Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 11

Emily’s POV

“She’s not meant for this life,” Nathan stated, his voice flat and empty. “She isn’t the right match for me. The Moon Goddess made a mistake.”

The rest of their conversation was lost to the wind. They walked away, disappearing around the corner of the backhouse until they were completely out of sight.

Standing at the window, even the biting wind didn’t feel cold anymore. Nothing did. There was only a heavy emptiness left inside.

I lay down in bed. Tears burst from my eyes, carrying out all the bitterness of the day.

The next morning, bright sunlight woke me up. I tried to block it with my hand, but the golden light still filled the room and warmed everything. The bed next to mine was still made. Poppy had evidently not returned from her night shift at the clinic.

My feet hit the cool wooden floor. I grabbed my towel and headed down the hallway.

The girls’ shower room sat at the very end of the corridor. I opened the door and saw a large changing area with wooden benches, rows of lockers, and a long counter lined with mirrors. Past the counter were several private shower stalls with frosted glass doors. It was still early, and the only sound was water running in one of the showers.

I put my things on a bench and reached for a locker. Then I heard the main door open behind me. I turned around.

Stella stood in the doorway with a towel over her arm. She looked surprised to see me at first, but then her face turned cold. When our eyes met, she bared her teeth.

“Great. Just what we needed,” my wolf muttered.

“A shower won’t help you,” the tall blonde girl said, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “Water can’t wash away what you are.”

“What do you want, Stella?” I kept my voice even, refusing to let her see me shake.

“I want you to stay away from Nathan,” she snapped, closing the distance between us.

I stepped back until my shoulders touched the cold tile wall. “Then tell him to stay away from me.”

I spoke before I could stop myself.

Stella lunged. She grabbed my wrist and squeezed. A sharp flash of pain shot up my arm, and a gasp escaped my throat.

“You’d better not disrespect your future Luna,” she hissed, her fingers digging deeper. Before I could react, she grabbed my hair and pulled hard. My head jerked back. My eyes burned, but I held back my tears.

“You won’t be in my way for long, Emily,” Stella whispered, her face inches from mine. “I have a plan for you.”

The shower spray cut off. A second later, a stall door swung open.

“What’s going on here?” Poppy stepped out, wrapping a damp towel around her hair.

Stella dropped her hands and stepped back.

“Nothing,” she said, her voice instantly smooth.

Poppy frowned, looking between us.

“Didn’t look like nothing.”

“Relax.” Stella shrugged, tossing her hair. “I just came to take a shower.”

She walked past us toward the lockers, acting like she hadn’t just been threatening me. I didn’t waste a second. I grabbed my clothes and bolted from the shower room.

A few minutes later, I was back in my room, feeling safe. Poppy came in right after me.

“Emily, what was that?” she asked, studying my face.

“Nothing,” I lied, keeping my eyes down. The last thing I wanted was to drag her into this mess.

“How was your night shift at the clinic?” I asked, wanting to change the subject.

A small smile broke through her worried expression.

“Interesting.”

“That sounds dangerous.”

“Maybe a little,” she laughed. “Doctor Reed taught me how to fix a dislocated shoulder.” She looked me over with a grin. “You don’t need anything fixed, do you?”

A small laugh actually escaped me.

“No. But good to know I have options.”

“Good.” She sat on her bed and grabbed a hair dryer. “Give me ten minutes to dry my hair, and then we can get breakfast.”

A loud knock interrupted her. Before we could answer, Jessie walked in.

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