His Abandoned Luna, Her Disabled Alpha

CHAPTER 24

Judging by the satisfied expressions on their faces, the celebration had been a success. The Alpha's family stood at the entrance with his family to see everyone off.

Ivy approached without drawing much attention to herself and took her place next to Luke. He glanced at her briefly when she arrived. His gaze lingered for a moment before returning to the guests. Neither of them spoke.

The silence remained between them until the last guest stepped through the gate. Suddenly, Luke turned to her.

"Ivy, are you -"

Before he could finish, a blur of speed and curly hair crashed into him from the side. Emma coiled around his arm as if afraid he would dissapear. Her cheerful voice filled the space between them.

"Luke, can you help me with the leftover food?" She asked. "Mom said we need to send it to the orphanage."

She turned to Ivy and said, "You should come too."

"I'm busy." Ivy replied. It came out more restrained than what Ivy actually wanted to say.

Emma's presence had a way of testing her patience, but she knew better than to loose her temper in front of Luke. She had learnt to act a little too. At least she now knew what kind of tricks Emma was capable of.

The moment Emma appeared, Luke's attention shifted completely.

He brushed away a loose curl away from her face and asked whether she was going to skip her piano class again. Emma immediately started laughing, launching into an elaborate excuse.

Ivy stood there feeling increasingly out of place. The conversation flowed around her as if she wasn't there at all.

There was no point standing around like an extra piece of furniture while they entertained each other.

Ivy turned and headed towards the pack house building.

A shower sounded infinitely more appealing than this conversation. After that she planned to find Brenda and go for brunch. Brenda bad been far too emotional the previous night and would probably skip meals unless someone sat beside her and made sure she ate.

Behind her, Luke continued talking to Emma. It wasn't until Ivy had already walked several steps away that he realised she was leaving.

"Ivy, wait!"

His voice rang through the courtyard. Emma's hand slipped from his arm as he hurried after her. He caught up quickly and blocked her path.

"Where are you going?" He asked. "We still have to distribute the food."

"I already told you I am busy." Ivy didn't stop. She went around him to keep walking. "Besides, it's not a three person job. I'm sure the two of you can handle it."

He frowned but kept chasing. His tone was angry, just confused. "Why are you talking like that. It's not about whether we can handle it or not."

He matched her pace easily. The walked side by side while he persuaded her to go with them. "Come with us. You have barely left the house since you came back. We can take you around for a bit."

Ivy was mildly surprised by his patience today. Usually he'd storm out as soon as Ivy refused. Beyond that, Ivy couldn't ignore the irony. Moments ago, he had barely noticed she was standing beside him. Now he suddenly wanted to spend time together. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Luke is right, Ivy." Luna Doris showed as up. Emma followed right behind her and together they surrounded Ivy from all sides.

"You've been cooped up at home since you returned. Aren't you bored? I'm sure there's a lot you want to see outside."

"Hm, it will be fun. We haven't been out as a trio before. It has always been just me and Luke." Emma chimed in.

Ivy's stomach tightened. She had no desire to spend and afternoon watching Emma cling to Luke while pretending they were one big happy family.

But refusing outright would only invite unnecessary questions. She desperately searched for an excuse. Unfortunately, she neither had a job, nor responsibility to use as a shield.

She was about to give up when a name surfaced in her mind. Gigi.

The realisation brightened her face. The faint spark that appeared in her eyes was enough to make both Luke and Luna Doris pause. Neither could look away.

For a brief moment, they caught a glimpse of the old Ivy they remembered. The girl who once had friends, plans and a future she was excited about.

The person standing before them now rarely showed any enthusiasm for anything. Seeing that small flicker of light return left them strangely unsettled.

"I already have plans." Ivy said. "I'm meeting Gigi for coffee later."

Luke frowned slightly as he did not recognise that name. He knew every friend Ivy made since childhood until adulthood. That name didn't ring a bell.

"Who's Gigi?" He asked.

"A friend from school. I saw her at the ceremony yesterday and we decided to catch up."

"Who's this friend that I don't know about?" Luke grumbled to himself.

Her answered surprised Emma and so did Luke's reaction. Her eyebrows lifted as she stared at Ivy for a second longer than necessary.

"A friend?" Emma repeated quietly, then forced a smile. "You're not making any excuses to stay home, are you? It's not because of me right? Do I really bother you so much? It's fine, I'll stay behind. You should go with Luke."

"It has nothing to do with you. We made plans yesterday." Ivy deadpanned.

Luna Doris wasn't convinced. "Then call her and confirm it. What if she just said it in passing and doesn't remember?"

Ivy's heart sank. She didn't consider that at all. But the lie was already spoken. It was impossible to go back on it. Under their watchful gazes, Ivy slowly pulled out her phone.

Gigi had originally suggested a meeting on Friday, not today. Ivy internally hoped Gigi would be busy and not pick up the phone. Instead, the call connected after only two rings.