Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 248

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & FORTY EIGHT

Talia’s POV

“Do you genuinely believe it is possible?” I asked.

Leslie was quiet for a moment before she answered. “No,” she said flatly.

“Wait, what?” Della exclaimed. “What do you mean no?”

“The mad rogue toxin is not like wolfsbane. It is not even close. I have spent years studying wolfsbane and its variants and I thought I had a reasonable understanding of how strong a toxin could get. What I dealt with today was dozens of times stronger than anything I had encountered before. Without the blood purification, Landon would have died,” Leslie explained, her voice tight with fear. “I went in knowing what I was dealing with and I still nearly lost him.”

“So, you are still going to try?” I asked.

“Of course. This threat cannot be ignored,” Leslie replied. “Every pack out there is now aware that the mad rogues are active again. If anyone is wounded and there is no antidote available, people will die. So yes, I am going to try.”

“Then we will support you however we can,” Nolan stated.

Leslie turned to Nolan and said, “I will need a sample of the infected blood.”

Nolan nodded. “I will have it prepared and ready before you leave.”

The next morning, we gathered at the front of the pack house to see Leslie and Solon off. Leslie looked better than she had the day before. The color had come back into her face.

“You can stop staring, Talia. I told you I was fine,” Leslie said.

“I know, I know. I am glad you stayed overnight,” I responded.

“Come back to Silverfang when you can,” Solon said. “Everyone misses you.”

“I planned to. Just so many things have come up that kept me from coming.”

“Dad misses you a lot. He talks about you all the time. He is still recovering from when you left Shadowclaw,” Solon added.

My chest ached. My father had seen through Jason long before I had and yet I had still walked away from everything to follow a bond that turned out to be exactly what my father warned me it was.

“It’s not like that this time. I am not going to disappear and never come back,” I said. At the time, I never thought about what my leaving would do to Solon or even my father.

‘You are his pup. Of course it would hurt him,’ my wolf said.

‘I know that now. And it will never happen again,’ I told her.

I took a breath. “I will make a trip back soon. I promise.”

Solon pulled me into a hug and whispered, “You better, or I’ll drag you back home myself.” He released me, then immediately turned to Della and pulled her in too.

“Ewww, let go, let go,” Della squealed as Solon tightened his grip. He finally released her, laughing at the face she made.

But as Solon turned back toward the car, the smile disappeared from Della’s face. She watched Solon walk to the car, and for just a moment she looked like she was going to cry.

Leslie stepped forward and looked between the two of us with a serious expression. “What now, Leslie?” Della asked. “I haven’t done anything.”

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“And you better keep it that way. Do not cause trouble, you two,” she said. “And do not get into any, either.”

Della opened her mouth to argue.

“I am serious,” Leslie said sharply before Della could get a word out. “I do not have time to travel back and forth, keeping the two of you alive.”

I nodded. Della closed her mouth and frowned. “Fine,” Della whined. Beside her, Marco turned away to hide his smile.

“I will contact you the moment there is any progress on the antidote,” Leslie continued. “Whatever I find, promising or not, I will update you.”

Leslie waved as she walked to Solon’s car. Solon was already there waiting. He stuck his arm out of the window and gave a single wave as they pulled away down the road.

We stood at the front of the pack house until the car disappeared. There was something about watching people you love leave that never quite got easier, no matter how many times you did it or how certain you were that they would be back.

Nolan placed his hand on my back. I let myself lean into him for a moment. “They’ll be back,” he said. “And we’ll go see them soon. I promise.”

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