bChapter /bb253 /b

“Whatever you want to think.” I turned away from her and walked back to my chair. “Applications open in two weeks. You can submit yours with everyone else’s.”

The truth was, I didn’t want to host the trial at all. The whole thing had been forced on me by my Alpha King advisors. They’d cornered me three days after E’s funeral andid it out in terms I couldn’t ignore.

An Alpha King without a Luna was vulnerable. Other Alphas could challenge my position if they thought I was weakened by my loss. The packs needed stability, and stability meant a mated Alpha with a strong Luna by his side.

I’d argued with them for hours, but they wouldn’t budge. Host a Luna Trial or risk losing everything I’d worked for.

The irony wasn’t lost on me, of course. I’d spent years treating E like she didn’t matter, and now that she was gone, her absence was threatening to destroy everything.

I never wanted to marry again, truthfully.

But what I wanted didn’t matter anymore. It never had. I was the Alpha King, and the Alpha King did what was best for his people, not what was best for himself. Furthermore, I needed to secure Lucien’s future, and I couldn’t do that if I let myself get beaten out of my position. I could lose Ashw entirely if that happened. fn66e7 Newest update provided by FιndＮovel/fn66e7

So I decided that I’d marry whoever won the trial. But I’d never be intimate with whoever became my new Luna. Lucien would be my one and only heir, and I would never produce another child with anyone.

With E gone, I would never love again.

Sophia

Sophia was on cloud nine.

Alex had given her permission to enter the Luna Trial. He’d practically invited her topete for his hand in marriage.

If circumstances had been different, Sophia might have smiled. But for now, she had to hide her smile–had to y the part of an understanding friend who would never celebrate Alex’s wife’s death.

But… This was it. Finally, after all this time, this was her real chance!

For years, Sophia had schemed and plotted and tried to drive a wedge between Alexander and E in every way possible. She’d been cruel and maniptive and desperate, clinging to a man who was obsessed with a worthless woman.

But now E was dead, and Alex couldn’t cling to E anymore–at least not for much longer. Soon, her grave would grow cold and he would have no choice but to move on. He needed a Luna and a mother for his son, and besides, he was still a man; he couldn’t remain celibate forever.

Finally, Sophia’s long years of nning woulde to fruition. All the careful timing, being in the right ce at

the right time, positioning herself as the heroine who saved his child even if she “couldn’t” save his wife…

Alex would soon turn to someone forfort. And that someone would be Sophia.

And finally, Sophia could do this the right way. She could enter the trial and prove herself worthy of being Luna. She could show Alex that she was strong enough, smart enough, capable enough to stand by his side.

All it would take was a little more patience. And once she got that ring on her finger…

It would only be a matter of time before Sophia showed Alex that she was the one who had been here all along. The one who truly deserved his love.

Soon, Sophia would truly hold Alex’s heart in her hands… And he would forget all about E and that son of theirs.