Reborn Luna (Hope and Keith) novel Chapter 50

28.Social creatures–2

“No Papa that’s not-

“I’m not going to let you deny it,” he says firmly. “A good father knows when to own up to his mistakes.”

He turns his gaze to Tessa, slow and serious. “And so does a good Alpha.”

My heart triples its pace.

Tessa could double for a statue now. “What are you trying to say, Papa?” Her voice is steady but small.

He takes a breath. “I’m saying… I officially support you as the next Alpha of the Blue Rock pack.”

Tessa’s eyes widen. Her hand trembles in her lap. I watch as a single, wet shimmer forms at the corner of her eye. She blinks, fighting the tear back.

single,

I want to reach out, hold her hand but I know she won’t like that. Not now when she would want to show

Papa just how strong she was.

My hand wraps around my necklace and I send a silent prayer to Mama, hoping her spirit is with us for this

moment.

Papa stands and holds out his arms for an embrace. His arms go first around Tessa; she tenses, then yields. I slip in beside them. His voice rumbles low in my ear.

“You two are everything to me,” he says. “You and your mother.I miss your mother every day.”

I hear the ache in his voice–like the pitch–dark hole she left.

I close my eyes and let my shoulders sag. Tessa’s breath is tight.

We pull apart. Papa meets our eyes again.

“How will we overcome the council’s ruling? You know they’ll push back at the idea of a female Alpha.”

“They will and we will be ready for them,” he says.

“How?” I ask.

Papa stands straighter, determined. “We get recognition from the king.”

That word echoes. The king.

I freeze. Everything inside me stops. Thoughts flash, the dream. The attack. The royal shadows pulling strings. The suspected target–Keith.

A voice inside warns: I need to keep him safe. Keep him out of their sight. But how?

Tessa tilts her head, a flicker of confusion shadowing her eyes as she reads my expression. I swallow and force myself to calm.

I have to make a plan. A plan that might involve speaking with Kieth and telling him everything.

“Hey princess, you got a minute?” Jace asks as I’m finishing up another chapter of my book in the yard.

His broad frame shades me from the hot afternoon sun.

I look up at him. “Sure what can I help you with?”

“Mind if I sit?”

“Go ahead,” I pat the ground beside me.

Jace lowers himself gracefully on the grass. It takes me back to my waking memory. We were friends there. Our wolves ran together. He helped me adjust to the Lotus pack.

“I know it’s not my place, but I wanted to talk to you about Keith.”

“What about him?” I’m pretty sure I know where this is going but you can never be too sure with Jace.

He wastes no time cutting to the chase. “I know you’re his fated mate.”

He pauses and gives me time to speak. When I don’t he continues. “So you don’t deny it?”

“No.”

He blinks. “I thought that was going to be harder.”

“Did you want me to put up a fight?” I venture.

“No, but from what Keith said, I didn’t expect you to own up to it. You’ve been denying feeling anything since we got here.” He stares out into the field. “What changed your mind?”

“A lot of things.”

“Are these things why you’ve been avoiding us?”

I raise my brows at him. “I haven’t been avoiding you, but yes there is why I’ve been scarce around the

r

house.”

“Keith is a good male, you know. A great Alpha but an even better friend. I’m not sure what’s going on with you, but I just don’t want to see him cast aside without ever being given a chance.”

Though his tone is soft I can feel the hard edges of his words.

“I hear you,” I say simply.

“Do you?” He pins me with his chocolate stare. “Because we’re leaving in two days and you have yet to reach out to him and make things clear.”

“He hasn’t reached out to me either,” I defend.

“You asked for space. So as much as it’s affecting him to stay away, he’s doing it.”

eral p

Jace is right. Everything happening how, everything I feel as a result of Kieth’s recent actions, were set in motion by me.

With Papa looking for ways to gain an audience with the King it becomes increasingly important that Keith and I get on the same page,

I don’t know if I can let my resentment go, but I know I can’t let him go either.

“I’ll talk to him,” I tell Jace. “There are some things we need to discuss anyway”

He nods and stands, taking me in much like he did the first time we meet irt my waking memory. He was sizing me up, weighing the risk I posed to his Alpha and friend.

I don’t blame him.

Someone needs to have Keith’s back.

“Thank you,” I say.

If he’s surprised by my words he doesn’t show it. “For what?”

“For showing me how much you care for him. Anyone who inspired this much loyalty is worth a chance.”

His face softens a fraction.

“For what it’s worth I think you two could be good together.”

We were, once.

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