Ch. I Refuse to Be Your Luna 55 I Refuse to Be Your Luna 55

Chapter 55 No Longer Asking

Lady Flourish’s POV

Harold’s expression tightened, like I’d asked him something genuinely difficult. My wolf stayed still. So did

For a long moment he said nothing, jaw working, eyes shifting away and back again. Then he exhaled.

“Flourish, I’ve said this before. Phina and I are close. I will never abandon her.”

That was it. The answer I already expected. Oddly, it didn’t hurt the way it once would have.

Maybe I’d mourned this relationship long before tonight. Maybe after six years of waiting for someone to choose me, there was simply nothing left to break.

My wolf lowered her head, but she didn’t whine or fight me. She understood too. There would never be a version of Harold where I came first.

I shrugged. “So you don’t love me, and you still expect me to accept that. Even after we’re mates, you’ll keep crossing boundaries with Phina, and I’m just supposed to pretend that’s normal?”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Then what are you saying?”

The sadness sitting inside me a moment ago vanished completely. My wolf rose beneath my skin, not in anger, but in recognition.

Six years of disappointment had finally taught us something. We didn’t have to keep begging.

“Why would I let someone like that mark me?”

“Flourish.”

“I am not becoming your Luna.” The words fell clean and final between us. “I would rather let a dog mate me.”

His pupils contracted. His wolf surged forward, Alpha blood pressing against me hard enough to raise the hairs on my arms.

For years that dominance had made me lower my head on instinct. Tonight my wolf answered it with a growl.

I stepped back. Then again.

“Harold. Did you hear me?”

His nostrils flared. For a second I thought he’d reach for me again, my wolf bracing beneath my skin. But I twisted my wrist free and put more distance between us before he could try.

This time he didn’t stop me. Maybe because he finally understood. Maybe because, for the first time in six years, he realized I was no longer asking him to choose me.

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Chapter 55 No Longer Asking

I walked into the building without looking back. The elevator doors closed. Harold stayed outside, alone.

The next morning, the moment I walked into F-Tech, something felt different. Lighter. Electric, almost

Wolves who usually stayed buried behind their screens stood in small groups whispering, assistants rushing through the halls with tablets and folders. Even the air smelled different: excitement, relief, pride.

Rhys appeared in front of me before I could figure out why, his wolf’s satisfaction practically radiating off

him.

“Lady Flourish! Did you eat breakfast?”

I stared. Rvs usually greeted people with deadlines, not concern for their meals. “No”

“Then

“Rhy

H

get something. Now.”

feeling alright?”

Hended. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

look like you won the lottery. Before I could say it, Cheryl rolled her chair over and lowered amatically. “The boss is about to sign a huge contract.”

nding came slowly, then all at once. “Which one?”

one do you think?”

Fart skipped. “Stormbridge?”

snapped her fingers. “Exactly.”

ra moment I couldn’t move. It actually went through. After Kael’s undercutting, after all the uncertainty. ormbridge had still chosen F-Tech. Rhys’ wolf radiated satisfaction.

Mine went quiet instead, because my first thought wasn’t relief. It was Damian.

Warmth spread through my chest. He’d really listened. He heard the conversation, and despite everything, he kept his word.

I pulled out my phone and opened our chat before I could overthink it. My fingers hovered. “Thank you. I deleted it. Typed it again. Deleted it again. Eventually I settled on something simpler.

Alpha Damian, thank you’

Sent. Almost immediately Rhys appeared behind me.

“My Lady.” I nearly jumped. “When did you get there?”

When did I get where? You were just glued to your phone.”

My wolf went alert. Rhys’

he moved on. “Also, we need to visit Stormbridge

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Chapter 55 No Longer Asking

this afternoon. Contract signing. We should make a good impression.”

right.”

As I lowered my phone, he leaned forward and caught the screen. “You have an incoming call.”

I followed his gaze and froze. A voice call request filled the display.

‘DV’

My heart nearly stopped. “Who is DV?”

Panic took over and I declined the call without thinking. The screen went dark. “Nobody important. Probably another finance executive.” I waved a hand. “Very annoying.”

He looked unconvinced, but let it go. “I think you should get your things now, My Lady. Today has to go smoothly.”

The moment he disappeared into his office, I looked down at my phone. A new message had appeared. Just one. A single giant question mark.

I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. My wolf buried her face beneath her paws. There was no way I could’ve answered Damian’s call in front of Rhys and Cheryl.

Hours later we arrived at Stormbridge Group. The closer we got, the more nervous Rhys became, tie adjusted six separate times by the time we reached the executive floor. My wolf watched him with growing concern, half worried he’d strangle himself with it.

Outside the conference room, we both opened our mouths at the same time.

“You-”

“You-”

We paused, staring at each other.

“You first,” I said.

He hesitated, scratching the back of his neck, suddenly awkward. Almost embarrassed. “Lady Flourish. You said you called off the betrothal with Harold, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

Something in me went quiet. My wolf lowered her head. The answer came easier than I expected. “Because he decided I wasn’t worth choosing.”

Rhys fell silent, regret flashing across his face like he’d stepped on a landmine. Neither of us spoke for a few seconds. Then he coughed, once, twice, trying hard to sound casual.

“My Lady. How would you feel if I introduced you to some new inale wolves?”

I stared at him blankly.

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Chapter 55 No Longer Asking

“Not like that.” His ears turned red. “I mean, a few colleagues. Good colleagues. You can decide for yourself.”

Meyebrows went up. He got even more flustered. “I’m not saying you should juggle anyone.”

The seriousness in his voice made the whole thing more absurd. My wolf finally lifted her head, and just as I opened my mouth to ask what had gotten into him, the conference room door opened.

A powerful male wolf stepped out. His scent hit first, then his presence. Rhys went completely silent beside me. The stranger stopped directly in front of us, eyes settling on me, and smiled before Rhys could say a word.

“Lady Flourish.” His gaze flicked briefly to Rhys. “I believe he’s already told you about me.

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