated. “Last night, I had a full conversation with this lovely nurse in pink scrubs at the hospital. I didn’t realize I was talking to thin air until my actual nurse walked in and passed right through her. She just vanished like mist, and when I asked about her, my nurse told me that nurse had passed away years ago.”

Setting my coffee cup down, I struggled to comprehend his words. A nurse in pink scrubs… I remembered Alexander mentioning someone who fit that description at the hospital. Was it possible they were both seeing spirits?

“How… how is this even possible?” I blurted out, my mind racing.

Liam furrowed his brow, deep in thought. “Well, the one common denominator between Alexander and me—aside from you, of course—is the curse. I wonder if this could be some kind of residual effect from it?”

It sounded like a stretch, but no matter how hard I tried to rationalize it, I couldn’t think of another explanation. The curse had impacted both Liam and Alexander. If they began seeing these apparitions on the same night—the very night the curse had been broken…

“Alpha!” Hunter pounded his fist against the door. “Alpha, open up!”

“What’s going on?” I asked, rushing to their side.

Lilith and Anya looked pale, their expressions grim. “He locked himself in there,” Lilith explained, gesturing helplessly at the door. “We’ve been trying to get him to come out, but he won’t listen. He says he needs to protect Lucien from the ‘demons.’”

My stomach dropped at her words. I moved closer to the door, pushing Hunter aside, and called out, “Alexander, it’s me! Why is Lucien crying? And why have you locked yourself in there?”

For a few agonizing seconds, there was silence, stretching out like an eternity. Finally, Alexander’s voice came through, muffled but filled with panic. “The demons are trying to get to him! That’s what you are! A demon!”

“I’m not a demon, Alexander. I’m your mate!” I pleaded, desperation creeping into my voice.

“No—they told me not to trust you, so I won’t!” he shouted back, his tone filled with conviction.

I exchanged worried glances with Lilith, Anya, and Hunter, all of us at a loss for how to reach him. Just then, I heard the nursery window creaking open. Lucien’s cries intensified, and Alexander’s voice rang out again, filled with urgency. “I’m getting us out of here! I’d rather die than let you take him!”

In that moment, something primal surged within me—an instinct to protect my family. I couldn’t just stand there in shock any longer. With a swift kick, my boot connected with the door, splintering the wood clean from the hinges just as Alexander was about to leap out the window with our son.