Alpha's Discarded Luna (Talia) novel Chapter 17

hapter 16

Imema’s POV

I sit in the private room with my hands folded neatly in my lap, listening to Nick pace around like an overexcited dog that’s finally been given permission to bark.

“She has time to chase men in bars but not to make a simple soup for you! How pathetic. Imema, just wait and see. Alpha definitely won’t let that housewife off the hook.”

I almost smile, but lower my lashes instead.

Just then, Aires enters, his face perfect as always.

The air around him is charged, like the moment before a lightning strike. He’s angry, and the iron is hot enough to strike.

г

“Aires…” I say, my voice soft with concern. “Has Luna Talia calmed down? She should be back to take care of Aeson, right?”

“No.”

He grits out the word.

“Oh, no! Has she… abandoned him?” I bite my lip, summoning tears. “Aires, perhaps I should apologize to her. A child needs his mother. Our conflicts shouldn’t punish an innocent boy. 3:31

Chapter 16

Nick snorts immediately. “Oh please. Her intentions are obvious. She’s using the pup to threaten you, Imema. That woman is heartless. I have never heard of such a mother, who exploits her own child. Absolutely shameless.”

I let him talk until Richard cuts in, annoyed. “Nick, can you shut up for once?”

“Why? Am I wrong?” Nick barrels on. “She’s a married woman, a mother, going to bars to fool around with men! It’s cheating, and she openly admits it! No wonder the pup prefers you, and

hates her more and more. She deserves it!”

“Nick-“.

“No! The Alpha has been so soft on her that she’s become too spoiled. Swipes his card to buy whatever she wants, and the greedy witch is still not satisfied. Now she even wants to spend his money on her affairs!”

I add softly, “Nick, it’s between them. Aires knows best how to manage her spending-”

“He clearly doesn’t! But I have a solution…”

My words provoke him further, and finally, Nick makes the move I’ve been waiting for.

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He turns to Aires, “Cut her off, Alpha. Freeze her card and we’ll all see how long her pride lasts when the credits stop. I give her three days before she’s weeping at your office door, begging to let her apologise to Imema.”

Aires doesn’t look at him. He’s staring at the wall, but his gaze is miles away. I glance at him, then add;

2

“Don’t say that. She’s probably just confused, she’s been under a lot of pressure…”

Hypocrisy tastes sweet when it goes down easy.

If freezing her card breaks her spirit, good. If losing her child breaks her, even better.

I don’t need to dirty my hands.

Talia’s POV

I didn’t realize how fragile a good mood could be, until it gets ruined with a single run–in with Imema, Aires and their cronies.

My earlier sense of freedom sours into a familiar feeling of exhaustion. I just want to go home and bury myself in sleep.

I move for the exit, thinking that I’ll call Electra as soon as I get out of these suffocating halls.

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My phone buzzes harshly, stopping me in my tracks. I pull it out to find a notification on the screen.

[Secondary Account Access: FROZEN. Contact your Primary Account Holder or visit your Home branch for more details.]

I stare at it, the words blurring with confusion before I understand what’s going on.

Aires… that’s how he wants to deal with it?

Over the years, I had been taking care of Aeson at home, day after day, with no income of my own. Every grocery run, medical bill, Aeson’s specialized foods, every school expense… it all came from that secondary card tied to Aires‘ account.

A cold sigh escapes me. Of course, I’m disappointed but not surprised after all.

Before marriage, I had some savings. But compared to the Perseus family’s wealth, my money was nothing more than loose change at the bottom of a drawer.

I’d never pretend to be the proud wife who refused her husband’s money. We had an understanding, spending his money had never felt shameful to me.

But now? The Alpha wants to put his straying Omega on a financial leash, to stretch my patience to its limit.

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Still staring at my phone, I walk back toward the private room to collect Electra, my thoughts turning sharp and restless.

That’s when something small slams into my leg. “Oof—!”

I look down to find a little boy, maybe five or six at most, staggering back a step after colliding with me head–on.

He has delicate features; long lashes and clear eyes glittering like polished sapphires in a face that looks ghostly pale.

My old medical knowledge, after years of nursing Aeson, kicks in instantly. His complexion isn’t just fair as porcelain, it’s sickly.

He looks up at me with those startling eyes. “You bumped into me! You have to take responsibility for it.”

I’m so taken aback by his directness that I almost smile. Crouching to his level, I say softly;

“Little one, are you hurt? Are you feeling unwell?”

He just stares at me, his mouth set in a stubborn line.

I glance around the empty hallway and find no frantic parental figure in sight. “What’s your name? Where is your family?”

He ignores the questions, repeating his statement. “You bumped

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into me, you have to take responsibility now.

A small child, alone, clearly unwell and roaming around in a place like this?

Something tugs at my chest.

“You are right, I barged into you. Tell me, do you need me to take you to a hospital?”

The boy hesitates, then gives a slight nod.

“Should I find your parents first?”

This time, his reaction is immediate. With a frantic shake of his head, his eyes widen with something that looks like fear.

My heart clenches. Do they treat him badly? Is that why he doesn’t want them to know?

The mother in me, though battered, isn’t dead. Aeson has never looked at me with fear, but what if…?

“Alright. Let me say goodbye to my friend, and then we’ll go to the hospital.”

I offer him my hand, and his cold, small fingers slide into mine. I have failed Aeson in every way that matters to him now… but Berhaps I can do one small thing right.

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The boy initially seems startled by the contact, but after a moment, his grip tightens as he falls into step beside me.

Back in the private room, Electra gets up in anticipation. “Talia! There you are–holy stars, is that Aeson?”

Probably, she got mistaken due to the dim lighting and the boy’s small stature.

“No,” I say, guiding him in. “I bumped into him in the hall. He’s not well and doesn’t want his parents contacted. I’m taking him to the clinic.”

Electra peers closer, her eyes adjusting. “Holy smokes, he’s almost as cute as your son.”

She reached out, playfully aiming for his cheek. “Hey there, little

one–❞

The boy recoils so sharply he bumps into my legs, hiding behind me with a swift, feral motion that was more than just shyness.

Electra’s hand hangs in the air. “Whoa, okay. Not a fan.”

“Electra,” I chide gently, putting a protective arm around the small pair of shoulders. “He’s scared, and he might not like being touched.”

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She shrugs, getting concerned now.

“Where are his family, though? Are you sure it won’t look

like you abducted him or something? It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen…”

I look down at him. “Sweetheart, are you absolutely sure you don’t want to tell your guardians? I can just call them, tell them you’re safe even if—”

“No!”

He says in a panicked voice, his grip on my hand turning his knuckles white. “Don’t tell anyone, please.”

I look at Electra helplessly.

She sighs, “Alright. Clinic first, questions later.”

The thorough examination at the nearby private clinic reveals no immediate trauma, and thankfully, no signs of physical abuse.

Just as I had guessed, the doctors believe his constitution is fundamentally frail and recommend rest, warmth, and nutritional support.

Nothing more than simple, basic care.

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As we waited for the final discharge note, the questions were keeping me distracted: who was he? Why was he so afraid?

The answer came with the sound of hurried, heavy footsteps just outside our private ward. The door to the room flew open before the knock could register in our ears, and a tall, broad–shouldered man filled the doorway.

B

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