Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 285

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY FIVE

Talia’s POV

Father was awake when I arrived.

Solon fluffed his pillows and my father pulled himself upright in the hospital bed, which alone marked an improvement from the last time I saw him conscious. Unfortunately, that was where the improvements ended.

His hair was now streaked with gray and once thick and black was now thinning in areas. The black marks on his skin had spread beyond his arms and now crawled across his collarbone.

‘Keep it together Talia. Do not let him see you worried. He doesn’t need any more stress on him,‘ my wolf warned and I took a deep breath. I fixed my expression as I continued to observe him as he hadn’t seen me yet.

I could see the slight tremble in his body as my father held himself rigidly upright. His jaw flexed as every breath seemed to be painful. My father was putting on a brave front to not show how much pain he was in. Leslie’s words echoed through my mind.

“He hid it for so long,” Leslie told me when we were alone one night. “Solon didn’t want to tell you this. He thought you’d feel guilty.”

“I need to hear it. How long has he been poisoned?” I responded.

“Months and it is not like this poison just makes him weak. That would be merciful, but no. The pain is debilitating. We don’t even understand how he could have gone through meetings and made sound judgments while being in so much pain,” Leslie explained.

I didn’t know what was worse: him in pain or him trying to hide it from me.

I knocked on the door before entering. He looked up at me and smiled as if seeing me took all the pain away.

“Hello, pumpkin,” my father said as I walked over to take a seat next to his bed. I kissed his forehead and took his hand.

“How long have you been awake? How are you feeling today?” I asked.

A faint smile touched his mouth. “I’m doing okay. It seems that I have missed a lot while I was out.”

I looked at Solon briefly and said through the mind link. ‘What all does he know?‘

‘Everything,‘ Solon responded. ‘He didn’t let me sugar coat anything.‘

I knew Solon probably tried to lighten the blow that our father didn’t have much time left, but I had to own up to that. It was my fault. I should have never attempted it without talking it through with everyone else first.

“Dad, I…”

“No need to apologize, Talia. I know you were doing your best to help. You made a decision as the Princess. It didn’t work out but we still have time. Don’t let it distract you,” my father said, cutting me off

I nodded and pulled myself together again. “We lost the two potions sent by Alpha Landon. We’ve already contacted Alpha Landon for replacements. He is working on getting replacements. If he succeeds, Leslie can place you in. The poison will stop advancing while you sleep and give Leslie more time to come up

There was a flicker of hesitation that crossed his face before Solon nodded and said, “With everything happening, we had a delayed start, but preparation has started today. I will oversee everything personally. We should have everything ready by Friday.”

Then, it clicked. Michael had poisoned my father with the main purpose of causing chaos during the Harvest Gathering. The timing could not be a coincidence.

‘If they see him sick, they will think Silverfang is weak. We could be at risk of a war,‘ my wolf added. ‘He should not go.‘

“I think you should not attend this year. Solon and I will handle everything,” I said. “You need to focus on recovering.”

“I appreciate that,” Father replied. “But I will attend.”

“You cannot take on any unnecessary stress,” I argued. “And if the other Alphas think you are weak, they may try to challenge you on the spot.”

Father frowned. “You assume that rumors haven’t already been spread. Seeing me they wouldn’t dare, but if they don’t see me, there are Alphas who would tear Silverfang apart right then and there.”

“Then you will attend briefly,” Solon compromised. “The other Alphas only need to see you. I will manage the disputes and negotiations personally. You appear, greet the packs, and return here to rest.”

His gaze hardened despite the exhaustion beneath it. He closed his eyes as he leaned further into the pillows.

“Fine,” he agreed. “No matter what, it cannot be revealed that I am ill. Even if it means violence, we must maintain our image and status.”

“Yes, Father,” Solon and I said together.