Crippled Luna's Farewell Half A Life Without My Alpha's Deadly Deception novel Chapter 136

Something unreadable flickered across his face. Not anger, not surprise—just something quiet, buried beneath layers of restraint.

Linda, however, had no such restraint. Her lips curled slightly, and in a voice just loud enough for Arnold to hear, she mused, "I didn’t realize Sarah was here too. And is that Cole with her?"

Arnold’s eyes lingered on Sarah a second longer before he finally looked away. His voice was indifferent. "Probably a coincidence."

Linda tilted her head slightly, watching Sarah with an expression that was difficult to decipher—something between amusement and calculation.

Alex, still engrossed in the festival, barely noticed the exchange. He was too busy tugging at Linda’s hand, eyes wide with excitement. "Can we go get the fire now?" he asked eagerly.

Linda smiled down at him, her fingers brushing through his hair in a way that looked so natural, so effortless. "Of course."

Sarah, having turned back to face the celebration, caught sight of them just as Alex led Linda toward the sacred flame.

Her heart gave a sharp, painful lurch.

It wasn’t the sight of Arnold that made her feel unsteady. It wasn’t even Linda’s presence.

It was Alex.

The way he reached for Linda, the way he sought her out first, when once upon a time, it had always been Sarah’s hand he held onto so tightly.

She hadn’t realized just how much things had changed.

Cole must have noticed the shift in her posture because he leaned in slightly, voice quiet but firm. "Did you bring a container for the fire?"

Sarah blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"For the Shared Flame of Winter," Cole reminded her. "Did you bring anything to carry it?"

The ritual was an important part of the Frostwolf Celebration. Each family took a small ember from the central fire, carrying it home as a symbol of unity and strength.

She had always brought one in the past—always carried Alex in her arms as they collected their blessing together.

But this year, she had forgotten.

A sharp wave of realization settled over her, pressing against the ache in her chest.

And as she looked back toward Alex—saw him excitedly holding onto Linda, preparing to receive the ember from the sacred fire—she realized that maybe, just maybe, she had been the only one still holding onto the past.

Sarah retracted her gaze, shaking her head slightly. "I didn’t bring any. Let’s forget about it this year."

The words came out more detached than she intended, but she didn’t correct herself.

She had never been particularly drawn to these traditions. The only reason she had participated all these years was because of Alex. He had always loved the Frostwolf Celebration, delighting in every part of the ritual, from the dancers to the shared flame. And because he had loved it, she had stood beside him, carrying the ember home with careful hands, year after year.

The elder murmured a blessing in the old tongue, his voice deep and reverent. "May this fire bring you warmth through the coldest nights and strength through the harshest storms. May the pack always be your home."

Sarah lowered her gaze, absorbing the words.

From a distance, Arnold watched.

His expression was subtle—barely changed—but there was something in the way his gaze lingered on them. Not quite curiosity, not quite indifference. Something in between.

Linda noticed as well. Her fingers tightened slightly around Alex’s small hand, though her expression remained pleasant as she continued speaking to him.

---

As the event slowly drew to a close, Sarah said her goodbyes to Cole and left, intending to pick up some necessities at the nearby mall.

The night air was crisp, and the sounds of laughter and celebration in the plaza faded as she made her way to the quiet mall.

Cole stood still, silently watching Sarah's figure until it disappeared completely.

At that moment, a strong hand tapped Cole on the shoulder.

"Didn’t expect to see you here."