Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 353

Chapter 353

LUMINA

3

I was standing at the kitchen counter, mechanically chopping vegetables for lunch and trying very hard not to think about the fact

that there was a five-hundred-year-old supernatural creature currently imprisoned in my basement.

The knife made rhythmic sounds against the cutting board-thunk, thunk, thunk-and I focused on that simple, normal task because

if I didn’t focus on something mundane, I was going to completely lose my composure.

My hands were shaking slightly. I noticed this with a distant sort of detachment, watching my fingers grip the knife handle with more force than was strictly necessary. We’d been attacked. In our home. Our sanctuary. The place where my children were supposed to be safe had been violated by creatures made of smoke and darkness, and only the quick thinking of two traumatized five-year-olds had prevented

something far worse from happening.

I should have been there. Should have sensed the danger sooner, should have protected them better, should have-

The sound of vehicles pulling up outside interrupted my spiral of self-recrimination. I set down the knife and moved toward the window, peering out to see Thorne’s familiar truck followed by two other vehicles I recognized as belonging to pack elders. My stomach

dropped.

This was going to be a disaster.

I was already moving toward the front door when it opened, revealing Thorne with an apologetic expression that immediately told me this visit wasn’t his idea. Behind him came Elder Harriet, Elder Morrison, Elder Chen, and-my heart sank further-Elder Johnson. Derek’s father. The same man whose son had spent the morning spouting prejudiced nonsense about werewitches, who’d apparently learned those

attitudes from his parent.

Marcus, our head of security, brought up the rear. He at least looked uncomfortable about the whole situation, his expression

carefully neutral but his posture tense.

“Luna Lumina,” Thorne said, and the formal address coupled with his apologetic tone confirmed my worst suspicions. “I apologize for the intrusion. I was overheard making arrangements for the security team, and the elders insisted on accompanying me to assess the

situation personally.”

‘Assess the situation, I repeated flatly, crossing my arms over my chest. ‘Or assess whether my sons presence in this pack is worth

the trouble?”

I saw several of the elders shift uncomfortably at my blunt assessment, but Elder Johnson’s expression hardened.

“Both, frankly,” he said, his voice carrying that particular brand of self-righteousness that made my wolf want to bare her teeth. “We’ve heard some rather extraordinary claims about what happened here today. Claims that seem, shall we say, difficult to believe.”

“You don’t believe that Riley and Lake captured a nightwalker,” I said, not bothering to make it a question.

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Chapter 353

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“We believe something attacked your home,” Elder Harriet said, her tone more diplomatic than Johnson’s but no less skeptical. “We believe your staff was frightened and that there was damage to the property. But the idea that two five-year-old children-werewitches or

not-managed to capture an ancient nightwalker single-handedly? That strains credulity.”

“Where’s Xenois?” Elder Morrison asked, looking past me into the house. “And where are the children? We’ve barely had a glimpse of

the new additions to your family since they arrived. It’s time we properly assessed them.”

Every protective instinct I possessed flared hot and fierce at those words. Assessed. Like my sons were objects to be evaluated, judged,

measured against some arbitrary standard of pack worthiness.

“The children are upstairs doing their homework,” I said, keeping my voice level through sheer force of will.

“They’ve had a traumatic day and they’re not receiving visitors.”

“We’re not visitors, we’re elders of this pack,” Elder Johnson said, his tone sharpening. “We have a right-indeed, a duty-to ensure that all pack members meet appropriate standards. Especially when those members bring danger to our doorstep.”

“They didn’t bring danger anywhere,” I snapped, my composure cracking.

“They’re children who were victimized and traumatized, and now you want to blame them for the fact that the people who hurt them won’t leave them alone? That’s not justice, that’s scapegoating.”

“Nevertheless,” Elder Harriet interjected smoothly, “we need to see them. Need to speak with them. Understand what we’re dealing with. Surely you can see the reasonableness of that request?”

I opened my mouth to refuse-to tell them exactly where they could shove their “reasonable request”-but Xenois appeared from the direction of his office, his expression controlled but his eyes blazing with barely suppressed fury.

“The children are not available,” he said, his alpha authority making the words feel like a physical weight in the room. “They’ve given their statements, they’ve been through enough today, and they’re not going to be interrogated by people who’ve already made up their

minds about them.”

‘We haven’t made up our minds about anything,” Elder Morrison protested, though his tone suggested otherwise. “We simply want to assess the situation objectively.”

“Then assess the nightwalker in our basement,” Xenois said flatly. “Since that seems to be what you’re really here to verify anyway. Thorne wanted to see the prisoner, and I assume that’s why you all insisted on coming along.”

I saw surprise flicker across several of the elders’ faces-apparently they hadn’t actually expected us to have a nightwalker imprisoned here. Elder Johnson’s expression, however, remained skeptical and hostile.

‘Very well,” he said. “Show us this alleged prisoner. And then we’ll discuss what should be done about the children who supposedly captured it.’

The way he said “supposedly” made my hands clench into fists at my sides. Xenois caught my eye, and I saw the same fury I felt

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Chapter 353

reflected back at me. But we both knew we had to handle this carefully. The elders had significant influence in pack politics, and

alienating them completely would only make things harder for Riley and Lake in the long run.

“This way,” Xenois said tightly, turning toward the basement stairs.

I fell into step beside him, and the group of elders, Thorne, and Marcus followed. As we descended into the basement, I could hear the elders murmuring to each other-probably still expressing skepticism, still doubting that what we’d claimed was true.

They fell silent the moment we reached the bottom of the stairs and the light prison came into view.

78

The cell was blazing with that unnatural brightness that made shadows impossible, every surface covered in the light-emitting panels Riley and Lake had installed. And in the center of all that harsh illumination stood a man-though calling him a man felt inadequate for

something that had existed for five centuries.

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18:58 Fri, Jan 30

Reborn From Regret A Second Chance at Luna’s Heart