All Chapters of The Stand-In Luna: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Ashley“You're an idiot to think he even trusted you,” I muttered to myself.I rushed back home as though being chased by a nightmare, not caring about the dark, or caring about coming across someone who might have seen just how frazzled I was. The throbbing I had been feeling earlier had gone down to an uncomfortable numbness.Once I got back, I first rinsed my hand with cool running water and applied a salve to the places that were most hurt. The coolness of the salve helped me relax, and not long after, I fell asleep.By the next morning, the worst of the wound had been taken care of by the salve, although there were certain wounds that a salve couldn't fix and the fact that I had lost my wolf made my healing slower.Work at the Grove went on as usual—well at least it was until someone came knocking at the door of the apothecary Alicia had placed me in charge of.“Who is it?” I asked, already rising to my feet. I made sure that the bandage around my hand was secure, before pulling

AshleyThe exquisite stone carving must have taken months to complete because its delicate carving was unlike anything I had seen before. It told a story, without having to utter a word. “It's magnificent,” I said, unable to keep myself from running a hand over its surface. “This is the reason for our century old war for power,” said Gamma James, looking up at the statue himself with his hands clasped behind him. He looked regal in his embroidered matching two-piece. “The current Lycan King’s ancestor.”After he had come into the apothecary to see me, he asked to speak with me about something important, and since I'd heard enough about his family and their tendency for cruelty, I thought it better to avoid any issues and simply accept his offer.The first place he had taken me to was the heart of the tribe, which wasn't so far from the Grove. There, a huge statue rose from the centre of a circular platform, reaching for the sky. It was of a man in little clothing, focused on a targe

Ashley“Now that you know all that you do now, I expect that you'll be more cautious, Ashley,” James said once we were out of the pack house’s hidden site. Zane’s cage. Silver moonlight slid through his hair, making him appear like an angel—but I knew better. Eager to get away from him, I nodded. “Yes, I understand now.” The coldness in my chest from Zane's behaviour still lingered, although I tried to tell myself otherwise. I wondered why I still kept holding on to hope that he would open up to me, even when he had shown me differently more than once.Thoughts of Zane abandoned my mind when James moved closer to me, clasping both of my hands protectively in his. It made me all the more aware of how taller he was, and bigger too. His attitude may have been off putting, but he was an undeniably attractive person. And he was very much aware of it from the way he looked at me with heavily-lidded eyes.“I regret to leave your side this evening, but I have important matters to attend to.

AshleyDeep breaths. All I had to do, was simply put my knuckles against his door, and I was going to be fine. I told myself over and over again that it was nothing, and that I simply wanted answers.“But who are you to demand answers from him, Ashley?” The sound of my own criticism muttered hung in the air around me. Did I really have that right to question him? The Lycan King? I rapped gently against the door of his room, and took a single step back. I just hoped that he hadn't gone to that dungeon to stay the night.As my mind started to wander off in a complex web of thoughts, the door unlocked, and Zane stepped between the door and the wall. He looked mildly surprised. “Ashley? Is there something wrong?”It took a long time for my brain to process his question, because he just happened to step into virw without a shirt. His muscles rippled with every breath, reminding me of the strength he carried. I shook my head a little and blinked, hoping that he didn't catch me putting as

AshleyZane's smirk told me all I needed to know concerning his thoughts on my question. My eyes went to his lips, as I was pleasantly surprised by his sudden reaction. “Why do you want to know our connection, Ashley?” he asked, eyes burning into my forehead as we stood close to each other, bodies almost pressing together. I became hyoer aware of his presence, remembering that we were very much alone once again.The kiss we shared burned through my mind like it had only happened the day before.“I just, want to know. You two seem very close.”“We are. We've been friends since childhood.”“Oh.” I chewed on my lower lip. “Alright then.” Bonds childhood friends had were usually very powerful that an outsider couldn't just come between.Zane's brow quirked up, and using my arm as leverage, he brought me closer to him. “Did you perhaps think we had another kind of relationship?”I shook my head, also trying to remove my intrusive thoughts. I could feel the hard muscles of his body through