Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Emily’s POV

The warm water ran over my shoulders, washing away the sweat and the ache of the morning. But it couldn’t wash away my thoughts. My body still felt the phantom pressure of the training, every touch, every sharp movement.

And I felt him.

I closed my eyes, letting the steam fill my lungs for just a second. Then, my phone vibrated on the counter outside. I froze. I tried to ignore it, but it buzzed again.

Harder. Persistent.

I killed the water, wrapped myself in a towel, and stepped out. The screen was glowing in the dim light of the room.

Owen: You disappeared.

A long pause, then another bubble appeared.

Owen: Was I too late?

My chest tightened. The words were so simple, yet they cut deep. I stared at the glowing text for a long time, my damp skin shivering in the cool air. Should I tell him I was okay? Should I tell him that everything had already changed?

I let out a shaky breath and hit the lock button. The room went dark. I put the phone face down on the nightstand and went back into the bathroom to finish drying off.

When I stepped back into the bedroom, the air felt different. It was thicker. Heavy.

I stopped dead. Nathan was sitting on the edge of my bed. He looked calm—too calm. And my phone was in his hand.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

“You left it,” he said quietly. It wasn’t a question.

I couldn’t find my voice. He didn’t wait for me to speak; he just turned the screen toward me.

The message was still there, bright and accusing in the shadows of the room.

He didn’t look angry. He looked like he was waiting for me to give him a reason to be.

The silence in the room stretched until it felt like it might snap.

5:57 pm

Nathan’s voice was flat, almost empty.

I took a small step toward him. “It doesn’t matter.”

He looked up at me then. His gaze was a physical weight, pinning me to the floor. “It matters to him.”

The clock on the wall ticked. Once. Twice.

“Does it matter to you?” I asked. My voice was barely a whisper.

I swallowed hard. My throat felt dry. Nathan looked down at the phone in his hand, then back at me.

“I don’t answer him,” I added, my heart thumping.

“I see that,” he said. He slowly lowered his hand, but his grip on the phone didn’t loosen. He wasn’t letting go.

“He was there when you were running today,” Nathan said. It wasn’t a question. He knew.

A sting of annoyance flared in my chest. This phone was a gift, and now he was just taking it? I sighed, but I placed the device in his palm anyway, feeling like I was saying goodbye to it.

Nathan unlocked the screen, typed something quickly, and then handed it back. I frowned, checking my messages with Owen. Nothing. He hadn’t sent anything to him.

I looked at Nathan, confused, but he just pulled out his own phone. A second later, my screen chimed with a notification.

Nathan: Dear Emily, now I have your number.

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. The tension broke instantly, Nathan’s lips curled into a rare, real smile as he typed one more thing.

My phone buzzed again.

Nathan: How about dinner on the terrace tonight?

I looked at the screen and then back at him, a small smile tugging at my lips. “You know you don’t have to write ‘Dear’ every time, right?”

“Oh, I know.” Nathan’s eyes darkened, a mischievous but dangerous glint appearing in them. “But I want it to be a reminder.”

I arched an eyebrow. “A reminder of what?”

“Of that note you left me,” he said, stepping closer until I was trapped between him and the bed. “The one where you crossed out the word ‘Dear’ so aggressively before you ran away from the pack. I’m a very petty man, Emily. I don’t forget anything.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words died in my throat. Before I could breathe, he reached out, grabbed my waist, and pulled me hard against his chest.

He didn’t give me a choice. He crashed his lips onto mine in a desperate, hungry kiss. It tasted like fire and longing, like he was trying to reclaim every inch of me that had tried to walk away.

I was breathless, my heart spiraling out of control, as he held me like he was never going to let me go again.