The Sickened Luna's Last Chance novel Chapter 481

• Chapter 481

• Ella’s POV

• My mind was still reeling when I arrived home an hour later, I kept thinking back to Anthony and Tony’s sudden change in behavior; they were always so kind and welcoming that the fact they had closed the door in my face left me completely taken aback.

• However, by the time I returned home, I had come to the conclusion that they were perhaps more upset about my mention of Maria than they let on; maybe they just needed some space. I wouldn’t hold it against them. If it had been Lucien who had died, I would have likely done far worse than slam the door in someone’s face.

• I was surprised to enter the house and find that Alexander was still gone. Rather, I found my mother sitting in the sitting room with Lucien perched in her lap. The television was running when I entered the room.

• I froze in the doorway upon seeing that the news station was playing, and a picture of me in a Mrs. Claus costume, my wig in a child’s hands, was on the screen.

• “Ella!” My mother suddenly noticed my presence when a floorboard creaked under my foot. Her face instantly turned beet red and she reached for the remote. “I was just turning this off-”

• I snatched the remote away before she could turn the television off and instead turned up the volume a few notches.

• “…The woman who calls herself ‘Ella’ was spotted today, infiltrating a children’s event,” the news anchor was saying. “Upon removing her wig, multiple children were visibly distressed, and many parents left before their kids even got to see Santa.”

• I grit my teeth. “Infiltrating,” I echoed, flopping into the chair near the sofa. “Like I’m some kind of agent of chaos or something.”

• My mother’s face fell. “Most people don’t actually think that, you know. The news just likes to sensationalize things, that’s all.”

• “Oh yeah?” I gestured to the screen as a chart of approval ratings popped up. Alexander’s approval ratings surrounding his Alpha King reputation had gone down by another five percent since yesterday. “You call that sensationalized?”

• “Well, that’s not permanent. It’ll go back up.” My mother’s expression was hopeful, but we both knew the truth. The public was fickle, and once the news outlets sank their claws into the psyches of the masses, these kinds of things were so much harder to fix-even with fancy new PR managers like Jane.

• In fact, as if on cue, the camera panned over. Sitting beside the news anchor was a familiar face, smiling with teeth that were too white and perfectly swept hair.

• Brian.

• I groaned and sank back into the chair, but I didn’t turn the television off just yet, even though I knew I should.

• “What do you have to say to this, Brian?” the news anchor asked.

• My half-brother’s smile widened a touch too far. He adjusted the lapels of his expensive suit and leaned forward, facing the camera directly.

• “As if it wasn’t bad enough that this woman was trying to impersonate my dead sister, she is now taking advantage of children for her own gain,” he said. “Everything she does is clearly calculated and completely selfish; and Alpha Alexander is no saint, either.”

• “Do you think they’re both in on this? Conspiring to manipulate people?”

• “No, I don’t think so. I know so.” Brian leaned back in his chair. “That’s why Alexander should really step down. If they truly care as much about their reputation as they claim, then they would”

• Lilith snatched the remote away and shut the television off before he could finish whatever he was saying. This time, I didn’t have the strength to argue about it.

• “Ignore that.” Lilith gently lowered my son into my arms. “Focus on what’s important. Like him.”

• I looked down at Lucien’s smiling little face and felt something warm unfurl in my chest. She was right; Lucien was the most important thing in the world. Nothing else mattered when I held him. Not reputations, not packs, not politics. None of it.

• I heard the door open then, and looked up just as Alexander appeared in the doorway. He looked tired, still wearing his coat. When he strode over and kissed me, then Lucien’s cheek, he smelled like the cold air from outside.

• “You saw, didn’t you?” I asked, looking up at him.

• His jaw clenched. “I’ll handle it.” He turned on his heel. “Don’t wait up for me at dinner. I’m going to make some calls.”

• “But-”

• I couldn’t finish before he strode out of the room, already pulling out his phone. I sighed, holding Lucien a little tighter. This all felt like my fault, but I tried not to blame myself; it was just a perfect storm.

• True to his word, Alexander didn’t come to dinner that night. I could hear him on the phone in his study most of the night, although his voice was too low to make out what he was saying. I imagined that he was scrambling to keep up with the press, likely planning PR stunts to help offset the negative attention.

• I couldn’t sleep. Lucien had long since been put to bed. I knew sleep wouldn’t come without Alexander, but he was still busy, so I decided not to bother him. Rather, I put on some sweatpants and a hoodie, then padded down to the kitchen.

• My mother was sitting at the table when I entered.

• “Couldn’t sleep either?” I asked, to which she shook her head. She looked drawn and tired, and her lower lip was chapped where she’d been biting it incessantly.

• I glanced at the clock; it was late, but it could still be going on right now.

• On a whim, I said, “Why don’t we attend another meeting?”

• My mother perked her head up at that. “At this hour?”

• I shrugged. “They’re probably still at the cottage. Maybe they can offer some insight, help out in some way.”

• She hesitated, but I caught the glint of fire in her eyes that was so much like my own. Finally, she agreed, and we slipped out. We didn’t bother with the car it would be too easily noticed if we drove into Stormbollow,

• we were not welcome anymore–and instead shifted, bounding through the woods until we reached the familiar landscape of my home pack.

• It took a little under an hour to reach the cottage. To my surprise, as we shifted and approached the front door, the cottage was dark and quiet.

• “Maybe he’s sleeping,” my mother said, touching my arm. “This was a bad idea-”

• “Let’s just knock. You never know.”

• I walked up to the front door and knocked lightly. Strangely, the door creaked open at the slightest touch; it hadn’t been on the latch. I exchanged a curious glance with my mother, then poked my head inside.

• “Hello?”

• No answer. In fact, the house was completely silent and cold, as if a fire hadn’t been lit in some time. Growing concerned now, I stepped fully inside and went to flick on the light, but the power didn’t come on. I moved toward the living room where we had gathered before and froze.

• All of the furniture was gone. The walls were bare, the fireplace filled only with old ash and charcoal from a fire that had long since gone out.

• The house had been abandoned.