Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 69

Chapter 69

LUMINA

The hot water rolled down my body from my hair as I stood in our master bathroom shower, finally allowing myself to have a moment to decompress from everything from what had to be one of the most stressful evenings of my life. I shook my head in resignation as I still remembered Sophia scent that had clogged my nose and Silvia scatting remarks.

I was also surprised a little by Xenois behavior throughout this evening. He seemed to be the only person on my side. How ironic and here I was expecting it to be only Samuel and his support would be polite Indifference as usual.

The steam rose around feeling like a protective barrier, and for the first time in hours, I could breathe without feeling like someone was watching every move that I did, waiting for me to make a mistake before insulting me.

I leaned against the tile wall, letting the water wash away the tension that had been building in my muscles since the moment Sophia and Riley had walked through Silvia’s front door.

The whole evening felt like a very vivid dream, like I’d been trapped in some kind of drama where everyone else knew their lines except me.

What bothered me most wasn’t just Silvia’s obvious to everyone manipulation or Sophia’s fake acting at being a fragile single mother who definitely wants trying to steal my mate.

What bothered me completely was Ollie’s behavior tonight. My son, who had been cautious and a bit resistant and unaccepting to Riley’s presence during their previous playdate, had suddenly become the little boy’s fierce protector like a switch had been switched in him.

The sleepover had been his idea, insisted upon with a lot of determination that I rarely saw from him. He wasn’t backing down one bit at all.

The way he’d used Sophia’s own words against her talking about bonding time and developing relationships between him and Riley like they all wanted was a bit manipulative but honestly it had been brilliant, and Silvia fell for his line, hook line and sinker without seeing anything odd in it.

It was almost too brilliant for a five-year-old. It made me wonder how much of our adult conversations he’d been listening to while pretending otherwise, and how much he understood about the complex situation tha

was revolving around our family.

Should I be proud of his quick thinking, or concerned that my kindergartener was already learning to manipulate situations to get what he wanted?

The thought made my stomach clench with worry. Children shouldn’t have to be that strategic at things like this. Turning the situation to their advantage. They shouldn’t be, that aware of tension that was going on between adults and power plays. It seemed that Silvia’s influence was subconsciously rubbing off on him.

But then again I thought about the way Riley had looked when Sophia was preparing to take him home after the humiliation that she suffered and way she was trying to act like she was alright. The way that Riley had positioned himself behind Ollie, like he was seeking protection from him and still leaving himself open so that it seemed natural to everyone who looked at him. The panic in his eyes when he looked at that bathtub full of water. The careful way he chose his words, as if he was always afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Maybe Ollie’s insistence on the sleepover hadn’t been manipulation at all. Maybe it had been a genuine concern for another child who needed help for some reason. After all I did have suspicion that Riley was being abused by Sophia but I had no proof.

The thought made my heart ache for both boys, for Riley, who seemed to be carrying burdens on his shoulders that no five year old should bear, and for Ollie, who was somehow brilliant enough to recognize another child’s pain.

I closed my eyes and let the water run over my face, trying to wash away the image of Sophia’s triumphant smile when Silvia had fawned over her at

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dinner.

The way she’d looked at Xenois with that mixture of longing and lust that made my skin crawl with disgust.

And then there was whatever had happened on the balcony.

I’d heard Sophia’s cry, had seen her on the ground looking disheveled and shocked at something.

Xenois had been standing over her, his face filled with anger. The official story was that she’d tripped, but something about the whole scene had felt

wrong.

Part of me wanted to ask Xenois what had really happened out there, that he should tell me the truth that I wasn’t Silvia who believed him. But a bigger part of me was terrified of the answer that he might tell me. Because deep down, I knew he still had feelings for Sophia. I’d seen the way he looked at her, the way his entire personality changed when she was around.

If they’d been having some kind of intimate moment that had gone wrong…

I shook my head, trying to shake away those thoughts from my mind. I couldn’t go down that path because there was no use. It would only lead to more pain, more doubt, more of the insecurity that had been eating away at me for weeks.

The sound of the bathroom door opening and closing made me freeze in place as I was a bit confused at why the door would be opening.

I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Xenois his scent filled the air, that familiar combination of cedar and something that was uniquely him that had always made me feel safe and desired.

I felt him step into the shower behind me, his warm hands touching on my shoulders.

His lips found the sensitive spot where my neck met my shoulder, pressing soft kisses that made my breath catch despite everything that had happened tonight.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice sounding so low that I could barely hear myself.

“Seeking some time with my mate,” he murmured against my skin, his arms coming around me from behind.

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