Chapter 187
Lily POV
I saw how distressed they all looked and for the first time, I understood the situation.
This wasn’t just about my injuries—it was about failure of duty, about the responsibility the staff had accepted when they agreed to care for me. In their minds, my harm reflected their inadequacy, regardless of the actual circumstances.
And knowing who Luna Helene was, this might cause problems for them.
“Don’t worry,” I shrugged casually, “Luna Helene doesn’t live here and I’ll just wear clothes with high neck that would cover the wound perfectly and it won’t scar. I promise p>
“Luna Helene always knows,” Emma’s eyes misted with tears.
“Emma, listen to me,” I said firmly, taking her hands in mine. “This wasn’t your fault. None of you could have prevented this. And I promise you, everything will be properly healed by tomorrow. Luna Helen will never have to know p>
Emma searched my face, clearly wanting to believe me but still terrified of the potential consequences. “You promise p>
“I promise,” I lied smoothly, hoping my wolf could heal me faster.
She nodded reluctantly and finished helping me dress, adding the silk scarf as a final layer of protection. When she was satisfied with my appearance, we headed downstairs together. I tried to do small talk to at least take her mind off the situation but she was still withdrawn.
But as we reached the top of the staircase, I saw a figure waiting at the base of the steps, and my heart sank into my stomach.
Luna Helen stood in the foyer, her elegant frame perfectly composed but for the fury burning in her eyes. She was dressed in a cream-colored suit that made her look every inch the formidable pack Luna she was, and her gaze was fixed on me with laser-like intensity.
Even from this distance, I could see the tension in her posture, the carefully controlled anger that radiated from her like heat from a fire. This was not the woman who had brought me soup and gently touched my hair. This was the Alpha’s mother, the pack’s Luna, and she was absolutely livid.
“Miss Lily,” she said, her voice carrying clearly up the staircase despite its controlled volume. “I believe we need to have a conversation p>
Emma made a small, distressed sound beside me, and I felt her body tense with fear. I squeezed her hand reassuringly, though my own pulse was racing with apprehension.
“Luna Helene,” I said with a broad smile when I got to the base of the stairs, pulling the cardigan I had on, tighter around my neck. “I didn’t expect to see you here p>
“Follow me!” she interrupted me before I could say anything more.
Sighing, I turned and followed her. Her heels clicked against the hardwood floor as she led me to the small office tucked away behind the main living area. I hadn’t noticed that. I followed her with growing dread, my hands instinctively adjusting and readjusting the silk scarf around my neck.
Wondering who had told her about the incident.
When We entered the office, I nodded with satisfaction at the pleasing aesthetic. There was a mahogany desk, with to leather chairs and a floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with what appeared to be pack records and legal documents.
As soon as the door closed behind us, Luna Helene whirled around to face me.
Without warning, she marched forward and yanked the scarf from around my neck, the silk sliding away to reveal the carefully concealed bruises beneath my turtleneck sweater and Kai’s mark on my neck.
Reflexively, I reached for the collar of my sweater and took a step back, my heart hammering against my ribs. “What is going on?” I muttered, trying to feign ignorance despite the evidence now partially visible.
“What is going on?” Luna Helen scoffed, her voice dripping with disbelief and anger. She held up the scarf like a piece of damning evidence. “Tell me why my son came home with your scent all over him and a fresh mate mark on his neck. Are you completely insane, Lily? Is your life so unimportant to you? Are you so desperate for intimacy that you refused to take the most basic precautions p>
For a moment, relief flooded through me so powerfully that my knees nearly buckled. She wasn’t here because of the attack, because Kai had nearly strangled me under the influence of the curse. She was here about the mate mark—about our physical intimacy and the evidence it had left on both of us.
The relief was quickly followed by guilt as I realized what this meant. Kai had gone home bearing the marks of our afternoon together, and Luna Helen had put the pieces together immediately. She was furious not because her son had tried to kill me, but because we had been reckless enough to engage in intimate contact despite the curse.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, dropping my gaze to the floor. “We didn’t mean for it to go that far p>
“Didn’t mean for it to go that far?” Luna Helen’s voice rose with incredulity. “Lily, do you have any idea what you’ve done? What you’ve risked p>
I remained silent, knowing that anything I said would only fuel her anger further.
“Look at me when I’m speaking to you,” she commanded, her voice taking on the authoritative tone of a pack Luna addressing a subordinate.
I raised my eyes reluctantly, meeting her furious gaze. Her usually perfect composure was cracked, revealing the depth of her fear and frustration.
“You were supposed to stay away from each other,” she continued, her voice tight with controlled rage. “That was the entire point of the separate living arrangements, the careful scheduling, the constant supervision. And the first moment you’re given any freedom, you throw all caution to the wind and engage in behavior that could have gotten both of you killed p>
“It wasn’t planned,” I protested weakly. “Kai came to see me at the university, and we just p>
“Just what?” she interrupted sharply. “Just decided that your desires were more important than your safety? More important than the work we’ve been doing to break this curse p>
Her words stung because they weren’t entirely wrong. We had been reckless, had let our emotions override our common sense.
“The curse feeds on intimacy between mates,” Luna Helen continued, beginning to pace the small space like a caged animal. “Every touch, every kiss, every moment of physical connection strengthens its hold on him. And you—” she pointed an accusatory finger at me, “—you allowed him to mark you. To claim you in the most permanent way possible while he’s under the influence of dark magic p>
“He was himself when it happened,” I said desperately, trying to defend our afternoon together. “The curse didn’t take hold until later p>
“Later?” Luna Helen stopped pacing and stared at me with dawning horror. “You mean there was an episode? While you were together p>