His Abandoned Luna, Her Disabled Alpha

CHAPTER 27

"Ivy?"

The touch dragged Ivy away from the storm of thoughts. She gasped loudly, as if she was drowning and pulled out of the water. Her frantic gaze settled on Gigi and clarity once again found it's place in her eyes.

However, along with the clarity was an unknown emotion that made every hair on her body stand on edge. Those eyes held something dangerous, and it made Gigi withdraw her band out of fear.

There was no anger or fear as expected. Even the grief Ivy had been holding onto had melted away by the intensity of that gaze. Her red eyes blinked like a rabid beast hidden behind a cover of human skin.

"I still don't know what they meant." Gigi said quietly. "I just thought you deserved to know. It was about your grandma, so I couldn't keep it from you.

Ivy stared at her for a long time. Just as Gigi started to feel truly frightened, Ivy gave a small nod.

"Thank you for telling me."

The calmness in her demeanor scared her more than any outburst could ever have.

Ivy pushed back the chair and stood up to leave. Her actions startled Gigi, who hurriedly held her wrist, only to let go at the sight of thick bandages on it.

"Sorry." She apologized with a hiss. "Are you leaving already?"

"I need to go back." She answered.

"Ivy..." Gigi hesitated before speaking. "Maybe don't think too much about it right now. You're grieving, it's easy to assume the worst."

Then she saw a slight smile appear on Ivy's face. It was anything but assuring. If anything, it frightened her even more.

"I'm not assuming anything. I just need to think." Ivy said.

The response sounded reasonable yet something about it felt off. Gigi couldn't explain why. Perhaps it was the way her eyes hardened like ice, maybe the eerie composure in her voice. Whatever it was, it left Gigi with the uncomfortable feeling that something important had shifted.

"Thank you for telling me." Ivy repeated, then turned and walked away.

The bell above the cafe door chimed as she stepped outside. Bright sunlight flooded the street, forcing her to narrow her eyes for a moment.

Cars moved past, people walked by. Life continued as if nothing had happened.

Ivy stood at the sidewalk, soaking in the life that was all around her.

For years, she has endured humiliation, loneliness and pain without fighting for herself. The palace has broken pieces of her that couldn't be repaired.

The accusations in the pack house no longer surprised her. Even Emma's little schemes had become something she tolerated for the sake of survival. She didn't challenge her for anything.

She could endure suffering directed at herself. Grandma Norma was different.

The old woman loved her when nobody else did. She has defended Ivy when it was inconvenient. She had continued to hope even after three years of distance.

IEmma had used that love against her. She had deliberately spent months poisoning her grandma's final days with lies and accusations.

That was something Ivy could never overlook, nor forgive.

For the first time since returning to the silver mane pack, Ivy stopped thinking about survival. Instead, she found herself thinking about how far she was willing to go in order to uncover the truth.

"I explained the situation to Emma beforehand. I couldn't make it to the funeral, but I truly regret your loss." Jaxon's voice drifted through the sitting room as he set down his teacup. His usually reserved expression softened slightly. "Grandma Norma was one of the kindest people I ever met."

Luna Doris offered him a faint smile as she arranged a plate of biscuits on the table between them. "Don't trouble yourself over it. It happened so suddenly that we're still struggling to accept it ourselves."

The gathering was small and subdued. Emma sat gingerly next to Jaxon while Luke perched on the sofa across from them.

Alpha Victor was there as well, though his attention seemed elsewhere. He sat with the morning paper in hand, giving the impression that he was there only to keep up appearances.

"It was sudden. But it would be a lie to say we weren't expecting it." Emma said quietly, reaching for one of the biscuits.

Her outstretched hand brushed Jaxon's midway. The touch lasted an instant, yet Emma immediately withdrew her hand.

Her fingers twisted together over her lap as a faint crimson blush crept over her cheeks. She inched closer to Jaxon. Her movements so small it went unnoticed.

Just as their shoulders were about to touch, the front door slammed open.

The deafening bang shattered the peaceful atmosphere. Emma jolted violently and the biscuit slipped from her fingers. It landed messily on the carpet by her feet.

It wasn't just Emma who was started by the sudden commotion. The pack house was a sacred place where the Alpha and his family lived. There wasn't a second person who's dare to be unruly enough to burst their way in.

Alpha Victor's eyes turned sharply, then narrowed at the gloomy presence at the door. He opened his mouth, a reprimand ready to be fired, but Luke beat him to it.

"Can't you behave for once, Ivy?" Luke snapped, his impatient gaze swept over her unkept appearance. "Did you go out to meet a friend or fight with someone?"

"Luke," Luna Doris shot him a warning look, then turned to Ivy and asked, "Ivy, why are your clothes dirty? Did you fall on your way home?"

Ivy didn't respond to their inquires. Her dead cold eyes couldn't move from the woman on the sofa.

Emma felt that gaze on her. A shiver ran down her spine as she met it. That pair of eyes fell on her like a predator ready to devour. Emma's instincts screamed at her to run. To hide. To her as far away from Ivy as possible.

Her stiff footsteps came to a stop right before the coffee table. Her unruly self didn't come alone. Along with her came a storm that nobody expected.