Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 309

Talia’s POV

I walked down the path to the rose garden. The maids were there when I turned the last corner. Two of them were pruning the bushes while the other held a basket.

“Hello, Princess Talia,” one of them greeted me. “Do you need anything tonight?”

“No. Please leave me alone,” I said flatly, my voice coming out harsher than intended.

They exchanged uneasy glances, one whispering to the other two, before both bowed and walked out of the garden.

I picked up a pair of shears from the stone bench and walked over to the first bush. Father learned to love rose bushes. It was Mother who had convinced him of their beauty. When I was little, we pruned the bushes together.

“Running a pack is just like taking care of a rose bush,” he had told me as he pointed out a cane. “You have to be able to spot those that took strength from the others without giving anything back to ensure the safety and health of the pack.”

Father knew how to relate to me. He used the roses to teach me about politics and how to run a pack. I didn’t even realize it at the time.

When the roses bloomed each year, we picked the petals together for the wine we made every autumn, in honor of Mother. The wine was always ready by summer, and the few bottles that lasted into winter went to the Alphas who had earned a seat at his private table.

I had not made wine with him in years. I promised myself I would be able to do so next year, but now the pain of regret pounded in me. How could I have been so stupid to trust Jason? My chest tightened with guilt. Why hadn’t I listened to my Father when he warned me about him? If I could go back in time, I would reject Jason immediately as my mate.

‘We can not bring him back, but we can avenge him. Once the Rogue King is dealt with, we can make new memories and honor him,’ my wolf said.

‘I am going to kill Jason myself!’ I responded.

Memories of him lying to me, saying he loved me, before he betrayed me with Viki, flashed through my mind. Then, the recent memory of him mocking my father, knowing he had no intention of leaving him alive. He did all of this for revenge. Now he made a mortal enemy out of him. I was going to make him pay for all the years I wasted on him when I should have been home with Father and Solon.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps on the gravel behind me. I turned around to see a small girl standing at the edge of the path. She had short curly red hair that looked almost copper in the light. Her hands were clasped in front of her waist and her shoulders were pulled tight.

It took me a moment to realize who she was. It was Annie. I’d only seen her once, weeks ago, when we brought her back from where Michael had kept her. She seemed smaller then, though maybe that was just because she’d been mistreated.

“Annie, what are you doing out here?” I asked.

She didn’t answer.

I asked, “Is everything okay, Annie?”

“Thank you for helping my father and me. I never thanked you properly, princess,” she finally said.

“You did not have to thank me. It was my duty to ensure your safety,” I said.

Annie nodded as tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry about the Alpha King. He was always kind to me.”

“Thank you, Annie.”

I couldn’t refuse her. Even if I’d wanted to, I wouldn’t have been able to. I opened my arms and drew her close. At first, she was stiff, but she soon relaxed, letting her hands grip the back of my dress.

Then, I smelled it. The smell of jasmine hit me at the same moment. I paused, struck by how out of place it was here as it overpowered the scent of roses. It lingered so strongly on Annie’s hair, her skin, or maybe the front of her dress.

“Are you wearing Jasmine?” I asked as I released her. When I stepped back to get away from the scent, I nearly toppled over.

“Yes, Princess Talia. It was my father’s favorite scent…” Annie murmured.

“Annie, let’s get your things. We need to…need to…,”

My words came out slower than I meant, panic prickling beneath my skin. The more I struggled to speak, the heavier my tongue felt.

Dizziness coiled through my head, and a tingling numbness began to creep up my arms. Something was wrong. My wolf was talking to me, but I couldn’t understand what she was saying.

I dropped to my knees on the gravel.

“Annie?”

The last thing I saw before everything went dark was her small white shoes, standing perfectly still in front of me.