Chapter 0036
Agnes
I stood outside Elijah’s office door the next morning, taking a deep breath before knocking lightly. The muffled sounds of conversation ceased, and his deep voice called out, “Come in.”
Pushing the door open, I found him seated behind his massive mahogany desk, papers strewn about. He looked up, a hint of
surprise flickering across his features. I never walked into his office, especially not out of nowhere during work hours. “Agnes, is everything alright?”
“Yes,” I replied, stepping inside. “I was hoping to take some personal time today. I thought I might go shopping at the mall.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Shopping?”
I nodded. “Yes, I need a few things, and I thought it would be nice to get out for a bit.”
Elijah leaned back in his chair, considering for a moment. “Of course. Take as much time as you need. I’ll have the driver take
you.”
“Thank you,” I said, relieved. “I appreciate it.”
He offered a small smile. “Enjoy your day.”
As I turned to leave, I hesitated. “Actually, would it be alright if I went alone? I was hoping for some… personal time.”
His expression hardened slightly. “Agnes, you’re my Luna now, which means it’s not safe for you to be out without an escort. The driver stays. I’m sorry.”
My heart sank a little, but I forced a smile. “I understand,” I said, not wanting him to become too suspicious of what I was really planning on doing today.
“Be careful,” he added, his gaze softening just a fraction.
“I will,” I assured him before slipping out of the room.
A little while later, the car pulled up to the bustling shopping center downtown, and the driver opened the door for me.
“I’ll be waiting right here, Luna,” he said with a nod.
“Thank you, Thomas,” I replied, stepping onto the sidewalk and heading into the mall. Thankfully, Elijah hadn’t insisted on a bodyguard following me inside, so that was a relief.
As soon as I was out of sight, I beelined through the mall and made my way toward one of the back entrances. I slipped back out onto the sunny sidewalk, checking in both directions before I hurried in the direction of the DNA testing center a few blocks away.
It didn’t take long for me to find it, since I had been there before. I made my way inside without a hitch, clutching my purse which contained the hair samples I had taken from Thea’s hairbrush last night–to my chest.
“Good morning,” the receptionist greeted with a warm smile. “How can I help you today?”
+15 BONUS
“I’d like to drop off a sample for testing,” I said quietly, reaching into my purse and sliding the envelope containing Thea’s hair
across the counter.
The receptionist took the sample and my information. Her brow furrowed as she looked at her computer screen. “It says here you
already completed a test just last week,” she said, confused. “Is this a new sample, or…?”
I swallowed hard. “I, uh… I wanted a second test performed,” I replied.
The receptionist eyed me for a moment, realizing who I was. By now, people around the pack were beginning to recognize me as
well as Thea. The new Luna, performing a DNA test not once, but twice to find out if the Alpha’s daughter was biologically hers. It was certainly going to raise some eyebrows.
But I held her gaze, recalling one of my Luna lessons with Elijah. He had made it clear that I never had to explain myself,
especially not to people like her.
Finally, the receptionist nodded and typed something into her keyboard. When she was finished, she looked back up at me with a smile. “The sample will be tested and your results will be ready within a few days, Luna.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, grabbing my purse and leaving.
As I slipped back out onto the sunlit street, my shoulders felt a little lighter. If Thea was my daughter and the first test had just been a fluke, then this would provide so many answers. And not just when it came to her.
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