Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 17

Emily’s POV

The food court buzzed with people, bright lights, and nonstop noise. Jessie and Tessa sat next to me with a huge pile of fries and a burger, but I had no appetite. I couldn’t bring myself to take a single bite.

Two of Marcus’s warriors stood nearby, silent and still, keeping watch while Marcus and Liam dealt with the bloody mess in the security office.

Kane showed up a moment later, carrying another big tray full of food and drinks.

“Eat,” he said softly, setting it on the table.

Jessie didn’t hesitate. She immediately grabbed a handful of fries.

“Best idea you’ve had all day. I’m traumatized, Kane. Traumatized people need carbs.”

Kane laughed, leaning in as Jessie playfully fed him a fry.

“I completely support your recovery plan.”

Even though I still felt scared, I managed a small smile. It was good to see them happy. But when I looked down at my soda, a strange, heavy restlessness filled my chest.

It felt like a pressure I couldn’t explain, as if someone far away was panicking and losing control with worry.

Nathan.

I squeezed my paper cup until it crumpled.

No, that was ridiculous. Nathan hadn’t accepted me as his mate, and our bond couldn’t be strong enough to reach this far.

“Hey.”

I looked up as Marcus walked over to us. He had changed out of his bloody shirt and was now wearing a clean white one with the sleeves rolled up. He struggled to carry a huge stack of paper shopping bags, which held all the clothes we forgot to grab when we rushed out.

Liam followed behind, putting on a new leather jacket and carrying the rest of our shopping. He noticed me staring, flashed a sly grin, and dropped the heavy bags onto the floor next to the table.

“This is their compensation,” Liam said as he slid into the seat next to me. He glanced at my untouched food and asked, “Are you going to eat that?”

I shook my head. I still felt too numb to eat anything.

“Great.”

He reached over right away and took my fries.

Marcus looked at me with serious blue eyes.

“You okay, Emily?”

“Now she is,” Jessie answered for me, reaching over to squeeze my shoulder.

Marcus looked at me for a long moment, then nodded.

“Good. Then it’s time to go home. Nathan is probably tearing the pack apart looking for us.”

“No,” the word slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

Everyone at the table stopped and stared at me. My face grew hot with embarrassment.

“I just…” I looked down at my hands and spoke in a whisper. “I don’t want everyone to end the trip early because of me. I’ve ruined enough already.”

Marcus’s expression softened.

“You didn’t ruin anything, Emily.”

This trip to the city mattered to them. They were always stuck at the pack border, and my past birthday was the only reason they finally had some fun. I couldn’t let my problems ruin their day.

I raised my head and tried to sound brave.

“What else is there to see? Please, show us the human city.”

“Oh? You’re not as soft as you look, birthday girl.”

He smiled slowly, a mischievous spark in his eyes.

My cheeks turned bright red.

Marcus leaned closer to me.

“There’s one place left. It’s loud and fun. Just what you need to forget about earlier.”

“Oh, absolutely not.”

Before anyone could move, Jessie looked us over and groaned dramatically.

“We are not going to a nightclub dressed like this.”

A few minutes later, she had dragged Tessa and me into the restroom. We dug through the shopping bags and changed into our new outfits. By the time we were finished, Jessie looked extremely pleased with herself.

We didn’t waste any time. We hopped into the car, and half an hour later, we were standing outside the VIP nightclub.

The bass was so strong.

A long line of people wrapped around the block, shivering in the cold, but Marcus walked right past them to the front.

The huge bouncer took one look at Marcus and quickly stepped aside, bowing his head.

“Good evening, Marcus. Right this way.”

Behind us, Liam smirked.

“Show-off.”

“Jealous,” Marcus fired back, pulling me inside.

The club was full of blinding neon lights and pounding music. It felt like a different world. Hundreds of people moved together on the dance floor, sweating, laughing, and getting lost in the music.

We were led to a private VIP booth right at the edge of the thumping crowd.

Marcus turned to me, offering his hand.

“Dance with me.”

“What? No, I don’t know how,” I said, panicking as I backed into the soft leather seat.

“Perfect. Then I’ll teach you.”

Before I could protest, he took my hand and pulled me into the crowd.

At first, I was stiff, scared of being touched and of embarrassing myself. But Marcus moved so smoothly that he kept me safe from the crowd.

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