CHAPTER FORTY NINE

—HADES.

“To Alpha Hades and his beloved, Luna Alison," the toast echoes through the room, the clicking of glass against glass a sound that grates on my nerves.

The words send a wave of déjà vu crashing into my mental screen, a feeling of being trapped in a never-ending nightmare. I sigh for what feels like the hundredth time tonight, the weight of the evening's festivities bearing down on me like a physical force.

The forced smiles, the polite laughter, the endless congratulations – it all feels like a suffocating shroud, wrapping tighter around me with every passing moment.

I can’t wait for this night to be over.

I turn to look at Alison, and she's beaming with joy, her face radiant with a smile that seems to light up the entire room.

It's a good thing she's happy.

I am trying to muster up some genuine enthusiasm but nothing’s working.

Everyone else seems to be thrilled to have her as their new Luna, and they're all eager to welcome her into the pack with open arms.

And no one h