My Marked Luna (Apphia and Nicholas) novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22

“My wolf left me,”

“Why?”

“I think she’s hurt because our mate rejected us.

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I’m stunned. Tears quickly fill her eyes, and her lips start to quiver. I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say. Why would anyone ever reject her? She’s so… perfect.

“I’m sorry,” I manage.

‘Are you?‘ Nico snarls.

‘I’m sorry that she’s in pain,‘ I retort.

Apphia’s trying her best to hold back her tears. She’s heartbroken over the rejection.

“He didn’t want me. I feel so sad every time I think about everything that happened,” Her tiny body is shaking from holding in her sob.

I’m trying my best to contain the anger rising within me to see her so hurt. I would never understand how a wolf could reject their soulmate and cause them so much anguish.

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Gavi just didn’t want me,” she murmurs, tears cascading down her beautiful face. “I–I have a heavy h- hurtful void in my c–chest…”

I can’t restrain myself anymore. I pull her onto my lap, in a cuddle position. I wrap my arms around her, and she breaks down in sobs entirely.

My fingers stroke her hair gently as I let her cry it out.

Her sobs finally subside; they are just sniffles now, yet she does not attempt to escape my embrace immediately.

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs, getting off me before I can react. She sits beside me. Apphia doesn’t look at me, only staring at her trembling, knotted fingers.

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‘There’s nothing to be sorry for,” I tell her. She wipes her tears away with her fingers.

“Prince Nicholas, why are you being so kind to me? You don’t even know me,” she asks. I contemplate telling her I’m her second chance mate, but I fear her reaction, especially after the breakdown she just had. It’s clear she needs to heal. My poor mate is still hurting badly because of her first mate. And she has no wolf, so she can’t feel our bond. Could she even believe me if I told her?

The psychologist thinks it’s best not to tell her about our bond for now.” Apphia is not ready for anything grave at this point. She’s still adapting to this new environment, and everyone is practically a stranger,” she told me.

I need to gain her trust, and my lycan agrees.

“I Because you needed help, and I gave it. It’s my duty,” I tell her. She scrutinizes me, not believing a

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Chapter 22

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word.

“Is this how you treat everyone you find on your border? Putting them in a royal hospital suite and having the best team of doctors care for them?” she squints her eyes. I exhale and run my fingers through my hair.

‘No, just you,” I’m honest.

Why me?”

“You were really in bad shape when I found you,”

“So you have no intention of- of using me for anything… inappropriate?” she stutters, blushing. She’s so cute and too innocent.

“No,” I answer, holding a smile.

“Does my stutter around you delight you so much, Alpha?” Her tone is lighter and warmer. She bites back a smile and turns her head from me. So she only stutters around me? I smirk. I’m going to enjoy wooing her.

“I guess it does, Miss Aeson,”

‘Any luck in getting her to talk?‘ I receive a mind link from my father. He wants to get justice for her. Seeing her like this brought back old, painful memories for him. My mother was abused by her former pack because she killed someone during her first shift. The man she killed was a pedophile, but they shunned and abused her.

‘She has a father and a brother, but they are not close. Also, she was rejected by her first mate. Apphia refuses to say more,‘

‘Could she be protecting someone?‘

‘Maybe, but who? The man who assaulted her? I want to get my hands on the fucker. I’ll kill him, Dad,‘ I wonder if she lied to me, and it’s her first mate who raped her.

‘What happened to that young girl is horrible. However, it led her here. To you, so it is fate,‘

‘Indeed,‘

Apphia and I sit there in comfortable silence. It is the best moment of my life. However, it’s getting colder, and we should head back inside before my princess catches a cold.

“We should go inside,” I say. She frowns, but I’m already on my feet, showing her there’s no argument.

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I like it here,” she pouts unintentionally. I want to kiss her so bad.

You come back tomorrow,” I tell her.

Really?”

“Of course, you’re not a prisoner. Just make sure Lily is with you,”