The Alpha Who Saved Me

Chapter 19

DECLAN

It’s the day i’ve dreaded for the past month, and the first day of my miserable future with a Luna that I never wanted. How did I get here? Never mind, we all know how I got here. I glare at my own **. I’ve already stirred up issues over me not marking Lila with the Elders. I refuse to give her my mark. I agreed to make her my Luna and raise the pup, but there will be no intimacy between us ever.

It’s also been a month since I’ve laid eyes on Quinn. I think I really pushed her away by rescinding her invite to today’s ceremony because I didn’t want her coming with Gavin. I only ***myself, because now she refuses to talk to me all together. Before, I thought that maybe I’d be able to handle Lila being my Luna as long as I still had Quinn in my life, but now, I’m not so sure.

Little by little, I’ve notice slight changes with myself, mainly with my ***status, and I’m really hoping that it isn’t the insane part catching up to me now that Quinn isn’t here. It could also be that the she-*** is driving me **crazy on a daily basis, and if that isn’t enough, my mother has been hounding me about letting Lila stay in the Luna Suite, which so happens to be right next to mine, yeah, I don’t think so. She never minded being on the second floor as she was screwing all the unmated males; she shouldn’t have a problem with it now.

Lila may have the Luna title, but she does not have me having her back when she doesn’t get any respect. She did this to herself by doing whatever she did to get knocked up, and I know that she is hiding something. It will come out all in good time, though.

“Declan, everybody is waiting for you out back, well, everyone that showed up anyway.” Carter informs me with a frown.

“What’s that look for?” I ask and giving my own frown.

“Uh, not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but…”

* Just spit it out already.” i grumble and pour me two shots of whiskey from the side bar in my office.

“Only a handful of guests showed up, and three quarters of the pack decided not to come.” My Beta pours himself a glass and downs it in one go.

I smirk, “That’s a good thing. The less people that are here, the less that will witness my shame.”

*Declan…”

“No, it’s true. I think Lila may be my downfall and I feel like there is nothing that I can do to stop it.” I throw back the shots and pour me two more.

“Um, maybe you should not take those,” Carter points to the shots, “Lila needs to drink your blood and it wouldn’t be good for the pup.”

***it! I can’t even get wasted before I turn my life over to that ***!” I begin to laugh, a little at first, but then it turns into a hysterical one, “She really got me good. She got exactly what she wanted! Why didn’t I see it before it got this far, Carter?”

*None of us did, Declan. You can’t beat yourself up over it. Lila was sneaky about it. I still can’t figure it out myself, and I blame myself for you being in this position.” Carter admits. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

I snicker, “Last time I checked, it was my **that I used to ***her, not yours. Although, if there is ever a next time, I will remember to come get yours.”

“You’re such a ***! There won’t be a next time, because this should have taught you a lesson, it definitely taught me a lesson. I got me one of those pocket ***from online. That’s the only thing my **will be entering until I meet my mate.” I literally laugh out loud at my Beta’s confession of his purchase history.

“Oh **.” I wipe my eyes after they actually teared up because of how hard I laughed, “I needed that, thanks!”

“I’m glad you found that funny because I don’t. Pocket ***aren’t anywhere near the same as a real one.” My Beta pouts like a little boy.

Islap him on the back. “You will thank me later on.” I grab my suit jacket and put it on. “I guess we had better get down there before the she **chases away what little number of guests that we have.”

“You’re probably right,” Carter opens my office door, “After you. Alpha.” He gives me a **-eating grin.

“Is the organist here?” I ask.

“Organist? I didn’t know we were having one?” Carter looks confused, and worried all at the same time.

“Well, who else is going to play the funeral music as we walk down to the front?” I smirk.

My Beta rolls his eyes and punches me playfully in the arm, “Very funny, you had me ***worried that something was forgotten!”

R RRURR

A

I’m up on the makeshift stage, waiting on Lila to make her appearance. I don’t know why she couldn’t just come when I came down, it’s usually how it goes; the Alpha holds his mate’s hand as he walks her down to begin the ceremony. Not that I would have done any of that because she isn’t my mate, but she could have at least come down at the same time.

Carter wasn’t kidding, not very many guests showed up. I guess they got wind of my predicament and refused to come. Not everyone is a fan of having to take a Luna because she’s carrying your pup. Most shifters believe that the Alpha’s mate should only hold the Luna position, and I made it clear that I would not be mating my Luna, so this is the outcome. I’m not bothered by it one bit, but I bet Lila will be just a tad irritated.

When she finally appears at the end of the aisle, I have to roll my eyes. I hear my Beta chuckle softly from the front row, earning him an elbow from both sides, one from his mother and one from mine. Lila is dressed in a white gauzy gown that reaches her ankles, with long sleeves made out of lace and a bodice with a sweetheart neckline. Half of her hair is up and she’s wearing a crown of daisies on top of her head. In her hand, she holds a bouquet of daisies, and I have to do a double take, because you don’t carry flowers for a Luna ceremony. Does this crazy wolf really think that we are getting married?

Understandable, that at normal Luna ceremonies, a wedding usually takes place at the same time, but that only occurs with your mate. I curse under my breath knowing that I’m going to have to listen to her *when she learns that we aren’t getting married.

Once Lila sweeps the crowd, her big smile falters and she stumbles just a little as she realizes that there aren’t very many guests here. She quickly masks her anger and continues to walk toward me. I have no choice but to stand here and wait for her as she walks towards the stage. When she comes to stand in front of me, she leans in and whispers

“Where is the Elder that’s supposed to perform the ceremony?”

I **a brow at her, “I’m the one that performs the Luna ceremony.”

“Yeah, I know, but who’s officiating the wedding part?” She asks annoyed.

I scratch the back of my head and look down at my mother who shrugs at me while looking bored out of her mind. My Beta is doing everything he can not to laugh out loud, and the other guests all begin to murmur to each other.

“Uh, Lila, there is no wedding. We aren’t getting married.” I state.

“What? What do you mean we aren’t getting married? I’m carrying your pup! You would have the Alpha heir be a **?!” Her voice carries over the crowd and I’m only holding Duke back by a thread.

“What did you think would happen when you decided to trick me into getting you pregnant? You are not my fated mate, nor my chosen mate, so any pup you have from me will be a ***.” i take a few deep breaths trying to calm myself before continuing. “The point of the Luna ceremony is so the pup can be my heir, and that is the only reason for it. I’m sorry if you thought otherwise, Lila, but you never were a good listener, were you?”

I can tell that she wants to say more, but she doesn’t, she just tosses the bouquet to the ground and then kneels in front of me, so I can begin the ceremony. I was almost hoping that she would call it off, but unfortunately, I’m not that lucky.

Halfway through the ceremony, I’m just slicing my hand open in order to pour my blood into the cup that Lila must drink from, when I feel it. My heart stops momentarily, and then starts right back up again. I’ve only felt it a few other times, so I look up, and that’s when I see her.

Quinn.