Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43

LUMINA

“Don’t you?” Her voice had changed, becoming softer but somehow more menacing. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like

you’re terrified of losing what you have.”

I started spreading peanut butter on the bread, focusing on making each stroke even, keeping my emotions in control as I replied

carefully. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Your husband, your comfortable life, your position as the alpha’s mate. All of it could disappear so easily, couldn’t it?”

My hand stopped moving on the knife. Through the window, I could see Xenois pushing Riley on one of the swings while Ollie sat in the sandbox, still keeping his distance, his eyes watching with suspicious and a little bit of disappointment. Even in the playground,

Xenois subconsciously focused on Riley more.

“Especially,” Sophia continued, “if people started to question your role as a mother. If they started to wonder whether you were capable of providing a stable, safe environment for a child.”

I turned to face her, and the mask had finally dropped completely. The sweet, vulnerable woman she’d been pretending to be was gone, replaced by something cold and calculating.

“What do you want from me?”

“I want you to step aside gracefully. Accept that Xenois deserves better than a paranoid, unstable mate who attacks innocent women in restaurants and fills her child’s head with delusions.”

“And if I don’t?”

Her smile was cruel as she shrugged her shoulders and replied. “Then I’ll make sure everyone sees exactly what kind of person you really are. Starting with your husband.”

I looked back out the window and felt my blood run cold. Riley had gotten off the swing and was walking toward Ollie in the sandbox, his right hand extended again. But this time, Ollie couldn’t back away he was sitting down, trapped.

–

“You see,” Sophia said, following my eyes, “children are so much more trusting than adults. So much easier to manipulate, And Riley can be very persuasive when he needs to be.”

“Stay away from my son.”

“Or what? You’ll attack me again? In your own kitchen, with your husband just outside?” She laughed. “Go ahead, Lumina. Show him exactly what kind of monster you really are.”

I watched through the window as Riley knelt down beside the sandbox, still holding out his hand. Ollie was shaking his head, pressing

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Chapter 43

himself back against the wooden frame.

“Stop this,” I said, my voice shaking with rage. “Whatever you’re doing to those children, stop it right now.”

“I’m not doing anything. Just letting nature take its course.”

Outside, Xenois was walking back toward the house, probably coming to check on the snacks. In a few seconds, he would be back inside, and whatever was happening between the boys would continue without any adult supervision.

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“You know what I think?” Sophia said, moving closer to me. “I think you’re going to have another one of your episodes. I think you’re going to lose control, maybe try to hurt me again. And when Xenois comes inside and sees what you’ve done…”

She was right. She was backing me into a corner, forcing me to choose between protecting my son and protecting my marriage. And

either choice would play right into her hands.

But as I watched Riley finally grab Ollie’s hand despite my son’s obvious reluctance, as I saw the look of confusion and fear that crossed Ollie’s face, something inside me snapped.

I didn’t care about the consequences anymore. I didn’t care what Xenois would think or what it would cost me. All I cared about was

protecting my child.

“You want to see a monster?” I said, reaching for the electric stove and turning one of the burners to high. “Let me show you what a

real monster looks like.”

Sophia’s eyes widened as she realized what I was doing, but she was too slow to react. I grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward, pressing her palm down against the heating element just as it began to glow red.

Her scream was exactly like the one I’d heard in my nightmares, the sound of a child in agony. But this wasn’t a child – this was the woman who had been torturing her own son, who was now trying to hurt mine.

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15:53 Wed, Jan 14