Chapter 283 The Contract Luna

Chapter 283 The Contract Luna

VIVIANNE

I forced a smile, though it felt stiff and awkward on my face.

Why did it have to be him?

Of all the Alphas in the world, why did it have to be the one man I knew through Yelena? I took a breath, trying to steady the sudden erratic rhythm of my heart.

"I could ask you the same thing," Alpha Tristan said, his gaze sharp. He looked at me, then at Loren, his expression unreadable.

He was trying to piece it all together... the Alpha of Crescent Pack sitting with the director of the hospital where his future wife worked.

I cleared my throat, feeling the weight of the moment. It was surreal. My best friend’s soon-to-be husband was sitting here, waiting for a verdict from a man I was bound to by nothing more than a piece of paper. "Well," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "I’m the hospital director you were waiting for."

"I know that," Alpha Tristan replied. Of course, he knew.

He was a smart man, and he knew exactly who managed the staff where Yelena spent her days.

"And my Luna," Loren added, his voice low and firm. I almost scoffed out loud.

His Luna.

We were in a business arrangement, a contract marriage, nothing more, and yet, hearing him say it like that felt strange.

It wasn't supposed to sound so permanent.

Loren turned to me, his grey eyes scanning my face, searching for something. "You two know each other?"

I looked away from him, focusing on Alpha Tristan. "Yes," I said, speaking to the Alpha across the table. "He’s my friend’s soon-to-be husband. Their wedding is next week."

I didn't know why I felt the need to clarify, but the words just slipped out.

"And why didn't you invite me?" Loren asked.

I froze.

My eyes snapped back to his.

What was wrong with him?

That wasn't in the agreement. We were supposed to be professional, cold, and distant, not making small talk about wedding invitations.

I looked at his face, really looked at it, and realized he was acting this way only because it was Alpha Tristan. If it had been anyone else, Loren wouldn't have blinked.

I forced a tight, polite smile and looked away. "We're straying from the reason we're actually here, don't you think?"

I felt his gaze shift away from me, and a wave of relief washed over me.

Alpha Tristan, however, just let out a quiet, knowing smile. He saw it, the tension, the friction, the mess of it all, and it clearly amused him.

I couldn't wait for the door to shut behind him so I could finally breathe.

"Okay," Loren started, his voice clipping the air. "What do you say about what he wants?" He looked at me again.

Why was he looking at me for every answer?

"Who said something?" I countered, refusing to play along with his game.

He blinked, looked away, and tapped his fingers on the table.

I didn't know what his problem was today, but he was acting like a stranger.

"Alpha Tristan wants to take Selene to his own pack to punish her for what she did to his Luna," Loren explained, his eyes finding mine again. "What do you say, as my Luna?"

Did he have to keep bringing up that title?

It felt like he was mocking me, or maybe mocking the situation.

I shrugged, keeping my tone neutral. "I think it’s fair. If she committed the crime against one of his pack members, he should be the one to decide the punishment."

Alpha Tristan let out a short, sharp laugh, he tried to suppress it, pressing his lips into a thin line, but the amusement was clear in his eyes.

I looked between them, confused. What did I say that was so funny?

Loren, however, was not laughing. He looked absolutely livid. His jaw was clenched.

"Really?" Loren snapped, his eyes locking onto mine with a dangerous intensity. "Are you saying that because she actually offended your friend, or because you haven't bothered to learn the rules of this pack?"

I leaned back, genuinely taken aback. "Seriously? I don't know what you want me to say. I said what I thought was right."

He let out a frustrated huff, stood up, and walked over to Alpha Tristan. He shook his hand firmly. "I’ll let you know what we decide before your wedding day," he said, his voice clipped.

"No problem," Alpha Tristan replied, standing up as well. "I’ll be expecting it early. I want every single issue cleared away before the day." He turned his head toward me, a playful, taunting glint in his eyes.

"Luna," he greeted, and I knew without a doubt that he was teasing me. He walked out, leaving me alone in the sudden, ringing silence of the room.

Loren didn't say another word to me; he just stared at me for a second before following Tristan out.

I scoffed, my shoulders slumping. I was terrible at this.

I was a failure as a Luna, a failure at keeping my personal life separate from this ridiculous contract, and now I was the center of a standoff.

Now that he knew about the wedding, was he going to follow me?

Was he going to play the part of the devoted husband in front of all those people?

Or was he going to let me sink?

I let out a shaky breath. I doubted he’d do a thing.

After all, we had an agreement. Once the cameras were off and the room was empty, we were nothing but strangers again.