Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 143

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1:40 pm P P

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Chapter 143

Emily’s POV

The next morning felt completely unreal: Warm sunlight washed over the back porch while a soft breeze moved through the trees around the Alpha house.

Just breakfast. Just peace.

Nathan sat right next to me at the small table while Meredyth poured fresh coffee. Plates piled with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and strawberries took up every inch of space between us.

It looked like a normal family setup.

Beneath the table, Nathan’s hand rested lazily on my thigh while he drank his coffee with the other.

“Meredyth, really, I-”

“No arguments.” She pointed her spatula at me, looking completely serious. “You’re too pale. If you’re going to give me healthy grandbabies one day, you need real food.”

A cold wave of panic hit me. My hands shook so hard that the coffee spilled right over the rim of my mug,

plashing onto my fingers.

I choked on my drink, struggling to hide the sudden fear.

Beside me, Nathan smirked into his coffee cup. He thought I was just embarrassed, completely missing how

cared I actually was.

Before I could even wipe the mess away, a sharp, cold/voice cut through the quiet.

“Well. This looks cozy.”

We all looked up as the screen door slid open. Beatrice stood at the edge of the back porch, clutching her belly, er face completely drained.

Suffocating guilt washed over me. I tried to pull away, but Nathan’s grip on my thigh tightened, holding me inchored.

“You’re sitting here drinking coffee…” Beatrice whispered, her voice trembling, cracking on the edge of a sob. And where’s my Ryan?”

The entire warmth of the morning vanished, replaced by an icy chill. Beside me, Nathan’s posture went totally

ígid.

“Beatrice,” he said with the heavy weight of his Alpha authority. It was the tone he used to end arguments.

But instead of backing down, her eyes brimmed with tears. “You promised,” she whispered, looking straight at ne. “You said you’d bring him back.”

The words felt like a physical weight pressing down on me.

1:40 pm P PTM

Meredyth stepped in before things could get worse.

“Nathan,” she warned softly. “Gentler.”

She stood up and guided Beatrice toward the table, pulling out a chair.

“Come sit, sweetheart. You look exhausted.” Her voice softened into a warm, motherly tone. “Pregnant women need to eat, too, if they want healthy babies.”

The unexpected kindness broke Beatrice completely and she started to cry. I forced myself to swallow around the ump in my throat. This whole situation was brutal.

“Sweetheart…” Meredyth said gently, looking toward the black ribbon still tied around Beatrice’s wrist. “That thing needs to come off. I can practically feel how wrong it is from here.”

Beatrice covered the ribbon protectively with her other hand, shaking her head as tears spilled over her lashes.

*…I’m scared.”

An ache went straight through me. She looked completely spent. Broken. Pregnant. And entirely alone.

“It’s okay,” I said softly, reaching carefully across the table toward her. “The witch removed my silver collar

without hurting me.”

Beatrice looked up, her gaze searching mine.

“I think she can break the magic on your ribbon, too,” I continued gently. “Maybe we should go now.”

Beatrice’s lip trembled. “Emily…”

“Please.” My voice went a little rough. “You’re not my enemy, Bea.”

The warm wind moved through the flowers around the veranda, rustling the leaves while sunlight spilled across

the breakfast table.

“You’re my sister.”

More tears slid down Beatrice’s cheeks.

“I want us back,” I whispered, forcing the words out past the knot in my throat. “Before our parents died. Before we became strangers to each other.”

Beatrice let out a shaky breath. For a second, I saw it in her eyes, too- the exact same grief, the same desperate longing for the years we’d lost.

“…I want that, too,” she admitted quietly.

Hearing those words hit me hard, aching deep in my chest.

Meredyth poured her some fresh tea, fussing over her the way only mothers know how to do. Sunlight washed over, and a warm breeze rustled the leaves around us. For a split second, everything almost felt normal.

1:40 pm P PT

Then the house doors flew open, banging hard against the frame, and Liam limped out onto the back porch.

“Well, that was a terrible experience.”

We all turned. His shirt was shredded, blood stained his sleeve, and deep bruises covered his jaw and neck. Fresh cuts were still sluggishly healing along his arms.

Meredyth let out a sharp gasp. “Oh my–LAM!”

“What?” Liam looked offended. “You should see the other guys.”

“WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?”

“Fun night.” He dropped heavily into the nearest chair with a loud groan. “Rogues apparently don’t like being

robbed.”

Nathan was already on his feet. “…Talk.”

Liam’s playful grin faded a fraction. “Inside.”

The moment he said it, I caught it. That same hidden wall of tension. The exact anxiety Nathan had tried to mask

‘rom me yesterday. Everything clicked into place.

1 looked directly at Nathan. “This,” I said quietly. “This is what you were hiding from me.”

Nathan let out a slow sigh. “…Yeah.”

“You sent him somewhere dangerous.”

“I volunteered,” Liam cut in.

“You’re both idiots,” I muttered.

“Accurate,” Liam agreed proudly.

Nathan ignored him, keeping his eyes on his brother. “Did you get them?”

ľ

Liam’s grin flashed back instantly, bright and wicked. “Oh, we got them.” Then he winced, grabbing his side. “… )w. Okay, that was a bad call.”

Meredyth started panicking all over again. “You’re bleeding!”

‘Barely.”

“There is blood everywhere!”

“Technically, most of it isn’t mine.”

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