Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 171

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY ONE

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CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY ONE

Talia’s POV

After leaving Leslie’s cabin, I felt like a weight had been lifted from my chest. I felt energized. I knew that wouldn’t last due to my lack of sleep, but I wanted to take full advantage of it while I could.

I headed toward the training grounds to release some of my pent-up energy.

I walked the usual path, but I did not see Nolan anywhere. Normally, he trained at this hour or sparred with Marco. Today, he wasn’t there. Only a few younger warriors practicing their forms and a pair of instructors shouting corrections.

Colin’s voice echoed in my mind: Distance yourself from him. If he truly cares about you, he’ll make the effort.

That advice made sense when I heard it. Now, I wasn’t so sure. It felt like I was switching from one thing to another to worry about. Two days remained before I was expected to make my decision and yet, Nolan was nowhere to be seen.

Had something happened to Nolan? Or had he taken my silence as a sign that I no longer wanted him as my mate? The longer I walked without seeing him, the heavier that pressure felt.

“I am overthinking this,” I told myself. “He’s probably handling something important with his pack.”

Still, when the sun started to set and I realized I had wandered the palace grounds half the day without finding him, my anxiety returned with a vengeance.

Something was wrong.

By the time I arrived at dinner, I had no appetite. I pushed food around my plate and kept glancing at the door, half-expecting

Nolan to walk through it.

Della found me before dessert arrived. She slid into the seat across from me and lowered her voice. “You look like you have not slept. What happened?”

“Nothing. I am simply tired,” I lied.

“You’re a terrible liar, Talia,” Della said, rolling her eyes. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

I hesitated and then decided it was pointless to hide anything from her. “I have not seen Nolan all day,” I admitted.

“And that’s a bad thing because? I thought you were upset with him,” Della said.

“I’m not upset with him. I wanted him to put forth an effort to pursue me and not just make demands or try to control the situation,” I responded.

“Oh, you really don’t know what today is,” Della said as she ate a spoonful of pudding.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Today is his father’s Memorial Day,” Della replied.

“Oh.” I sat back in my chair, “How do you know that?”

“Because Marco is with him right now. He stays with him all day,” Della explained. “Nolan does not train, he does not leave his room, and he does not speak unless necessary. He basically drinks himself into unconsciousness.”

All day, I had been restless. It made sense now. I was responding to Nolan’s sadness that I was feeling through the mate bond.

“There is nothing wrong with checking on him, you know,” Della suggested. “You can take the initiative this time. It will show him that you care about him regardless of the mate bond.”

“I am not sure about that. This is a very sensitive time for him,” I said.

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CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY ONE

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“And?” Della countered. “He has seen you at your lowest multiple times. I think it is about time you’ve seen him at a low point.” “I barely know him,” I said, though my voice lacked conviction.

“That is exactly why you should go,” Della said. “This is actually the perfect chance to see him as a person, not as an Alpha or a potential mate.”

She was right. If I wanted to judge Nolan fairly, I needed to understand him beyond all the walls he put up.

Della leaned forward. “Go to him. If he pushes you away, then at least you know where you stand and the decision will be easier.”

I took a slow breath and nodded. “You are right.”

“Of course I am,” she said, softer this time.

By the time I left the dining hall, the sky had darkened into shades of deep blue. The closer I got to Nolan’s room, the more anxious I became. I had no idea what I was walking into and the thought of him rejecting me was frightening.

I reached Nolan’s room. Before I could knock, Marco stepped into the hallway. He looked surprised to see me as he closed the door.

“Princess? What are you doing here?” Marco asked.

“I… I wanted to check on Nolan,” I answered. “I hadn’t seen him all day.”

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