The Sickened Luna's Last Chance novel Chapter 1

Ella POV

“Luna, you...only have one year to live.” The doctor slowly took her glasses off and stared at the floor. “Your wolf has entered a dormant state.”

I couldn’t believe Dr. Evelyn’s words.

“My wolf… is dormant?” I breathed. “Surely there must be a mistake—”

“I’m sorry, Luna, but we double-checked the test results. This disease can be caused by long-term stress and…” She paused, giving me an uncertain look. “...Lack of intimacy with one’s found but unmarked fated mate.”

I swallowed hard. Stress and a lack of intimacy with my mate…

That did sound like my life.

“Based on the few rare cases I could find, I am supposed to suggest you to mark your fated mate or reject each other completely. But you are my Luna, and your fated mate is our Alpha…” Dr. Evelyn sounded uncertain.

“I’m not even marked yet,” I whispered, trying not to confuse this kind young woman anymore than I already had.

Dr. Evelyn looked up at me in surprise. “You and Alpha Alexander aren’t marked? But you’re married.”

I bit my lip, my face flushing hot with embarrassment. It was true; I was married to my fated mate, Alpha Alexander Solace of Ashclaw pack. We had been man and wife for five years, and should have been marked by now.

But we weren’t.

From the moment I recognized him as my fated mate on the annual Alpha ball, I was captivated by him—his handsome yet stubborn jaw, the shock of red hair atop his head, his sage green eyes. He was a remarkable leader, too, intelligent and headstrong and everything an Alpha should be.

However, on our mating day, Alexander had handed me a contract and told me to sign it.

“Our relationship will be purely contractual,” he had said. “For my Alpha reputation, I can’t reject my fated mate. But I won’t mark you, and there will be no intimacy. End of story.”

I did think about taking all the blame and rejecting Alexander after finding out that he was just a jerk, but my father, Alpha Richard Eden of Stormhollow pack, had insisted that I accept in order to gain Ashclaw’s support.

My father had said he was too old to continue managing Stormhollow, and my younger half-brother, Brian, was too young and naive to handle it on his own. We desperately needed Ashclaw’s help.

After all, Alexander was a formidable Alpha; he had taken over Ashclaw at a young age following his parents’ untimely death. Ashclaw didn’t just survive under a teenager’s rule—it thrived.

And besides, my father had raised me to be the perfect Luna—the gentle and obedient woman who would stand alongside an Alpha. It was what I was meant to do, and so, when my father pleaded with me to put my feelings aside and marry Alexander, I had obeyed. As always.

Like a good little girl, I married him. I signed the contract.

I became his Luna in title and responsibility, but behind closed doors, we were nothing to each other. I moved into the west wing of his mansion, all the way on the opposite side of the house from his quarters.

And intimacy? That was entirely out of the question. Even when I initially tried to garner his affection by preparing meals, setting up dates, even just trying to bump into him in the hallway, he didn’t reciprocate.

Eventually, I gave up. I remained obedient and quiet and hardworking and bottled it all up, even if it broke my heart to think that my husband would never love me.

Somehow, I had a feeling that even if I told Alexander about my death sentence now, he still wouldn’t love me.

“One year, Luna,” Dr. Evelyn said gently as I gathered my things. “If you want to live, you must make a decision: mark Alpha Alexander or… reject him.”

Lilith, my Gamma maid, was waiting for me in the lobby. She wore a simple gray cardigan and a skirt today, her silver hair pulled back into its usual neat bun. She rose quickly from her seat when she saw me coming.

“Well? How did it go?”

I took her hand and pulled her out of the hospital, into the cool spring air. The breeze cooled my flushed cheeks, and the scent of blooming flowers soothed me somewhat. I always loved spring the most, and the thought of never experiencing another one again was almost too much to bear.

It was either that… or lose my life at just twenty-two years old.

When we returned to the mansion, I was unsurprised to find that Alexander was holed up in his study. He always was—rather than wandering the vast halls of the ancient manor or enjoying the many sunrooms and sitting rooms the space had to offer, he was always locked up in that stuffy office, poring over paperwork.

I strode up to the large wooden double doors, hearing Alexander’s deep voice rumbling from within. His Beta, Gabriel, was standing sentry outside—and stepped in my way just as I reached for the handle.

“You don’t have an appointment,” Gabriel grunted.

“I need to speak to my husband.”

“Well, then you should have made an appointment sooner. The Alpha is indisposed at the moment—he’s in the middle of a meeting. One that you are not invited to.”

I bristled at the Beta’s insubordination. Gabriel had always looked down on me, had always disrespected me. And I had let him.

But no more. When you only have a year left to live, you suddenly don’t have time anymore to maintain the image of a gentle wolfling who rolls over at the slightest provocation. Especially not with subordinates.

“Move,” I commanded.

Gabriel stiffened, his brown eyes taking on that ethereal golden glow that I had only seen before when Alexander used his Alpha voice.

I had never used my Luna voice before. But I had to admit… It felt good to finally use it now.

Gabriel’s jaw clenched, and I knew he didn’t want to move. But he had no choice. His muscles moved of their own accord, neck tilting slightly as if to bare his throat to me. I lifted my chin and waited, willing my face into a mask of authoritative calm.

Finally, he stepped aside. “As you wish, Luna.”

I gritted my teeth and flung the door open, storming inside.