Rise Of A Shattered Luna (Natalie) by Kave Derry novel Chapter 286

Chapter 286 Sand In My Fy

Chapter 286 Sand In My Eye

Natalie’s POV

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Only two sounds existed within the warmth of the cabin now.

The low crackle of firewood shifting inside the hearth.

And somewhere outside beyond the rear clearing, the distant chaos of the twins still terrorizing the flock of unfortunate ducks near the pond.

I stood near the side table with the porcelain water pitcher still resting in my hands, my fingers cool against the smooth ceramic as my eyes lingered on Baron.

He hadn’t moved.

Not properly.

His massive back remained turned toward me beneath the amber chandelier light, broad shoulders locked unnaturally stiff beneath the dark fabric of his shirt.

He wasn’t sitting down.

Wasn’t reaching for the plate I had prepared.

Wasn’t speaking.

For a male whose entire existence was built around dominance, the stillness felt wrong.

Too rigid.

Nyx tilted her head inside my consciousness, golden eyes narrowing thoughtfully as she tracked the subtle hitch hidden deep within his breathing.

I slowly set the pitcher back onto the table.

The soft click echoed gently through the room.

“Baron?”

My voice came out quieter than I intended.

He cleared his throat immediately.

Too fast.

“Nothing, sweetheart,” he ground out roughly.

The sound of his voice startled me slightly.

It was thick.

Tight.

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Chapter 286 Sand In My Eye

Almost strained, as though his throat had suddenly filled with gravel.

But he still didn’t turn around immediately.

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Instead, he lifted one large hand toward his face, clearing his throat again before finally forcing his shoulders into a more relaxed posture.

“Just…” He exhaled once. “Got some stray sand in my eye from the driveway breeze.”

Then, almost abruptly, he turned on his heel and strode toward the dining table.

Fast.

A little too fast.

My brows furrowed instinctively.

Sand?

My gaze drifted slowly toward the sealed windows of the lodge.

Then toward the pristine woven rugs beneath our feet.

The heavy doors had been locked for nearly half an hour already.

And outside, the countryside air wasn’t dry enough for dust storms or drifting sand.

The night was damp with river mist.

There was absolutely no sand anywhere near this room.

Yet the moment Baron dropped heavily into his chair and immediately picked up his fork with intense concentration, keeping his head lowered beneath the chandelier light, realization brushed softly against my chest.

I noticed it then.

The faint redness around the rims of his eyes.

My heart softened instantly.

I understood.

I knew enough about Baron’s childhood to recognize what this moment really was.

The King of the North had survived things no child ever should.

I turned away quietly.

Giving him room.

Giving him dignity.

r

Crossing the living room slowly, I settled onto the deep leather couch near the hearth and pulled my phone from my blazer pocket.

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ctri

Chapter 286 Sand In My Fye

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The firelight flickered warmly across the dark screen as I opened Flynn’s forwarded security logs from the border patrol units.

But the second the device illuminated fully, a sharp–system alert flashed across the interface.

A new connection request.

My fingers froze instantly.

The routing frequency attached to the number hit me like cold water.

I knew it immediately.

Knew it so well my stomach almost tightened on reflex.

Jensen.

g

For a moment, I simply stared at the screen.

The peaceful atmosphere inside the lodge soured instantly.

My expression hardened.

Without hesitation, I pressed the red decline marker.

Connection rejected.

I reopened my primary feed, fully prepared to ignore the intrusion entirely.

But barely two seconds later-

Another notification slammed onto the screen.

Then another.

And another.

Message after message began flooding the interface so quickly the text boxes practically stacked over each other in desperation.

[Natalie, please just accept the request for one minute. I need you to hear me out.]

Another.

[I already ordered the physician to terminate Sharon’s pregnancy… The blood–debt is over… I locked her inside the western estate cells myself.]

Another.

[I swear to you before the ancestors, she’ll never appear near your territory again.]

My jaw tightened.

The messages kept coming relentlessly.

[October first is coming soon. You once told me you wanted to travel outside the Southern borders during winter season.]

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Chapter 286 Sand in My Fye

My eyes narrowed.

[I checked the maps. We could go sking in Veloria. Just you and me. Away from the dans.]

I stared at the screen in complete disbelief.

Veloria?

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He remembered that?

A bitter laugh almost escaped my throat.

For five entire years inside that cold Nightfang mansion, Jensen barely remembered anything about me that didn’t directly benefit his status.

I had existed beside him like furniture.

Useful and convenient.

Something he assumed would always remain waiting quietly in the background no matter how little effort he gave in return.

And now?

Now that I had severed his bond markers from my skin…

Now that the North had publicly recognized me as the daughter of the Stone Pack…

Now suddenly he remembered my dreams?

My interests?

My favorite winter destinations?

How miraculous.

Unfortunately for him, the realization came far too late.

I no longer cared if he memorized every detail of my life down to the color of my childhood ribbons.

The place he once occupied inside me was gone.

Completely.

r

I lifted my thumb, preparing to type a single brutal response that would permanently destroy whatever delusion he was clinging to.

But before I could hit the keyboard-

A massive hand reached over my shoulder from behind and ruthlessly snatched the phone clean out of my grasp.

I blinked.

“People like this,” Baron’s deep voice rumbled from above me, “should just be blocked permanently.”

The warmth from dinner was gone entirely from his tone.

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Chapter 286 Sand In My Eye

Why waste your energy responding to a dog that doesn’t understand boundary lines?”

At some point during my–scrolling, Baron had apparently finished eating

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The exact second he noticed the tension settling into my shoulders and the irritation tightening my expression, his instincts must have immediately locked onto the threat.

And honestly…

who else could it possibly be?

Even without decoding the incoming frequency, Baron already knew exactly which pest was trying to force his way back into my life.

I could practically feel the massive black wolf pacing beneath Baron’s skin.