#Chapter 11 The Luxe Life

Olivia’s POV
I feel him watching me a lot lately. Gabriel can’t be suspicious, I tell myself, and I have to remind my wolf every day that we are the Queen Luna now. We should act more like she had acted before she killed herself, but it’s impossible to know her small mannerisms and such. I try to behave myself as a good Luna would, but it’s hard with those light, entrancing eyes on me at all times, even here in our bedroom.
I’ve changed into another dress of his choosing, watching Gabriel sit leisurely nearby, only moving his hand for me to spin around for his delight in the dress or to go change into another. If this was the Queen Luna’s life before, I can see why she would want a divorce.
“Another one, my dear,” he sighs, looking down to his phone as it lights up with a text.
I can’t take anymore changing, the pile of clothes I’ve accumulated on the floor nowhere near the amount still on hangers, waiting to be tried on. I take a seat on the couch beside him, my hands pushing the wrinkles out of my long, ruby red dress covered in reflected sequence.
“I’m done changing, Gabriele. I will just wear this to the gala tonight.”
His brows knit, staring at me quizzically. “You’re so decisive now. You used to let me pick your gala dresses for every event.”
“I have other things to worry about,” I admit. “Like why my husband, the King Alpha, has changed his mind on divorcing me. This marriage is a sham, it’s for the betterment of both of our names, nothing more.”
“Who told you this was a name-only deal, my dear?”
I wave off his question. I shouldn’t have to convince him of divorce when he wanted it a few days ago, going as far as to print the papers out for it. He asked for this divorce. Now he acts like I’ve insulted him for wanting to sign the papers.
He reaches for me, slipping me over to his hip while his arm loops around my side. I shudder, my hands pushing onto his as it dares to toy with the slit in my dress that cuts up my leg and gives him access to touch me.
“Just stop,” I breathe, slapping his hand away at last. “You wanted this divorce, Gabriel.”
“I want something else now.”
“You can’t change your mind like this without an explanation.”
He harrumphs a mock of a laugh. “I can change anything I want, my dear. Including changing you out of this dress.” He goes to unhook the straps but I panic, grabbing the first thing near by and shoving it in his face. He grins, his teeth biting into the black lace fabric of my bra. “This is certainly more wild than what I expected, my dear.”
I panic, snatching my bra back quickly. “That wasn’t intentional, I just need you to stop talking, please. I have things to do today.”
“Like?”
“I’m having Reese sent over to our pack hospital.”
“Really, Luna? Why is that?”
“He won’t be treated well after what happened at the funeral. I can’t let him suffer under that Alpha and his mistress Luna now. It’s too dangerous for him,” I sigh. “Plus, he will receive better care at our pack hospital. I can pay for his treatment here.”
“Whatever you want, my dear,” he groans at last, watching his phone light up again with a barrage of texts. “I’ll meet you at the gala later.”
I watch him leave before changing clothes and heading to the hospital. I spend hours on paperwork and on trying to make this transfer easy. It instead makes me weak, my mind running miles until I finally see my brother laid out on a stretcher. His eyes are still red and puffy from the funeral, either from crying or his allergic reaction, I can’t tell.
I stop the nurses from admitting him here right away, taking his warm fingers in my hands and seeing him light up with my touch.
“Queen Luna… this was all your doing?”
“Of course,” I sigh, happy to see my brother relieved. “After everything that happened at your sister’s funeral, I just thought it was best to have you moved for your safety. I’m sure Alpha Herold Opal is planning on stepping up his mistress to Luna; you have no reason to be under her rule. She’s dangerous and vindictive. You’re better off here.”
He smiles, squeezing my palm with his weak fingers. “Thank you, Queen Luna, I appreciate your help. But Alicia isn’t going to be Luna. Her and Herold have been fighting so much lately, the pack hardly ever sees them together anymore.”
I wish it made me happy to hear that, but it’s truly indifferent to me.
“Well, they deserve to both be miserable,” I say simply. “I have a gala to attend soon, Reese. Please know that your treatment will be covered in all expenses by the pack hospital. Just focus on getting healthy.”
“Thank you again,” he mumbles, his smile warm. “You remind me so much of Olivia. She would have loved you.”
With those words, I leave to get ready for the gala, wishing I could explain the truth to my dear brother but it would be useless. It’s too complicated, and it could cause serious issues if it were to spread elsewhere. For now, I am Queen Luna, and I have a gala to attend.
Gabriel and I attend several parties together, the nights endlessly bleeding into the days, and back into the glitz of the night again. I have a hard time keeping track of the people I meet. I greet Alpha’s and wealthy wolves of every pack there is and in doing so I have met a lot of investors interested in the Queen Luna’s authority.
I lobby for a few services, including the upgraded charity work needed to provide better care at hospitals, much like the one Reese had just come from. He was treated terribly there, not only by my old Alpha and mate, but because of his standing as my brother, it caused the doctors to be dismissive of his treatment.
Except for Eugene. He always treated Reese with such compassion.
For now I raise money for charities, investing it into better care for wolves like my brother, and for wolves like me. As Olivia, I was tapped too hard for blood and from the transplant. It was on its way to killing me in six months; Alicia just did it in less.
“You have a special Luna here, Alpha Gabriel,” another gala attendee hums, shaking my head after striking another deal on upgrading services throughout the medical systems in every pack. I glare down at the check, not in greed but in pride.
“You’ve been doing a lot of business these days, my dear,” Gabriel says, holding my hand in his as the music plays through the gala hall. “Why the sudden interest in investors?”
I swallow a gulp of champagne, my mind still going through the deal I just closed. “I think there needs to be a change. I want to help make things better. Maybe for wolves like Olivia Opal. She didn’t deserve to be sick, or to die, and it should have never happened.”
“That whole pack has really affected you, hasn’t it?”
“I guess so, Gabriel.”
“Well, I am happy you’ve found something that interests you,” he adds, leaning forward for a kiss. I turn my head, allowing him only to do so on my cheek, as usual. “You only make me want you more when you do that, my dear.”
“I know.”
He releases a gentle grin. “Tomorrow is Valentines day. I want to take you to dinner, my Luna. A romantic dinner between just us two. Will you join me?”