Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 303

Chapter 303

LUMINA

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Riley turned to look at me, and for a moment I saw something defensive flash across his face before the medication smoothed it away. He shifted slightly, positioning himself between me and Lake in a subtle but unmistakable protective gesture.

That hurt more than I wanted to admit. My son saw me as a potential threat to the person he cared about, rather than as someone

who wanted what was best for him. The distance between us felt insurmountable in moments like this.

Ollie, who’d been hovering near the doorway trying to find an opening to approach, seized the opportunity created by my intervention. He edged closer to the bed, his expression eager and curious as he studied Lake with obvious fascination.

“Hi,” Ollie said brightly, coming to stand on the opposite side of the bed from Riley. “I’m Ollie. Riley’s younger brother.”

Lake’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked between Ollie and Riley, clearly trying to figure out where this new person fit in the

complicated hierarchy of Riley’s life.

His lips pressed together in a thin line, and I could see him chewing on the inside of his mouth-a nervous habit that reminded me uncomfortably of how Riley used to act around Sophia when he was uncertain.

Riley picked up on Lake’s discomfort immediately. “This is Ollie,” he confirmed, his voice carrying a note of forced patience. “He’s

Xenois and Lumina’s biological son. My twin.”

The emphasis on ‘biological’ wasn’t lost on me. Riley was still struggling with the reality of his parentage, still unable to fully accept that Xenois and I were his real family rather than the woman who’d kidnapped and raised him.

Dr. Sloane said it would take time, that forcing acceptance would only drive him further away, but hearing him reduce our connection

to mere biology stung every single time.

Lake said nothing, just continued to watch Ollie with that suspicious wariness while his hand remained firmly clasped in Riley’s. The silence stretched uncomfortably until Ollie, bless him, seemed to realize he needed to fill it.

“Is it true?” Ollie asked, leaning forward with barely contained excitement. “You’re really a werewitch? That werewitches are both wolves and have one special power as well, like half witches? Your portals are so cool! Could you show me later how they work?”

I saw Lake’s expression shift slightly, confusion mixing with the wariness. He clearly hadn’t expected enthusiasm from Riley’s family, hadn’t anticipated being treated like someone interesting rather than someone dangerous.

“Uncle Lyn has one too,” Ollie continued, apparently interpreting Lake’s silence as permission to keep talking.

“He can heal instantly, no matter the injury. It’s amazing! One time he cut his hand really bad and it just sealed itself back up in seconds. Do all werewitches heal that fast, or is it just Uncle Lyn?”

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Chapter 303

The words hit me like a physical blow, and I saw the exact moment they registered with Lake too.

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His entire body went rigid, his face draining of color as he processed what Ollie had just revealed. He knew about Lyn’s healing ability because he’d been the one testing its limits under Andy’s direction.

He’d been the one inflicting those injuries that sealed themselves back up, the one participating in torture that my innocent younger son was now describing with childlike wonder.

“Ollie,” I said quickly, my voice sharper than I’d intended. “Don’t overwhelm them. Lake just woke up, and he needs time to recover

before we bombard him with questions.”

Ollie looked at me with confusion, clearly not understanding why I was cutting off his friendly interrogation.

He had no idea what Lake had done, no concept of the complicated guilt and trauma that had to be coursing through the boy in the

hospital bed right now.

Riley had gone very still beside Lake, his expression unreadable as he processed this interaction. I could see him making connections,

understanding that Ollie didn’t know the full extent of Lake’s involvement in Andy’s plans.

That we were treating Lake like a victim rather than a perpetrator because we were focused on Riley’s well-being rather than on

justice.

Lake’s hand had started to tremble in Riley’s grip, and I watched my son’s fingers tighten reflexively, offering silent comfort. The

protective instinct was so strong that Riley didn’t even seem to register he was doing it, his entire focus narrowing to Lake’s distress.

“I need to rest,” Lake said quietly, his voice strained in a way that had nothing to do with physical exhaustion. “Can everyone just…

give us a minute?”

It wasn’t really a request, despite the polite phrasing. It was a desperate plea for space, for time to process what had just happened without an audience. I could see panic starting to edge into his expression, the kind that suggested he was seconds away from a complete

breakdown.

“Of course,” I said quickly, already moving toward the door and gesturing for Ollie to follow. “We’ll be right outside if you need

anything.”

Dr. Sloane and her colleague took the hint as well, gathering their equipment with quiet efficiency. Only Xenois hesitated, his gaze fixed on Riley with obvious concern, but even he seemed to recognize that pushing right now would do more harm than good.

“Riley, Xenois said softly. “We’ll be in the hallway. Come get us when you’re ready.”

Riley nodded without looking away from Lake, and I could see him already cataloging the signs of distress in his friend’s face. The medication might dull Riley’s own emotions, but it hadn’t diminished his ability to read Lake’s, hadn’t reduced his fierce protectiveness of the person he cared about most.

I ushered Ollie out into the corridor, where Dr. Sloane and Xenois were already waiting. The moment the door closed behind us, Ollie

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Chapter 303

turned to me with bewildered frustration.

“What did I do wrong?” he asked. “I was just trying to be friendly. I thought Lake would think it was cool that I knew about

werewitches.”

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I exchanged a glance with Xenois, trying to figure out how to explain this without revealing things that would shatter Ollie’s

innocence. Our younger son had been protected from the worst details of what had happened in Andy’s basement, had been told only that

Riley’s friend had been hurt and needed time to recover.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” I assured him, pulling him into a gentle side hug.

“Lake is just overwhelmed right now. Waking up from a coma is disorienting, and having a lot of new people asking questions can be

stressful.”

It wasn’t a lie, exactly, just a carefully edited version of the truth. Ollie seemed to accept it, though I could see him still processing

his confusion about why his friendly enthusiasm had been shut down so quickly.

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Reborn From Regret A Second Chance at Luna’s Heart