Another Chance for the Luna Queen

"Alexander."

I looked up as Derrick addressed me, his posture rigid, shoulders back, and head

held high. But I could tell he was

nervous

"Yes?" I asked.

"I wanted to speak to you about my wife," he said.

I raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. Lily had been an old friend of my mother's, which was why I had felt confident confronting her when she had been upsetting Ella

I had remained appropriately polite when I warned her that if she kept staring at Ella, I'd give the rest of the restaurant a reason to stare at her. She had taken the hint and excused herself.

Since then, our only contact had been her awkward apology to Ella, and honestly, I had nothing more to say about the woman.

"What about her?" I asked.

Derrick hesitated. "She's worried about your mother," he answered. "They had an argument recently. Look, I don't put much stock in women's gossip, but Lily was very shaken up and insisted that I let you know." "Let me know what exactly?" I asked, irritation creeping into my tone. "Say what you need to say."

Derrick exhaled. "Diana's behavior has been... strange lately. She made a comment to Lily that implied either you or Ella was ill. It was odd, and maybe Lily just misunderstood, but she wanted me to check and make sure that everything is okay."

I shook my head and smiled slightly. "My mother is dramatic," I said. "Please assure Lily that everything is fine. There's absolutely nothing to be concerned about."

"I'm relieved to hear that," Derrick said.

"You handled yourself well today," I told him. "Reporters can be vultures."

He blinked, looking genuinely surprised by my praise. "Thank you," he said. "And I could say the same to you. Some will claim that showing emotion is a sign of weakness. But I've always found that if you don't stand your ground on what matters, you set yourself up for trouble down the line."noveldrama

"I appreciate the advice," I said sincerely.

"That went well," Roman said as he approached us. "People are excited about the project."

"As they should be," Derrick replied. "This is going to be huge for our packs-a real step in the right direction, cutting our dependence on outside energy sources."

"You're certainly a dedicated spokesperson for the project, Roman said, patting Derrick's shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"Sir," Derrick's beta interrupted, drawing his attention. Derrick made a polite excuse and stepped away. I caught the serious expression on his beta's face and couldn't help but wonder if he was about to receive news about David..

I forced myself to look away, turning my attention back to Alpha Roman.

"I liked seeing you defend my daughter," he said. "I know Ella is safe in your hands."

"I do my best," I replied, feeling slightly unworthy of the praise, considering all the danger I had put her in

Chapter D30S

recently.

"How is she doing?" he asked, "It's been a little while since we've seen her." "Actually," I said, seizing the opportunity, "I wanted to ask you about Ella."

His expression shifted to one of concern. "Is anything wrong?"

"It's just... I've noticed moments when her behavior is strange, distant," I admitted. "And I wondered if you had any idea why."

Roman exhaled, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. "I wish I could help. For the past year or so, Ella's had spells like that. She insists she's fine, and nothing seems physically wrong. She seems happy, so I try not to question it too much."

I nodded. So it was true-Ella hadn't confided in her father at all. A flicker of pride stirred in me. She had trusted me with something no one else knew about her.

That was all the more reason I had to help her through this onely fight she had been engaged in. She had given me her trust had to prove myself worthy of it.

But that was easier said than done. I had my own secrets. And revealing them could put Ella in even greater danger.

The last thing I wanted was to bring more trouble into her life.