The Sickened Luna's Last Chance novel Chapter 41

Chapter 41

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Chapter 41

I didn’t want to believe that the Oxfords could be involved in something like this. The girl I grew up with, the one who had been my friend through thick and thin… could Sophia really be capable of doing something like this? Endangering innocent people during her favorite holiday of the year?

And for what? Jealousy? Revenge? Was she really that angry that I hadn’t attended the celebration with her?

What about her parents? Why would they intentionally leak the contract to the press? None of it made any sense. Even if they wanted a union between Ashclaw and Moonshine, they weren’t the type to go about it like this.

But Liam had been resolute in his claims that she had caused the attack at the bonfire. He also said that she knew about the contract first, had approached him in the hopes of ending my marriage to Ella, and had even exposed us. And then there was the photographer.

None of it felt like something they would do, but neither did pushing Ella out of a hayloft. And as the days went on, I began to wonder more and more if Sophia truly had done it on purpose. Perhaps the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

I began circling the bonfire, scanning the ground for anything unusual. Unfortunately, there was nothing around the bonfire. I circled wider and wider until I was walking the entire rim of the clearing.

And then my eyes caught on something metallic glinting in the sunlight, half-buried in the dirt near where the rogue had first appeared.

I bent down to examine it. It was a silver chain, partially obscured by leaves and dirt. I brushed the debris away, and my heart sank as I recognized the delicate pearl pendant attached to it.

Sophia’s necklace.

She never took it off. It had been a gift from her mother on her sixteenth birthday, and she treasured it. For it to be here, at the site where the rogue had emerged…

I picked it up and studied it. There could be innocent explanations. Perhaps she’d lost it while fleeing from the rogue like everyone else.

But… no. I recalled that night perfectly; she had been standing near the bonfire when the rogue came. This was too far from where I’d seen her to be plausible.

Well, perhaps it had fallen off earlier in the day, before the attack even happened.

And yet, as I turned the pendant over in my hand, I noticed something else; there was dried blood on the clasp. And embedded in the chain were several coarse, dark hairs. Rogue fur.

Sophia had been here, close enough to the rogue to get its blood and fur on her necklace. It did

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Chapter 41

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seem to support Liam’s theory that she had somehow lured the beast to the celebration.

I pocketed the necklace and continued searching the area, but found nothing else of interest. Finally, I decided to call it quits for now and made my way toward where my Beta was waiting next to the car.

“Did you find any evidence?” Gabriel asked. “Anything pointing to it being the Oxfords’ doing?”

“The photographer’s description certainly sounds like them,” I admitted, holding up the necklace. “And I found this. It’s Sophia’s.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the necklace. “But the Oxfords are a well-respected Alpha and Luna. They wouldn’t do something like this. I don’t think Sophia would, either.”

I tilted my head, considering. Gabriel was right; sophia’s parents were well-known amongst all of the neighboring packs. They had been a prestigious Alpha and Luna duo for decades and had never gotten involved in drama before.

Sophia, on the other hand… She was acting differently lately.

Or had I just been blind before?

“Still,” I said, “it’s worth looking into.”

Gabriel huffed. “Well, I wouldn’t be so quick to judge. Same with Sophia. How can you be certain that Ella wasn’t behind all of this?”

My wolf bristled. “What makes you think Ella would have done this?” I blurted out, sharper than I intended.

“Because she clearly wants to cause trouble,” Gabriel said, already turning to leave. “I don’t trust her one bit. I don’t think you should, either.

I watched my Beta move toward the car, a strange feeling churning in my gut. He didn’t trust Ella. And for the longest time, I hadn’t trusted her, either.

But lately…

I ran my tongue over my lower lip again, tasting the remnants of her lip gloss.

Lately, I wasn’t sure if she was quite so bad.”

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