The Sickened Luna's Last Chance - Chapter 85: Chapter 85
You are reading The Sickened Luna's Last Chance, Chapter 85: Chapter 85. Read more chapters of The Sickened Luna's Last Chance.
Ella
My heart came screeching to a stop in my chest.
The locket. Lilith’s family heirloom.
I’d thought it was ruined beyond repair at the auction.
“He asked you to pick up my locket?” I blurted out. “I thought it was broken.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened, and he admitted quietly, “Alexander told me to have it repaired.”
I couldn’t believe it. Alexander had told Gabriel to take the broken locket, the trinket I’d thought he didn’t care about, and have it repaired.
Something warm bloomed in my chest at the thoughtfulness of Alexander’s actions. He must have wanted to make up for what Sophia had done. Maybe Alexander actually—
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Gabriel muttered, apparently reading the expression on my face. “It wasn’t out of love.”
The warmth in my chest immediately turned to ice. “What do you mean?”
Gabriel’s eyes flashed with something that looked an awful lot like that twisted sense of satisfaction I’d grown to know so well.
“Alexander realized the locket was valuable,” he said with a one-shouldered shrug, as if it were nothing to him. “Antique silver, probably worth a small fortune given its age and craftsmanship. He wanted it appraised and repaired so it could be added to the Alpha Collection.”
Lilith stiffened beside me, and my stomach dropped. The Alpha Collection was Ashclaw’s finest and most expensive collection of artifacts: jewels, artwork, trinkets, even bars of solid gold. It existed deep beneath the estate, locked behind a solid iron door that only Alexander and Gabriel knew the code to.
So Alexander wanted to take Lilith’s locket and lock it away in the vault like it was a trophy to him. He actually thought he had a right to keep it just because it was valuable.
“And the reason why I didn’t want to go to the jeweler,” Gabriel continued, “is because I already picked it up yesterday and put it in the safe. Forgot to mention it to Alexander with everything that happened at the hospital, and obviously I couldn’t tell him with you standing right there.”
No wonder Gabriel had wanted me to leave the room earlier. He was probably intending to tell Alexander that their precious necklace was safely locked away, but they knew I would freak out if I found out.
And rightfully so. That locket belonged to Lilith’s family. I had to get it back for her.
But how? Gabriel had already made it clear that as far as he was concerned, the locket now belonged to the pack’s collection. Alexander would probably be thrilled when he found out it was already safely stored away.
But my wolf was back. I was marked and mated and stronger than I’d ever been. I wouldn’t let them take this from me.
“Take me home,” I said quietly.
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Done shopping?”
“Yes. Take me home. Now.”
Gabriel, oblivious, nodded with satisfaction and pulled out of the parking lot. Lilith, who had been quiet throughout the entire exchange, shot me a wary look. I simply reached over and squeezed her hand—a silent promise.
She had been the mother I’d never gotten to have. She was the only one who was truly there for me when I was ill. Hell, if it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t have survived that rogue kidnapping.
I was going to get that locket back for her.
When we pulled into the driveway, I was out of the car before Gabriel had even turned off the engine. He jogged to catch up with me as I strode toward the front door.
“Luna, perhaps you should rest. You’ve had quite a week with the hospital and—”
“Gabriel.” I stopped walking and turned to face him. The Beta skidded to a halt. “I need you to take me to the safe.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“The safe. Under the estate. Where you put my locket.” I folded my arms across my chest and fixed him with a withering glare. “I want to see it. Now.”
Gabriel’s face paled. “Luna, I don’t think that’s appropriate. The Alpha collection is Alexander’s private domain. I can’t just—”
“You can and you will.” With a breath, I let that familiar authority slip into my voice. I wasn’t afraid of using it anymore, and now that my wolf had returned, all it took was the slightest change in timbre and suddenly Gabriel was tilting his neck like a green pup who had been caught red handed.
“I… I can’t refuse a direct order from my Luna,” he muttered, clearly struggling to hold back the words to no avail.
“No, you can’t. Take me to the safe.”
Gabriel’s jaw worked like he wanted to refuse, but the Luna Voice made it impossible for him to disobey. With obvious reluctance, he nodded and gestured toward the mansion.
“This way.”
I followed him through the front door and down the hallway. We passed Alexander’s office, the formal dining room, and several other rooms before Gabriel stopped in front of the basement door.
Pulling a small keyring out of his pocket, he unlocked the door and pushed it open, revealing the narrow staircase that led down to the basement. I wrinkled my nose at the musty smell; I never went down there, finding the entire space creepy, and Alexander had never given me access to the Ashclaw jewels like a typical Luna would, so there was no reason for me to enter.
Because to him, my neck wasn’t worthy of wearing his family heirlooms.
But I wasn’t going down there for jewels or gold. I just wanted a little silver locket that was far more valuable to me than any diamonds.
“The safe is at the bottom,” Gabriel said, flicking on the light switch and illuminating the stairs. “But Luna, I really think you should reconsider. Alexander won’t be pleased if he finds out—”
“Alexander doesn’t need to know about this visit.” I started down the stairs without waiting for his response. “Unless you plan to tell him?”
“No, Luna.” Gabriel’s footsteps echoed behind me as he reluctantly followed. “I won’t mention it.”
The air grew cooler and more dank as we descended the spiral stone staircase. When we reached the bottom, Gabriel moved past me to unlock another door—this one much heavier and more secure.
After punching a code into the keypad, Gabriel stepped back. The door swung open with a loud groan, revealing the vault within.
The space was larger than I’d imagined, with concrete walls and climate-controlled air that felt cool and dry against my skin. But what really caught my attention were the glass display cases lining the walls, each one containing an array of jewelry, artifacts, books, scrolls, and other valuables that gleamed under the bright lights.
Rings, necklaces, bracelets, ornate daggers, silver goblets, antique watches—the collection was massive. Hundreds of pieces, maybe thousands, all carefully displayed.
“Goddess,” I breathed, turning in a slow circle to take it all in.
“Five generations of Alpha acquisitions,” Gabriel said from where he was leaning against the entryway. “Each piece has historical significance or substantial monetary value, so the space is completely climate controlled. We’re not supposed to have the door open for longer than five minutes at a time.”
“Why?”
“Because the oxygen can harm the artifacts,” Gabriel responded with an eye roll as if I’d asked why the sky was blue. “Once the door locks, all of the air is sucked out of the vault to ensure that nothing gets damaged.”
“Well, I won’t be here for long. Just tell me where the locket is and I’ll leave.”
Gabriel hesitated for a moment, then pointed toward a case near the back of the room. “It was catalogued this morning. Case seventeen.”
I walked toward the indicated display, my eyes scanning the contents for Lilith’s necklace. There were a lot of other pieces there, most of them probably worth more than most people’s homes, but I didn’t see the locket.
“It’s not here—”
Slam. Click.
I whirled around, gasping, to find that the door had been slammed shut. The large wheel on the door turned, then clicked ominously as the lock slid into place.
I was locked in the vault—and I realized with a sinking feeling, judging from the timer on the wall counting down from one minute, that I didn’t have long before I ran out of air.
My heart came screeching to a stop in my chest.
The locket. Lilith’s family heirloom.
I’d thought it was ruined beyond repair at the auction.
“He asked you to pick up my locket?” I blurted out. “I thought it was broken.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened, and he admitted quietly, “Alexander told me to have it repaired.”
I couldn’t believe it. Alexander had told Gabriel to take the broken locket, the trinket I’d thought he didn’t care about, and have it repaired.
Something warm bloomed in my chest at the thoughtfulness of Alexander’s actions. He must have wanted to make up for what Sophia had done. Maybe Alexander actually—
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Gabriel muttered, apparently reading the expression on my face. “It wasn’t out of love.”
The warmth in my chest immediately turned to ice. “What do you mean?”
Gabriel’s eyes flashed with something that looked an awful lot like that twisted sense of satisfaction I’d grown to know so well.
“Alexander realized the locket was valuable,” he said with a one-shouldered shrug, as if it were nothing to him. “Antique silver, probably worth a small fortune given its age and craftsmanship. He wanted it appraised and repaired so it could be added to the Alpha Collection.”
Lilith stiffened beside me, and my stomach dropped. The Alpha Collection was Ashclaw’s finest and most expensive collection of artifacts: jewels, artwork, trinkets, even bars of solid gold. It existed deep beneath the estate, locked behind a solid iron door that only Alexander and Gabriel knew the code to.
So Alexander wanted to take Lilith’s locket and lock it away in the vault like it was a trophy to him. He actually thought he had a right to keep it just because it was valuable.
“And the reason why I didn’t want to go to the jeweler,” Gabriel continued, “is because I already picked it up yesterday and put it in the safe. Forgot to mention it to Alexander with everything that happened at the hospital, and obviously I couldn’t tell him with you standing right there.”
No wonder Gabriel had wanted me to leave the room earlier. He was probably intending to tell Alexander that their precious necklace was safely locked away, but they knew I would freak out if I found out.
And rightfully so. That locket belonged to Lilith’s family. I had to get it back for her.
But how? Gabriel had already made it clear that as far as he was concerned, the locket now belonged to the pack’s collection. Alexander would probably be thrilled when he found out it was already safely stored away.
But my wolf was back. I was marked and mated and stronger than I’d ever been. I wouldn’t let them take this from me.
“Take me home,” I said quietly.
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Done shopping?”
“Yes. Take me home. Now.”
Gabriel, oblivious, nodded with satisfaction and pulled out of the parking lot. Lilith, who had been quiet throughout the entire exchange, shot me a wary look. I simply reached over and squeezed her hand—a silent promise.
She had been the mother I’d never gotten to have. She was the only one who was truly there for me when I was ill. Hell, if it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t have survived that rogue kidnapping.
I was going to get that locket back for her.
When we pulled into the driveway, I was out of the car before Gabriel had even turned off the engine. He jogged to catch up with me as I strode toward the front door.
“Luna, perhaps you should rest. You’ve had quite a week with the hospital and—”
“Gabriel.” I stopped walking and turned to face him. The Beta skidded to a halt. “I need you to take me to the safe.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“The safe. Under the estate. Where you put my locket.” I folded my arms across my chest and fixed him with a withering glare. “I want to see it. Now.”
Gabriel’s face paled. “Luna, I don’t think that’s appropriate. The Alpha collection is Alexander’s private domain. I can’t just—”
“You can and you will.” With a breath, I let that familiar authority slip into my voice. I wasn’t afraid of using it anymore, and now that my wolf had returned, all it took was the slightest change in timbre and suddenly Gabriel was tilting his neck like a green pup who had been caught red handed.
“I… I can’t refuse a direct order from my Luna,” he muttered, clearly struggling to hold back the words to no avail.
“No, you can’t. Take me to the safe.”
Gabriel’s jaw worked like he wanted to refuse, but the Luna Voice made it impossible for him to disobey. With obvious reluctance, he nodded and gestured toward the mansion.
“This way.”
I followed him through the front door and down the hallway. We passed Alexander’s office, the formal dining room, and several other rooms before Gabriel stopped in front of the basement door.
Pulling a small keyring out of his pocket, he unlocked the door and pushed it open, revealing the narrow staircase that led down to the basement. I wrinkled my nose at the musty smell; I never went down there, finding the entire space creepy, and Alexander had never given me access to the Ashclaw jewels like a typical Luna would, so there was no reason for me to enter.
Because to him, my neck wasn’t worthy of wearing his family heirlooms.
But I wasn’t going down there for jewels or gold. I just wanted a little silver locket that was far more valuable to me than any diamonds.
“The safe is at the bottom,” Gabriel said, flicking on the light switch and illuminating the stairs. “But Luna, I really think you should reconsider. Alexander won’t be pleased if he finds out—”
“Alexander doesn’t need to know about this visit.” I started down the stairs without waiting for his response. “Unless you plan to tell him?”
“No, Luna.” Gabriel’s footsteps echoed behind me as he reluctantly followed. “I won’t mention it.”
The air grew cooler and more dank as we descended the spiral stone staircase. When we reached the bottom, Gabriel moved past me to unlock another door—this one much heavier and more secure.
After punching a code into the keypad, Gabriel stepped back. The door swung open with a loud groan, revealing the vault within.
The space was larger than I’d imagined, with concrete walls and climate-controlled air that felt cool and dry against my skin. But what really caught my attention were the glass display cases lining the walls, each one containing an array of jewelry, artifacts, books, scrolls, and other valuables that gleamed under the bright lights.
Rings, necklaces, bracelets, ornate daggers, silver goblets, antique watches—the collection was massive. Hundreds of pieces, maybe thousands, all carefully displayed.
“Goddess,” I breathed, turning in a slow circle to take it all in.
“Five generations of Alpha acquisitions,” Gabriel said from where he was leaning against the entryway. “Each piece has historical significance or substantial monetary value, so the space is completely climate controlled. We’re not supposed to have the door open for longer than five minutes at a time.”
“Why?”
“Because the oxygen can harm the artifacts,” Gabriel responded with an eye roll as if I’d asked why the sky was blue. “Once the door locks, all of the air is sucked out of the vault to ensure that nothing gets damaged.”
“Well, I won’t be here for long. Just tell me where the locket is and I’ll leave.”
Gabriel hesitated for a moment, then pointed toward a case near the back of the room. “It was catalogued this morning. Case seventeen.”
I walked toward the indicated display, my eyes scanning the contents for Lilith’s necklace. There were a lot of other pieces there, most of them probably worth more than most people’s homes, but I didn’t see the locket.
“It’s not here—”
Slam. Click.
I whirled around, gasping, to find that the door had been slammed shut. The large wheel on the door turned, then clicked ominously as the lock slid into place.
I was locked in the vault—and I realized with a sinking feeling, judging from the timer on the wall counting down from one minute, that I didn’t have long before I ran out of air.
End of The Sickened Luna's Last Chance Chapter 85. Continue reading Chapter 86 or return to The Sickened Luna's Last Chance book page.