A Luna for Alpha Kieran-Chapter 88: Effect

Autumn could no longer even breathe without tasting him in the air.

That was the effect he had... physically on her. It must have been the mate bond but honestly, she hadn’t heard of anybody’s else’s mate bond doing stupid shits like these.

Autumn still remembered the first time she ever felt that way... the day she had sneaked into the Blackmoon pack to steal those petty items for her survival!!!

Screw her! Her heart had almost given her away...it was beating so loud... at that time, she only thought it was the exhaustion and fear catching up... she had no way of knowing her heart was on the verge of explosion because of that one being.

That stupid arrogant mutt head!!

She thought she would never see him again... never respond to all his stupid way that he did with her body, run far far away but damn... there she was... struggling with herself for not holding onto him longer. Cursing herself for letting him go and then cursing again for feeling miserable!!

Damn this eternal loop!!

She could feel some eyes on her...quite a lot at that. So she did the only thing she could manage...she shook her head at Velor’s suggestion.

" Just... excuse me... I... I need to rest... a little... "

" Sure! Let me help you!! "

Autumn strictly raised her hands as he leaned forward, maybe about to scoop her or give her a shoulder.

Velor hesitated at Autumn’s sudden bluntness.His lips parted as if to speak again. But Autumn had already turned, lifting her chin and muttering, "I can manage. Thank you,Alpha Velor."

She walked away from the chaos. From the music. From the scene that had peeled her open in front of everyone.

She swiftly went up the winding marble staircase,taking off her heels and rushing bare feet.

The moment the crowd went out of view, something heavier came crashing on her soul.The babies... seemed a little too restless.

She placed one hand over her abdomen and whispered, " I know. That felt nice, didn’t it? But... this is our life. He isn’t going to be a part of it. That’s the reality... that...is what it is. "

She found the first room with an open door and stumbled in. It was a small lounge chamber, dimly lit with amber sconces, long drapes fluttering in the breeze, a low couch at the center.

She collapsed.

Not gracefully.

Just... fell forward, elbows on her knees, face buried in her palms.

It felt too much. When she had dressed up that night...it was definitely not for him. But ever since he left...she was starting to feel that inferior complex all over again.

That fear was creeping in... That idea that she wasn’t enough...

A lump swelled in her throat.

Her breaths grew shallow. One more second, and she would have broken...pressing her face further into her palms, fingers trembling against her skin.A sob clawed at her throat...

Then, the footsteps came.

She jerked upright, hastily swiping at her eyes. She stiffened, scrubbed her face quickly and sat up nicely, blinking through her lashes towards the arched doorway.

A whisper of perfume drifted in first...jasmine, cedar, something warm and spiced... A group of women were walking down the corridor toward the lounge.

"Ah, there you are," Niva said warmly, walking in without hesitation. Before Autumn could even react, she was pulled into a soft but firm hug.

Autumn blinked, eyes darting over the others.Serra, trailing behind with a goblet of wine in hand, her smirk mischievous.

Behind her was Marra and Miera... And then there was Lyla as well... Along with three or four more ladies... all Lunas of course... except Autumn.

"What... why are you all here?" Autumn asked, surprised, instinctively stepping back."The dance?" she added weakly. "It’s still going on...isn’t it? " Did she spoil everyone’s mood?

Niva waved a hand in dismissal, leading her inside as the others followed like a breeze.

"Ah, the dance is overrated. Too stuffy. Too much male ego and testosterone on the dance floor. Nothing we haven’t seen before," Serra drawled, flopping onto the nearest settee with her wine. "I swear, if one more alpha tried to spin me like I was a fidget toy, I would have screamed."

Niva’s eye roll silenced her real quick as the others took their seats all around.

"...And we ladies barely get time together," Mara added brightly carrying forth the conversation, linking her arm with Autumn’s and gently tugging her towards the cushions as well. "So we are rebelling. Let the boys twirl themselves to exhaustion..."

"We Lunas," Serra chimed in, already kicking off her heels, "have claimed this chamber in the name of sanity, wine, and some girl time..."

Autumn was still blinking at them.

She felt like someone had opened a window in a room she didn’t know was suffocating.

"Wait... you mean this was... " frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

"Planned impromptu," Niva said with a knowing smile. "We were just waiting for the right moment to disappear without anyone noticing. Your dramatic exit made it perfect...Cinderella..." She pulled out one of Autumn’s heels that she had in fact forgotten while hurriedly climbing up the stairs.

Autumn’s cheeks flared crimson.

"Oh my gawd...," she groaned.

"Relax," Miera added dryly, tossing a cushion at her. " It’s nothing serious...the way he left..." She shut up real quick looking at Lyla who was sitting in the corner.

"We all saw it, darling," Mara however winked, continuing, completely missing the whole point. "I mean, half of us were secretly rooting for something to happen between you two...Ouch!!! oi...Ai...I mean yeah..." Niva stepped too hard on Mara’s feet before she could spill anymore nonsense and smiled at everyone... including Autumn and Lyla.

After a few seconds everyone nodded and exchanged awkward smiles.

"Well...what can I say...Glad I am not all alone today," she murmured, finally letting herself be pulled down onto a cushion between Niva and Mara.

"Of course sweetheart," Niva said proudly. "What did we talk about girls being there for girls...remember?"

Serra clapped her hands and, as if on cue, two maids walked in with trays piled with warm breads, spiced dips, cakes, chocolate tarts, roasted meat skewers, and pitchers of wine.

Mara’s eyes sparkled, her embarrassment quickly forgotten.

"I told the chef we needed a midnight feast. With all the good stuff. None of that calorie counting nonsense."

"Let the real party begin," Niva declared, raising her glass before anyone could stop her. She downed it in one go.

Everyone stared.Then laughed.

Autumn felt something shift inside her. Subtle. Quiet.But kind of precious.

This was... foreign. Unfamiliar. But beautiful.

A room of women, powerful in their own right, laughing and teasing and just being there...And not because they had to.

Because they wanted to.

"So," Meira said, already shuffling a deck of cards. "Truth or dare...wine edition?"

"Oh no," Autumn groaned inwardly. "I am going to regret this, aren’t I?"

"Absolutely," Serra purred as if hearing her thoughts. "Let’s not hold anything back. "

The music from the ballroom faded into a distant hum and the laughter in the chamber grew louder.

" Hold on...hold on...I asked my girls to get our special wine for the truth or dare game tonight.Till them,let’s do something else. So. Cards or gossip first?"

Mara gasped. "Gossip! Always gossip." She leaned in conspiratorially. "Did you see Alpha Roan’s new beard? It’s literally like a squirrel’s back."

Serra nearly choked on her wine. "Mara!You still have a crush on that guy? "

"What? Me? No! Eeww! Never...my Velor is much more handsome...Thank the Moon! "

Autumn snorted into her glass, the tension in her shoulders easing just a fraction.

Niva smirked. "Fine. But if we are roasting beards, we have to discuss Beta Joren’s attempt at a mustache.I even saw him trying to get some girls twirling that shit! Can you imagine!"

"It’s like two caterpillars fighting." One of the other Lunas observed.

A beat of silence...then the room erupted into laughter.

Lyla finally sighed. Thank god she did. It was starting to feel like she wasn’t even there.

Autumn couldn’t help it. She was laughing too but her head immediately snapped at her sister the moment she signed out loud.

She was instinctively about to reach out...ask if she was feeling alright when Mara accidentally spilled wine on Serra’s dress.

And then all hell broke loose.

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m fr𝒆ewebnove(l).com