The Forgotten Luna (Adessa)

KAEL.

"Do you want to see Adessa, Alpha Kael?" Corrine's question made me stop walking forward.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"Yes," I answered a little too fast, and I could see Landon suppressing a chuckle to come out of his throat. I scowled at him, then turned around to face the woman at the counter. "Do you know where she is?"

"I took her home with me because she didn't have a place to stay. Give me thirty minutes, and I will just leave instructions to Philip, then we can go home. But, Alpha, only if you promise not to force her to come home with you if she doesn't want to."

I raised my palms up and nodded my head. "You have my word. My Delta will stay outside the house, so you won't feel like we're overpowering you and Adessa. I just want to speak with her."

She smiled, and we agreed to go with it. Thirty minutes wasn't that long, but it felt like it was. I was eager to see her again.

Landon and I went outside the shop to wait for Corrine. My Delta pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and asked if I minded if he smoked. I shrugged my shoulders in response. I waited for him to offer one to me, but he didn't.

"Give me one." I finally told him.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

My forehead creased as I scoffed. "When did I ever become unsure about smoking?" I reached for the pack of cigarettes he was holding but stopped taking one when he spoke again.

"You quit smoking completely a couple of months after you married Luna Adessa." He said, puffing his cigarette in the opposite direction. "She hates it. She never told you, but you heard her tell a housemaid it was the one smell she couldn't tolerate. You even asked me not to smoke around her and make sure I don't smoke in her car when I drive her around."

I handed him back the cigarettes. "No wonder I haven't craved it since I woke up," I told him.

It was the truth. I never even thought about it and just got curious when I saw him smoking. Dexter didn't smoke, so I didn't remember it when I was with him.

If Landon wasn't lying, it seemed I cared for Adessa a little too much to completely give up something I'd been doing since puberty. Especially since I knew myself no one could dictate me on what to do if I didn't want to.

After what felt like an eternity, Corrine was finally ready to leave, and it took a lot of me not to show my excitement.

I was so good at showing a poker face, but deep inside, I couldn't deny I wanted to see her again and was glad that she was not alone. No wonder Corrine asked about proposals and marriages. She checked if I had someone else or was planning to marry someone. It seemed Adessa didn't tell her about Desiree, or she would not be this pleasant with me.

But all the excitement died when we entered her apartment, and no one was around.

Corrine panicked as she searched for her, so I checked, too. Her place was tiny, so there was no room to hide. She was really nowhere.

My heart clenched when we found a note pinned in a small fridge.

*****

Dearest Corrine,

Thank you for taking me in. I will forever be grateful, but it's time for me to go. I'm fine, and you don't have to worry about me. Please take care and send my love to Gracie. I will visit you one of these days. Love, Adessa

*****

"I'm sorry, Alpha. I didn't know she would leave. We didn't talk about it."

"Maybe she wanted to stay until she could get the ring back, but since she couldn't, she left," I spoke, not hiding the animosity in my tone.

"It's very unlikely for Adessa to leave without waiting, but then I haven't seen her in many years, so many things could have changed in her."

I just nodded. "Thank you for your time. I will take my leave. I can find my way out."

"Alpha," she called for me once I was already by the door. "I know where she parked the car she brought with her when she arrived. We can check it. Maybe she's still there, as that car has no gas."

"A car?" My forehead creased. She didn't take her car with her, as it was parked in my parking lot. But I didn't say that and just let her take me to where it was.

It was a van.

It was still there at the far end of the parking lot. When I asked the parking attendant, she said no one had come in all day in this area.

This zone was reserved for those who wanted to park their cars for a week or more because they needed to go somewhere. It was near the airport and train station, so it was not unusual.

I could see Corrine was sad or maybe disappointed when we parted ways. I felt the same, but I didn't let it show.

"I got the information about the plate number," Landon said as soon as I sat beside him. I instructed him to make calls to find out who owned the car.

"And?" I asked as he drove away.

"They didn't divulge who owns it, but they told me it belonged to someone from the Knight's Stone Pack."

I felt my head become heavy as if the car space were closing in on me.

Everything was starting to make sense. Knight's Stone Pack belonged to Draco.

"Fuck!" I punched my coiled fist onto the dashboard closet and saw Landon's eyes widen. This was his car, but he didn't say anything. He knew better than to speak when I was in this state.

Yes, I was furious. My worries turned into anger.

"So that was the plan she had." I scoffed.

"What do you mean?" My Delta asked.

"Draco was probably the Alpha that Dexter said Adessa was having an affair with."

"I cannot believe you believe him!" Landon exclaimed.

"No, you fucking listen to me! Draco left his car for her to use so she could drive to his territory, but my lovely wife ran out of gas and was so stupid to leave without any money!" I explained sarcastically.

"All she got was this fucking ring!

She sold it to survive while waiting

for Draco to pick her up and

probably told him to bring her

money to get the ring back! But she was aware I was coming, so she gave up on it and just let me buy it so she would never get the chance torun on me today! That is why Draco's Delta was here today! He probably wanted to slam it on my fucking face that he was here to pick up my wife! My fucking wife!"

I punched the dashboard twice before slamming my back against my seat and tilting my head up. I closed my eyes and placed my. fingers against my temples, trying to steady my breathing, but it was

getting harder.

My chest was constricting with pain. I had no idea what to feel anymore.

And then I felt the car swerve as if making a turn.

I opened my eyes just in time to see Landon driving in the opposite direction. "What are you doing?"

"We'll get to the bottom of this. I'll drive you to the Knight's Stone Pack, and you can ask Alpha Draco directly where Luna Adessa is," he said in a low voice, but I could hear his determination.

I just stared at my Delta. I couldn't read his emotion. I had no idea if, after all that I said, his faith was still in my ex-wife.