Chapter 299

Author’s pov

Meanwhile,Luna Dora stood stiffly, faces flushed with the kind of shame that only comes when your moral high ground crumbles in front of an audience.

Luna Dora had never liked Cecilia.

And Cecilia? She was a nobody. Human, no connections, no influence. Totally beneath what Dora had in mind for the Luna of Blood Moon Pack.

When Xavier had gone against her, argued, and married Cecilia anyway, her disapproval hardened into something bitter and personal.

It stopped being about the pack and became a matter of pride. If Cecilia won, Luna Dora lost. End of story.

And Luna Regina?

She was just an older, slightly more polished version of Dora. Different last names, different packs, same instinct to protect power while pretending it was about tradition.

It’s easy to dismiss kindness when it comes from someone you’ve already decided doesn’t fit your narrative.

The charity ball still haunted them.

Cecilia had saved them, no question. But saying thank you? That would mean admitting they’d been awful to her. And God forbid they actually start liking the girl they’d spent days trashing.

“Well, ladies?” Yvonne’s voice sliced clean through the silence.

She looked between them, all sugar and steel.

“No thoughts to share with the group p>

She’d already made her point, but clearly wasn’t done twisting the knife.

The Lunas’ children stood awkwardly nearby, watching in silence.

Their expressions said it all: Maybe it’s time to admit you were wrong. But none of them stepped in to soften the blow.

Cecilia didn’t look at them.

What she felt wasn’t triumph. It was something warmer. Gratitude.

Yvonne had stepped up when it counted, and that kind of loyalty meant more than any public apology.

As for what any of the Lunas thought?

Please. Who cared.

Across the walkway, Luna Dora lifted a hand to her forehead and swayed dramatically.

Theatrical to the point of insult.

She couldn’t even say one nice thing to Cecilia. Not here. Not now.

Xavier knew exactly what she was doing, but he still caught her before she could fake a faint.

He knew the drill.

Watching LunaDora’s performance, Luna Regina considered doing the same.

“Copying someone else’s move? Tacky,” York muttered as his mother clutched his arm.

Luna Regina smacked him on the shoulder. Twice. Her face was bright red.

Sebastian’ s lips twitched. “Let her faint if she wants. We’ve got time. She can’t stay unconscious forever p>

Luna Regina’s cheeks turned crimson, but in the end, she went for it anyway. Graceful exits were out of reach. Faux-fainting was all that remained.

Sebastian leaned down close to Cecilia’s ear.

“Wonder what Mrs. Esther ’s cooking tonight. Maybe my mother should stop by and try some p>

Cecilia’s eyes widened.

Was he actually serious?

Bringing Luna Regina into her parents’ kitchen?It was a full-on blood pressure test.She didn’t say anything.

The ride back felt faster. Probably because no one said a word.

Staff guided them to the cable car station and returned to their posts without a word.

Luna Regina didn’t linger once they reached the bottom.

She grabbed York and Zaria like a general retreating from a lost battle and marched them straight to the car.

Luna Dora was just as fast. She climbed into her own vehicle and drove off without even glancing at Xavier.

The two cars disappeared down the dirt road, kicking up dust like they were fleeing a crime scene.

Cecilia’s pov

In the end, only the people who’d left from the apartment that morning were still standing in the parking lot.

For a moment, no one spoke. The air felt oddly quiet.

I blinked, half-expecting someone to yell “cut” and reset the scene.

But the silence held.

I shifted my weight, suddenly aware of the gravel crunching under my shoes.

Great. Apparently, I now have the magical ability to make Lunas scatter like spooked deer.

“Cecilia p>

Xavier stepped forward, his voice low. “Can we talk? Just the two of us p>

God, I was so done with this drama king.

“Talk to your mother,” I snapped, eyes blazing. “How many times do I have to say it? There’s nothing left to discuss. Stop following me around like a lost puppy p>

Yvonne and Harper exchanged confused glances, clearly caught off guard by the burst of tension.

“That’s enough, Alpha Xavier,” Sebastian said, stepping forward.

He slid an arm around my waist, grounding me before I could launch into a full-blown rant.

“She’s telling the truth. I’ve seen the messages. It’s all a misunderstanding p>

Xavier blinked. “You already know p>

Sebastian gave a small, polite smile, the kind that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I saw your message,” he said lightly, his tone calm but unmistakably edged.

“First off, thanks for the concern about my girlfriend. That was… thoughtful of you p>

He paused, just long enough to let the sarcasm settle.

“Second, I looked into it. You were wrong p>

His smile thinned. “So maybe don’t try to turn this into a spectacle p>

Xavier stiffened, his face folding like he’d just swallowed something sour and lukewarm.

He opened his mouth, then shut it again.

Sebastian didn’t bother saying anything else.He just kept his arm casually draped around me as we turned and walked away.

We got into the car.

From the front seat, Tang asked, “Alpha, heading back to the apartment p>

“Yes,” Sebastian replied calmly.

I smiled just a little too brightly. “Actually… let’s go to my parents’ place. We’ll all have dinner together p>

Sebastian turned his head slightly, his gaze flicking toward me with the faintest arch of a brow.

His eyes darkened just a shade. Yeah, he caught on immediately.

It was a soft pivot. A way to turn date night into group night. To shift from intimate to… strategic.

“Sounds amazing!” Harper chirped.

She clapped like we were headed to a pop-up wine tasting, not an ambush dinner.

“This’ll be my first time at your parents’ house,” Yvonne added. “I’m definitely going back for seconds p>

Their enthusiasm was almost adorable.

I smiled, avoiding Sebastian’ s eyes like they were booby-trapped.

What? His mom played emotional dodgeball for sport. So why couldn’t I?

Sebastian let out a quiet sigh that only I could hear.

It wasn’t angry. Just… resigned.

We drove back into the city, the skyline lit up in pink and gold, the kind of golden hour that made everything look deceptively peaceful.

Around six p.m., we pulled into my parents’ sleepy suburban neighborhood, where every lawn looked like it competed in a silent HOA war.

On the way, Sebastian had even stopped at a boutique to pick up gifts.

Tang followed behind like a very well-dressed pack mule, juggling gift bags like we were heading to meet foreign dignitaries instead of my mom and dad.

I reached for my keys, but before I could touch the door, it swung open.

Standing in the doorway was a man in an apron, blinking at us like he hadn’t expected a full entourage.