Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 457

Chapter 457

XENOIS

“I tried to make it right,” she continued. “Samuel and I found Sophia. We tortured her for information about Riley, about the facility, about everything she’d done. And then we burned her alive. We told ourselves it was justice, that Xena deserved that revenge. But really, it was just more violence. More pain. More proof that we’d learned nothing from the wars except how to hurt people efficiently.”

“That’s not- I started, but she cut me off.

“When Jerome captured us, when I was chained in that cell waiting to die, part of me thought it was karma,” she admitted. “That the universe was finally making me pay for all the terrible things I’d done. To enemies during the wars, to Lumina after Xena died, to all the people I’d hurt because I was too angry to see clearly. I thought I was going to die there, and I’d have to face Xena and explain why I’d become such a monster after losing her.”

Her voice broke completely now, tears streaming down her face unchecked.

“But then you rescued us. And while I was bleeding out on Lumina’s dining table, while Lynn was trying to save my life, I saw her. I saw Xena. Maybe it was a hallucination from blood loss, maybe it was my brain’s way of processing trauma, but I swear I saw your sister standing there. And she looked at me with such love and such sadness, and she said ‘I forgive you, Mom. I forgive you for everything. Now you need to forgive yourself.””

I felt my own eyes burning with tears. “Mom—”

“I haven’t told Samuel,” she said quickly. “He loved Xena so much. He was always a girl’s dad, always had a special connection with

her that I envied sometimes. Telling him I saw her, that she spoke to me-it would break him. He’d want to know every detail, would

analyze whether it was real or hallucination, and I can’t bear to watch him spiral like that.”

She turned to look at me directly, her face devastated and vulnerable in ways I’d never seen.

“I’m trying to do what’s right now,” she said. “Trying to be better. Apologizing to Lumina, accepting her as Luna, supporting your progressive policies even when they scare me. And taking in Shawn-giving him the family and protection he deserves. But part of me is

terrified that it looks like replacement. That people will think we’re adopting a teenager to fill the void Xena left. That Xena herself will

think we’ve moved on without her.”

“That’s not what this is,” I said firmly. “Shawn isn’t replacing Xena. Nobody could replace her. But Xena wouldn’t want us to stop

living, stop loving, stop opening our family to people who need it just because she’s gone.”

“How do you know?” my mother asked desperately. “How do you know what she would have wanted?”

“Because I knew her,” I said. “She was my sister. And she had the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever known. She would have loved

Shawn. Would have taken him under her wing immediately, taught him about pack life, helped him learn to control his powers. She w have been the best big sister he could have asked for.”

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My mother made a broken sound, somewhere between a laugh and a sob.

“She would have, wouldn’t she?’ she said. “Xena always collected strays. Always found the people who were struggling and decided they were hers to protect.”

“Just like her mother,” I pointed out.

That earned me a watery laugh. ‘I suppose that’s true. Though I’m significantly less graceful about it.”

We sat in silence for a moment, both processing. Then I asked the question I’d been holding back.

“Do you really think you saw her? Or do you think it was hallucination?

My mother was quiet for a long time. “I don’t know, she admitted finally. “Medically, it was probably hallucination. Lynn would tell me it was my brain’s coping mechanism during trauma. But emotionally, spiritually-it felt real. It felt like she was actually there, actually speaking to me, actually offering forgiveness I didn’t deserve.”

“Maybe both things can be true,” I suggested. “Maybe it was hallucination that also carried real meaning. Maybe your brain gave you what you needed to hear in that moment, and that’s a kind of grace too.”

“When did you become so philosophical?” she asked.

“Therapy,” I said. “Lots and lots of therapy after Xena died and my life fell apart.”

“I should have gotten therapy,” my mother said. “Instead of channeling all my grief into destroying Lumina’s life.”

“You’re getting therapy now,” I reminded her. “Dr. Chen. Twice a week. Which you complain about constantly but keep attending.”

“Because your father threatens to withhold sex if I skip sessions,” she said.

“That’s-I really didn’t need to know that,” I said, making a face.

“You asked about my therapy compliance,” she pointed out. “That’s the reason. Your father has surprisingly effective motivational

techniques.”

Despite everything, I felt a laugh bubble up. This was my mother-even in her most vulnerable moments, still capable of being

inappropriate and making me uncomfortable.

“Mom,” I said seriously, “about Lumina-*

“I’ve apologized to her,” my mother interrupted. “Multiple times. And I’m still working on showing her through actions that I’ve changed. That I accept her as Luna, as your mate, as my grandsons’ mother. It’s not enough to erase what I did, but it’s all I can offer.

“She’s forgiven you,” I said. “Not because she’s forgotten what happened, but because she understands grief makes people do terrible

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things. And because she loves me enough to want peace with my family.”

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