No Longer Be your Luna (Jane and Xander) novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Let it Burn.

*Jane*

“What?”

“Did you tell my mother to push me off that bridge?” I repeated.

“Jane!” He warned. “I can’t believe you’ve come home to make

up a story. You attacked her tonight.”

“She tried to push me off Oath bridge!” I stuck my arm out at

him. “Can you see this? The blood? Do I look like someone who

was busy attacking her mother? Do I, Xander?”

Xander winced, but his expression shifted to concern and pure

disbelief. “God Jane” He took a step down, reaching for my

trembling hands. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry, I…”

I moved out of his reach. “You’ve never cared, have you? You

don’t have to pretend now. If tonight did anything, it proved

that I can take care of myself. I don’t need you.”

“That’s not fair. I never meant…”

“Do you enjoy it?” I asked, cutting him off. “Watching us tear at

each other while you feign innocence?”

Chapter 24: Let it Burn.

“Jane, please calm down,” he said, eyes darting to the window.

“Think of the company. If you sue your mother, it’s going to be

all over the news, and it won’t help anything. Please let’s talk

about it,”

“The company?” I laughed bitterly. That’s what he was worried

about? “My mother just tried to kill me, and you’re worried

about business?”

His silence was answer enough.

The door creaked open and Mia walked out, eyes widening at the sight of me. “What’s happening?” she asked, pulling her

cardigan tighter around her shoulders.

I and Xander both spoke at the same time.

“This is between Xander and me. Go back inside-”

“Jane’s suing her mother.”

I looked at Xander. My whole body felt like it was one wrong breath away from exploding “What the hell?”

Mia’s eyes widened even further, but Xander continued. “Jane,”

he began, using a patronizing tone. “Your mother is all bark and no bite. She wouldn’t actually harm you.”

Chapter 24: Let it Burn.

“Really Xander? You weren’t there! You didn’t almost fall into

the icy river. You weren’t there when she held me against the

edge of the bridge, or when her claws dug into my skin, or when

she looked at me with so much contempt I thought I was surely

going to die. You don’t know the fear, the pain, the…” I trailed

off. I ran out of words.

“I’ll speak with her,” he promised, trying to reach for me again.

“I’m sure she was just…”

“Making excuses for her again?” I cut him off and stepped back

from his touch. “Like you always do? Save your breath. This

time, I will neither forgive nor forget.”

“You’re being too emotional about this Jane. We need to

approach this with logic. Come inside and we can sit and talk.”

“Emotional? Could care any less? I almost lost my life tonight.

What would be an appropriate reaction to that, Xander? A

polite discussion over tea?” My wolf was enraged, angry that

our mate was questioning everything. She felt betrayed.

“I’m looking at this rationally. If this gets out… if the media

catches wind of it, the company’s reputation…”

“I don’t care!” I slammed my palm against the brick wall. “I know what really happened. I don’t care if the media says the

company instructed my mother to kill me. I don’t give a shit.”

Chapter 24: Let it Burn.

His eyes flashed with frustration. “What do you want from me,

Jane? To hate your mother? To cut all ties with her? With half

our investors?”

I held his gaze. Xander wasn’t going to do anything about this.

And if he won’t, there’s only one action left for me to take.

Without answering, I moved past him and ran into the house.

“Jane, please,” Xander called after me, his voice softening,

becoming more gentle “Jane, let’s talk about this. I’m sorry. I

didn’t mean…”

grasped my arm, but I broke free.

every room of his house.”

“I’ll need a few days of sick leave,” I continued, twisting the

Chapter 24: Let It Burn.

what he deserved. I was ready to twist the knife even deeper.

“We’ll start in his kitchen, on the counter where he makes

breakfast. Maybe he could eat his breakfast off me.” I watched

Xander flinch, but I wasn’t done yet. “Then we’ll move to the

living room. He has this beautiful rug that hasn’t been tested out

yet. I’d love to check its durability.”

“The bedroom of course, but that’s just for breaks between the

real excitement. The bathroom shower has these incredible

stone walls that echo every sound. And trust me, I get very loud

with him-”

Xnader raised a hand up. “Stop! Jane, please… I know what you’re doing. You’re deliberately trying to hurt me.”

A humorless laugh bubbled up from inside me. “How observant of you,” I sneered. “Turns out I hate you, Xander. I hate what you’ve made me become. I hate every single thing about you. I.

Hate. You.”

Xander said nothing. Instead he closed the distance between us, cupped my cheeks and pressed his forehead against mine. “If you want me to put your mother in jail,” he whispered, “I’ll do it.

Today. Now. Whatever you need.”

For one heartbeat, I wavered. The sincerity in his voice almost

broke my resolve. Almost.

Chapter 24: Let it Burn

“And then what? Find a way to cover it up? Issue a statement

about her mental health? Protect the precious company? That’s

all you really care about.”

His hands tightened slightly on my face. “That’s not true.”

I pulled back, staring directly into his eyes. “I’m going to count to

ten. If your hands are still on me when I get to tem, I’m going to

set this house on fire.”

He was just staring.

“One, two, three.” My voice was eerily calm.

“Jane…”

“Four, five six”

His breathing was getting sharp, jagged, “Jane, stop—”

“Seven, eight..”