Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 168

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SIXTY EIGHT

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CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SIXTY EIGHT

Talia’s POV

“Then, tell us what it is,” my father said.

I watched Leslie’s expression. She looked calm, but I could tell from the tension in her shoulders that whatever she planned on saying wasn’t a small matter.

“I want to prepare a special herb for Solon,” Leslie finally said.

My father’s eyes narrowed. Solon stiffened. Nolan stopped eating. Colin set his fork down and focused on her.

“What do you mean?” my father asked.

Leslie continued, “He would take it only after we mark each other as mates. If he betrays me afterward, the herb will activate and cause a pain worse than what he would feel if I rejected him. The pain would spread through his body. It would be intense enough that he might not survive it.”

The words were spoken so calmly that it made them even more unsettling.

Father’s hand slammed down on the table so hard the dishes rattled. “Are you planning to kill my son? Is that your condition?”

“When did I say I wanted to kill him?” Leslie responded.

“Do not act coy with me,” my father growled.

“I do not want to kill him,” Leslie explained. “I want to ensure my mate’s loyalty. That is all.”

“That is all? That’s ALL?!” Father repeated. “You speak as if this is a simple conversation over an afternoon brunch. You are talking about poisoning my son! The future Alpha King!”

“It is not poison,” Leslie defended. “It is a safeguard. If he is faithful, nothing happens. If he betrays me, he feels the consequence of that choice.”

I understood why she felt this way. Her parents’ story had been haunting her for years. Of course she would want a way to protect herself. But hearing her describe a pain that could kill Solon made me worry.

“Leslie, you cannot be serious,” I interjected. “You have not thought this plan through.”

“I have thought it through, Talia,” Leslie shot back. “I know exactly what I am asking for. I will not bind my life to a man who can walk away without consequence. I will not repeat my mother’s fate.”

I looked at Solon. His face had gone pale. He did not look offended, just overwhelmed. His hand rested near his glass but did not

move.

“Solon,” Leslie said. She turned fully toward him now. “This is my condition. If I stay, if I accept this bond, will you accept it

too?”

Conflict showed plainly on Solon’s face. He cared about her, That much was obvious from the way he looked at her, but he also understood what she was asking. This was not a simple request for reassurance. She was asking him to swallow something that could kill him if a mistake was made whether it was his fault or not,

Solon opened his mouth to answer, but father interrupted him. “You will not answer that damn condition,” he said to Solon. The Alpha command hit Solon and he closed his mouth quickly. “I will. The answer is no,” father said.

Leslie frowned and asked, “So you will not allow him to decide for himself?”

“I will not allow my son, the future Alpha King, to bind himself to this fate,” Father said. “You are asking for a tool that could end his life. Do you understand what that means?”

CHAPTER ONE MUNDRED & SIXTY RIGHT

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“I understand exactly what it means,” she replied.

“Then you know why I refuse.”

Leslie crossed her arms and said, “What I know is that you do not trust him.”

Solon flinched at her words and turned to father. “That is not what this is,” Father said. “I am protecting my son.”

“Yes, it is,” Leslie insisted. “If you believed he would never betray me, you would have no reason to fear a herb that only activates if he does.”

“This is not about trust. This is about control,” Father retorted. “You fear not having any control, so you would rather control my son and inevitably kill him because you refuse to deal with your trauma.”

“It sounds like you do not trust him,” Leslie argued. “You expect him to rule a kingdom, but you do not trust him enough to let him prove his loyalty to me.”

I looked from Father to Leslie and then to Solon again. I trusted him. I did not believe he would betray her. I also knew herbs like that were not a game. I had experienced first hand what certain herbs could do to a wolf.

“Leslie,” I said carefully. “You do not need something like this. If you are afraid, you can take time. You can wait before completing the bond. You do not need to risk his life.”

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