Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 138

Chapter 138

Beep.

Beep.

That stupid sound again. I wanted to rip the machine off the wall. The noise kept dragging me upward through he heavy fog of sleep, no matter how badly I wanted to stay under.

Finally, I forced my eyes open.

Soft hospital lights blurred above me at first. Then, slowly, Nathan came into focus sitting right beside the bed.

‘Emily.”

The sheer relief in his voice made my chest ache. He leaned closer, his hand sliding carefully into my hair. “How

nany times are you planning to scare me like this?”

I tried to smile, but it felt weak.

“Depends.” My voice sounded rough, scratchy. “How dramatic were you this time?”

Nathan looked deeply offended. “I was perfectly calm.”

‘Liar.”

“Massive liar,” Nyx agreed sleepily inside my head.

Nathan let out a shaky breath before pressing his forehead against mine.

“You are never touching that dagger again until we understand exactly what it is.” His voice was calm. Too calm. Which usually meant nothing good.

‘Nathan-”

“No.” His hand tightened around mine. “I mean it.”

After what just happened, I didn’t even have the energy to argue. “…Okay.”

Relief flickered across his face. He looked like he’d genuinely expected me to fight him on it. Which… fair.

A little later, Nathan practically carried me out of the hospital himself. Doctor Reed stood near the exit, watching me like I’d personally insulted medical science.

“You realize, you are completely destroying everything I spent a decade learning about medicine.”

Nathan looked entirely too proud of that fact.

1:39 pm

“Yeah.” He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his side. “She does that.”

Doctor Reed sighed toward the ceiling. “I need a vacation.”

We returned to the pack house. Warm light spilled through the pack house windows.

Voices echoed softly inside.

Home.

The second we stepped into the dining room, everyone looked up. Marcus sat beside Poppy, while Blake, Liam and Kane were in the middle of arguing about something across the table. Meredyth and Jessie were still carrying plates of food back and forth from the kitchen.

The entire room smelled incredible–roasted chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, fresh bread, and gravy. I could even catch the scent of apple pie somewhere in the background.

“There she is!” Poppy jumped up from her chair, then immediately narrowed her eyes at me. “Doctor Reed called ne, by the way.”

Oh, no.

“He said you nearly died. Again.”

I pointed. “He exaggerates.”

“I absolutely do not,” Nathan muttered.

Poppy crossed her arms dramatically. “You are literally playing tag with death at this point.”

“And somehow winning,” Liam added, sounding entirely too proud.

Nathan groaned quietly beside me. “You people are encouraging her.”

“She doesn’t need encouragement,” Marcus muttered dryly from the table. “She’s already insane.”

“Thank you,” I said graciously.

Before sitting down, Nathan guided me toward the small downstairs bathroom.

ľ

I was washing my hands slowly under the warm water in the sink. But then I caught my reflection in the mirror. Dark circles bruised the skin under my eyes. I looked exhausted.

Nathan appeared behind me a second later. For a moment, we just looked at each other in the glass. Then, he stepped closer and rested his forehead against the shoulder without Declan’s mark.

“Emily…”

His voice sounded incredibly tired.

“Please stop scaring me like this.”

1:39 pm PPTM

My heart ached at the words. “I can’t keep watching you slip away from me.”

The raw honesty in his voice nearly broke me. I turned slowly in his arms, wrapping my hands around his face. “I’m right here.”

Nathan closed his eyes, leaning into my touch.

“And I promised you,” I whispered, kissing him softly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

His arms tightened around my waist right away, as if he needed the physical proof that I was still solid, still real. The kiss deepened, tasting of exhaustion and a quiet, desperate need. It wasn’t about passion–it was pure relief.

When he finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine. “You better keep that promise, little moon.”

“I will.” And I truly meant it.

We went back to the dining room.

Everyone talked over each other while Meredyth complained nobody was eating enough vegetables.

Liam sighed dramatically, grabbed a baby carrot straight from the serving plate, and started chewing it with the

saddest expression.

“There.” Crunch. “Happy now?”

Meredyth pointed at him proudly.

“See? Liam understands proper nutrition.”

“I understand survival,” Liam corrected while still chewing. “If I don’t eat this carrot, I’m pretty sure you’ll kill

ne yourself.”

Meredyth shot him a sharp look immediately.

“Liam Blackwood.” Her voice turned dangerously calm. “Manners.”

Liam instantly straightened in his chair while still holding the carrot.

“What?” he mumbled innocently.

“What kind of things are you saying at the dinner table?” Meredyth scolded. “And especially to your own

nother?”

Liam swallowed dramatically.

“My deepest apologies for accusing you of hypothetical murder, Mother.”

Marcus snorted so hard beside Poppy he nearly choked on his drink.

Kane was arguing with Blake across the table about combat strategies again.

1:39 pm

Tim telling you,” Kane insisted, pointing his fork dramatically, “if rogues attack from the eastern ridge, we should collapse the tree line and force them into the lower valley.”

Blake looked completely unimpressed. “And trap ourselves there too? Brilliant plan.”

“We’d have the higher ground.”

“We’d also have no exit.”

‘Details.”

Jessie burst out laughing beside them. “You two sound like an old married couple.”

“He started it,” Kane muttered right away.

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