Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 310

Nolan’s POV

An hour was too long.

During the first half of the hour, I kept telling myself she just needed some time alone, and that taking her out of the garden too early would be a mistake. Even so, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling growing inside me.

I kept replaying our previous conversations to see if I missed anything. Was she trying to keep her distance from me? Did she blame me for Rudolf’s death?

‘You are overthinking this,’ my wolf scolded. ‘She is not fickle. She wouldn’t betray us.’

I knew my wolf was right, but doubt still lingered. Talia never stayed away this long without letting me know.

I reached out to her through the mate bond. ‘Talia, is everything okay?’

I waited a few seconds, but there was no response.

‘Talia, it has been over an hour. We need to go.’

There was still no response.

I started down the path. By the time I reached the turn to the garden, I was running.

The garden was empty.

The shears were on the gravel, not on the bench where they belonged. A basket was left behind, and I could smell a weird jasmine scent in the air. She was gone. Something was wrong.

I went back to the two guards I had passed on my way in. “Did Luna Talia come back this way?” I asked.

“Yes, Alpha. About forty minutes ago,” one of the guards responded.

“Was she alone?” I questioned.

“No, sir. She was with a little girl.”

“What’s her name? What did she look like?”

“I don’t know the girl’s name but she’s small with short curly red hair. Luna had her arm around the girl’s shoulders. I thought Luna Talia knew her,” the guard explained.

My wolf perked up immediately. ‘That’s the girl you rescued from Michael’s house a few weeks ago. Her name is Annie.’ My stomach dropped. It couldn’t be a coincidence that Annie showed up somehow.

“Did Luna Talia speak to you?” I asked.

“No, Alpha. She looked tired. The little girl said they were going to the front gate,’ the guard replied.

“Find me all the rose garden maids, now,” I ordered.

The guard didn’t hesitate. He came back with three women, who looked confused and afraid. “What is going on, Alpha Nolan?” one of them asked.

“I was in a hurry, sir. I needed to make a delivery before midnight. I am sorry,” the maid responded.

I nodded and waved her off.

Another guard reported to me about 15 minutes later. “They passed through the eastern wing only twenty minutes ago. Lady Talia was moving quickly, and Annie was right beside her.”

I pressed for details, but no one could say where they’d gone next. The more sightings we collected, the less sense it made. Talia moved too fast, sliding through the palace like water past my fingers.

My wolf paced inside me, agitated, ears pricked for any hint of her presence. ‘Reach the bond again,’ he urged.

I tried reaching out to her again, desperate for any sign. But there was nothing. No warmth, no answer. The mate bond usually let me sense her mind like a gentle thread tugging between us, even if we were far apart; her emotions, her thoughts, her presence were always there at the edge of mine. Now, it felt like she was completely shut off from me. That could only mean two things: she was blocking me on purpose, or she was unconscious. Neither option was good.

After two hours of searching, my hands wouldn't stop shaking. Anxiety gnawed at my insides. The memory of when Talia vanished for days and I was powerless to help her returned with cruel clarity. Back then, every second tore at me in exactly the same way, but I never imagined I would feel that fear all over again. How the hell could this have happened again?

Solon’s voice came through the mind-link. ‘Nolan, why are you still there? It is past midnight.’

I didn’t know what to say at first, and Solon noticed it.

‘What’s wrong? What happened? Why is everyone looking for Talia?’ Solon asked.

‘Talia is missing...’