Reborn Luna (Hope and Keith) novel Chapter 21

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14. Game–2

I swear I won’t show up tomorrow.

“Great! Maybe after we can go for a run,” Leah offers.

“Don’t be so inconsiderate. Keith is going for a healing session not taking a stroll across the grounds.”

Leah narrows her eyes and Tucker fights a smile taking a sip of water to disguise it.

“Tessa! I’m sure your sister didn’t mean it like that,” Karen defends.

I’m getting the sense all isn’t well in their family unit, Jace projects.

I have the same feeling.

“We’ll have to see how I feel after my session with Emma,” I say gently.

“Oh right. Of course,” Leah says.

Ben snickers with Hope until Tessa shoots him a warning look to which he grins indulgently.

Interesting.

I shift in my seat, leaning back.

And watch.

Ben isn’t touching her. Not in the way an enamored boyfriend would. No hand on the back of her chair. No casual graze of hands. No stolen looks.

At least, not toward Hope.

But when Tessa laughs at one of Clinton’s ridiculous jokes, Ben’s attention is solely on her.

It lingers. There’s longing in it.

It isn’t the first time.

He does it again a minute later when she compliments the dessert. His eyes trace her mouth and tongue as she licks her spoon.

Hope doesn’t seem to notice.

Or maybe she does, and she’s just really damn good at faking it.

Something isn’t right with Hope and Ben’s relationship.

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< 14 Game 2

Are you being jealous? Jace teases.

That’s besides the point, look.

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Jace slyly watches the exchange, nodding along with the conversation around him without missing a beat.

Yeah. Something is off there. Looks like he has a thing for red he’s trying to hide.

Do you think they’re together behind hopes back or that Tessa’s the one he really wants?

Could be. It’s hard to tell though.

But I’m too distracted now to care that I’m staring.

Something’s off.

If they’re really dating, why doesn’t Ben act like it?

Why is his attention on Tessa?

And why is Hope pretending she doesn’t notice?

I glance at her again and when she notices me she moves a little closer to Ben.

The action seems more like self preservation than romantic affection.

That little minx.

She’s playing some kind of game.

Suddenly I find myself analyzing everything that happened up until this moment. Her leaving my ascension early, the immediate denial of our bond, how admittedly she wanted me to believe in this boyfriend stunt that looks more questionable with every passing second.

The question is why?

Why wouldn’t she want to be with her fated mate?

When dessert’s over, we stand. Clinton stretches, tells tomorrow there will be a bonfire and he looks forward to seeing us there.

Ben makes a polite goodbyes and heads out with his parents. Tessa gives Clinton a quick hug and heads up to her room followed by Karen and Leah.

Hope doesn’t say anything to me but gives Jace a nod as she walks out.

I can’t stop watching her. Can’t stop wondering.

Can’t stop the feeling that she is mine.

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14 Game–2

***

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Later that night, I’m sitting in my room with Jace.

The dinner keeps replaying in my head–Ben’s gaze trailing after Tessa, not Hope. The way Hope froze when I mentioned waiting for my mate.

I sit on the edge of the bed and run a hand through my hair.

“Ben and Hope,” I mutter. “Something doesn’t add up.”

“It doesn’t but why wouldn’t she want to be your mate?” Jace says.

“No idea.”

“Maybe you offended her,” he offers.

“Not possible. We’ve never met. I would remember her if we did.”

Jace nods.“If he’s her boyfriend, he should be territorial. Protective. Not watching another girl

across the table. She is definitely pulling the wool over your eyes.”

“But why fake it?” I wonder out loud.

Why lie?

And why the hell is Ben going along with it?

There is a knock on the door. It’s soft, feminine. Jace looks at me with an eyebrow raised. I

shrug my shoulders as my Lycan comes forward and I extend my senses.

The smell of tulips and evergreen lets me know exactly who it is. Leah.

Jace’s frown lets me know he’s figured it out as well.

There’s only one reason she would be at my room in the middle of the night and I’m not interested.

I don’t answer.

After a few seconds I hear her retreating footsteps.

I stand again, pacing.

“I need some air. Don’t worry about me, you can head to bed,” I say, grabbing my jacket and slipping it on my shoulders.

The moon’s high casting the trees in shadow. The air smells like pine and damp grass from the light rain that came down earlier.

14 Game 2

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Blue Rock is different from the Lotus pack. Our woods are wild and filled with creeks and mountainous inclines, this land is a dense old forest broken by lakes and brooks.

The foliage is large and deep green and carries the traces of sediment and mud along the air.

I hear voices near the training field. I follow them out of habit, staying in the shadows.

Ben’s voice. Low. Calm. Talking to someone.

“…you handled that well,” he says.

Tessa replies, laughing softly. “Handled what?”

“Clinton’s matchmaking.”

“Oh. That.” She pauses. “He means well.”

“Dont bullshit me Tessa.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“I want you to stand up for yourself. To let him know that you plan to claim your right as

Alpha of this pack with or without his support.”

“You know what he’ll say,” Tessa says.

“And you know I’ll support you. I’ll always be on your side.”

That’s all I need to hear.

I walk away before they notice me.

So Ben is interested in Tessa.

Not Hope.

Then why the performance?

Why pretend she can’t feel our wolves‘ connection?

I stop under a tree, breathing hard.

She asked him to do it.

To keep me away.

There has to be a reason for it. It’s not some belief in true love over fate.

And that seed of doubt I had that she was doing this purposely?

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14 Game 2

It’s not a seed anymore.

It’s a wildfire.

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