Rise Of A Shattered Luna (Natalie) by Kave Derry novel Chapter 175

Chapter 175 The Trap

Natalie’s POV

The heavy door of the lounge swung shut behind us, cutting off the noise from inside the cafe.

My arm was still looped through Baron’s, my fingers feeling the tension in his bicep.

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I had just thrown Sharon a lifeline – an alibi that would allow her to claim she was a victim of the same drugged coffee that I had narrowly avoided.

To the reporters and the stunned Alpha, it must have seemed like a moment of weakness.

As we reached the landing of the grand staircase, I saw Chris standing in the shadows.

I gave him a single glance.

shadows

There was no need for words; we had spent enough time coordinating this theater for him to read the intention in my eyes.

Secute the barista. Don’t let the Nightfang guards get to her first.

Chris vanished instantly, melting into the corridors of the café.

Arm in arm with Baron, I stepped out of Moonmilk Café.

The evening air was crisp, a perfect weather for a successful day.

We got into the car, the door closing with a heavy thud.

The silence pressed in on me.

Only then did I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

I turned to Baron and the atmosphere suddenly shifted.

Baron didn’t look at me.

That was the first warning.

The second was the way the air around him shifted… subtle, but unmistakable.

I could feel his rage through the bond.

His jaw was set so tightly I could see the muscles corded in his neck.

He was staring straight ahead, his hands resting on his knees, his knuckles white.

“You regret it?” he asked.

His expression darkened, his whole body tensing up as if he were preparing for a blow

I could feel the sudden edge of his aura–usually a protective shield around me, now it felt like a battlefield.

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Chapter 175 The Trap

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realized then what he was thinking.

He thought my mercy toward Sharep was actually a lingering attachment to Jensen

Baron’s heart was churning with an unease he couldn’t hide.

A sharp pang of tenderness tightened in my chest.

This man, who moved mountains and silenced empires for me, really was insecure when it came to my heart.

I had given so much of my soul to Jensen back then… wasted it on a man who didn’t deserve a single drop of my ink.

I understood why, even after marking me as his mate and standing by my side through every battle, Baron–still felt as if he were competing with him.

I shook my head slightly, my hand moving to cover his.

“No, Baron,” I said softly. “You think I gave her an alibi out of pity? Without this, the real hand behind her never shows itself.”

I let my thumb trace over his knuckles.

“Now? Sharon will panic. She’ll reach for the one person who can clean this up.”

I met his eyes.

“And when she does… we’ll be waiting.”

Baron froze for a moment, the tension in his shoulders shifting.

He turned his head slowly, his gaze searching mine.

I watched the moment it clicked.

His gaze sharpened as everything aligned.

“You realized that the barista was one of Dr. Johnson’s people?”

The gloom lifted from his face as quickly as it had arrived, replaced by a spark of genuine, dark interest.

He leaned in closer, the scent of cedar and cold rain surrounding me.

Seeing him like this, the sour ache in

my

chest disappeared.

This was the Baron I knew… he was meant to be someone who looked down on the world with a predatory curiosity, not someone fragile and uncertain.

I curved my lips into a smile, leaning over to press a lingering kiss to his cheek.

“I just found out,” I whispered against his skin. “Chris told me you’ve been doing a lot more behind the scenes than you let on.

Baron understood immediately.

He had always been my invisible shield, but he hadn’t expected Chris to tell me about the sheer scale of the monitoring

Chapter 175 The Trap

Even so, I felt the warmth stirring in his chest through our contact.

He liked that I spoke my mind, that I didn’t let his secrets become walls between us.

“You’re dangerous when you think like this,” he murmured, his voice regaining its usual tease.

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I rolled my eyes at him, though I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading. “You didn’t exactly look like you were praising my cleverness just now. You looked like you were ready to start a war.”

“What look?” Baron asked, his voice dropping into a husky, playful register.

His gaze dropped to my lips… and stayed there.

Before I could answer, he suddenly cupped the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair, and kissed me hard.

It was a possessive yet hungry kiss.

I caught that flicker of guilt in his eyes as he pulled me closer, of course. He knew he had overstepped with his doubt, but I didn’t mind.

In this world of lies a

His sudden pas

his insecurity was the only proof I needed of how much he truly cared.

augh, but the laughter died in my throat as I was swept into the waves of heat he stirred up.

inside the car rising… the driver had long since stepped out, tactfully leaving us the space,

We kissed

sensing

His

ace to my chest,

where my breath hitched.

e catch my breath.

he murmured. “That’s my Luna.”