Rise Of A Shattered Luna (Natalie) by Kave Derry novel Chapter 46

Chapter 46 The Phantom

Chapter 46 The Phantom

Natalie’s POV

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I watched through the transparent partition as Yvonne stood in the hallway. The woman who usually existed behind a fortress of cold looked like she had been hollowed out from the inside.

She was cradling a silver urn, her fingers white as she gripped the cold metal. Then, the first sob broke through—an ugly sound that tore through the quiet of the ward.

“My dear…” she whispered, her voice a ruin.

I felt a cold shiver crawl down my spine, vibrating in the marrow of my bones. I knew what was in that urn, Baron had gone back to the Nightfang cemetery to reclaim the ashes buried under my name.

They belonged to the nurse–the woman Jensen had hired called Phantom.

As Yvonne stood there, her tears splashing against the lid of the container, the truth hit me again.

Phantom hadn’t been just another subordinate Baron had sent to play a role. She was Yvonne’s sister–a woman who had survived a hundred lethal missions in the shadows of her pack only to die in a warehouse furnace because she was tasked with protecting a wolfless girl like me.

Yvonne had said a lot about her earlier.

My memory of her flickered back to the hospital she had been a ghost in the room.

She was quiet, moving with a low presence whenever she tidied my room, handled the flowers Jensen sent to mask his guilt, and watched over me while I drowned in despair.

She fought for me when Sharon and her goons attacked.

I remembered being so bitter back then; I had assumed Jensen had assigned her as a spy to watch my every move.

I had treated her with a cold, distant silence. I never looked her in the eye. I was too busy dying inside to see the woman who was actually keeping me alive.

I remembered her slipping out of the room to take calls. Every time she came back, her eyes were red–rimmed, her expression tight. I’d thought it was just her personal drama, but now I realized it was probably Yvonne on the other end, counting down the seconds until her sister was safe.

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Mon, May

Chapter 46 The Phantom

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If not for protecting me, Phantom would still be alive now, happily living with Yvonne.

The thought left my chest heavy, a debt I could never repay with words. Every breath I took felt like it had been stolen from that woman.

Just then, my phone buzzed on the bedside table. A video call from Baron. I forced to swipe it open, and when the image cleared, my pulse leapt into my throat.

The flickering red lights, the damp stone walls–recognized it instantly.

“Baron, you went to the Nightfang pack? You’re in the black market?”

my hand

Five years ago, I had gone to that exact hellhole alone, my heart in my throat, to beg the Witch Doctor to save Jensen’s life. If luck hadn’t been on my side, I might have lost my life in that place.

It was a labyrinth of filth and greed, a place where an Alpha’s title meant nothing and a girl with no wolf was nothing but prey.

“What are you doing there?” I asked, my voice trembling.

His sharp eyes narrowed on the screen. He looked lethal, his dark coat blending into the shadows of the Labyrinth.

“You’re worried about me?”

“Of course I am! The black market is crawling with danger. If it isn’t something absolutely urgent, get out of there!”

His smile deepened, but it didn’t reach the cold fire in his eyes. “I need something from here. If you want your soul to be restored, I have to scour this place. I heard the Witch Doctor is here. If I find him, you can be healed.”

My heart jolted. “You went there for me? To find the Witch Doctor?”

“Are you touched? Want to marry me to show your gratitude?”

He said it like a joke, but I saw something shift in his eyes.

I froze. After five years with Jensen ending in betrayal and ash, I had little left to hope for love. But Baron had saved me… he had pulled me out of the fire when the man I called the love of my life was holding my sister’s hand.

“Baron, you saved my life,” I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. “If you want me to marry you, I will.”

The grin on his face stiffened. His expression turned dark, hungry, and almost pained.

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15:48 Mon, May 11

Chapter 46 The Phantom

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“I don’t want you forcing yourself,” he snapped, his voice a low growl. “And I, Baron, don’t make women do anything against their will.”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

“Still, I’ll remember what you said,” he added, his gaze locking onto mine through the screen. “If one day you try to leave me, I won’t let you go.”

I didn’t fully understand the darkness in his tone, but I didn’t argue. I had nothing else to repay him with. “I won’t leave you. As long as you don’t drive me away yourself, I’ll never go.”

“Remember what you just said.” He moved to hang up, his mood turning black.

“Baron, wait!” I spoke quickly. “Come back. I don’t need the Witch Doctor. I don’t need my soul retrieved. What matters to me more than recovery is your safety. The Witch Doctor’s conditions for treatment are harsh–I don’t want you sacrificing anything for me.”

His gaze hardened, turning into something like flint.

“You’re the one who loves transcribing; it’s your identity.” He reminded me. “And you still owe me work. The cufflinks you made for me–Jensen dirtied them. I don’t want them anymore… you owe me another gift.”

My brow furrowed. “Foster sent them to Jensen?

I pieced it together instantly, it was my fault. I should have been clearer with Foster.

“It’s fine. Once your hands are healed and you get your transcribing abilities back, then you can design me another pair.”

He smiled faintly, but I saw the streak of violence in his eyes. I knew from his tone that he was still going into the black market to find the Witch Doctor.

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