Page 200 of Halfblood Deceived

Aella had seldom felt so tempted to throw a chair at someone. But Jessa seemed like such a perfect target practice.

“Ethan is my family,” Luna snapped, eyes bright with unshed tears. “Dandelion, Mike, and Crow are my family. Not the ones who belittled me and abused me all my fucking life.”

Jessa lifted her hands. “I was just giving you my opinion as the daughter of an exiled female who is doomed to never be accepted by a pack.”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion,” Luna said. She let out a weary sigh. “I am sorry about your mother.”

Jessa gave her a curt nod and left the staff room.

“I’m so sorry,” Aella said. She had intended to offer some privacy and peace to Luna and she’d managed the opposite.

Luna shook her head and dabbed at her cheeks with a paper napkin. “You don’t have to apologize on her behalf.” She sighed. “I don’t regret leaving them. I will never go back. No matter how much their disdain hurts. I love Ethan. He and the others are worth all the hate and the slurs. They are worth fighting for.”

Aella squeezed her hand. “I am glad to hear that. You are very brave.”

Luna smiled. “Just as brave as a gargoyle who defected.”

Aella blinked. That familiar, fearful pang thrumming in her chest. She was wearing her magicked necklace and perfume, but Luna still figured her out. It wasn’t precisely a secret anyway. And Luna didn’t seem angry or disgusted.

Luna patted Aella’s hand. “I don’t wish to assume, but it couldn’t have been easy for you, either.”

Aella almost denied it, but then took a deep breath. “It’s still a work in progress, to be honest.”

“Same here,” Luna said. “It gets better. It gets easier to breathe.”

“It does,” Aella agreed.

They smiled tentatively at each other.

A scoff drew their attention to Brittany. “I thought your pity party couldn’t get any worse, Aella,” Brittany drawled, every word dripping with mocking disdain. “And then this ungrateful puppy comes and joins it.”

Aella flinched. She had been wrong before. Brittany was the perfect target for a little chair-throwing.

“Is she always that bloody petty?” Luna asked, giving Brittany a bored yet disgusted look.

Brittany gritted her teeth.

The door to the staff room swung open, saving Aella from answering that question, and letting in Ethan and his friends. Luna’s family.

Luna stood, and all but jumped on Ethan.

He held her tightly against his chest, burying his nose in her hair.

Aella smiled at the pair, barely noticing Brittany slinking out of the room.

“Are you feeling better, Mooncake?” Ethan asked.

Luna sighed and pulled back just enough to kiss Ethan. “I am now.” She turned toward Aella. “Thanks to Aella’s good company and snack choices.”

Aella blinked, surprised that Luna remembered her name when she introduced herself as their host.

Ethan sniffed and made a face. “Ugh. Not bloody grape soda.”

Luna laughed and kissed him all over his face.

“Stop it, you heathen,” Ethan protested, but he was beaming and didn’t let Luna go.

The small fey with pink hair grinned at Aella. “They are such couple goals, aren’t they?”

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