Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 340

Talia’s POV

'What happened? I thought you were getting us somewhere safe,' I said.

‘I’m sorry. I felt magic in the other direction. I thought I was leading us away from it, but I walked us right into another trap. I'm sorry,' my wolf apologized.

'It’s not your fault. It was a bait and switch,' I sighed. 'The trap was meant to be confusing.'

'Should we wait for them to find us?' my wolf suggested.

'No, let’s just figure out how to get out of here. Nolan is probably worried,' I said.

By now, Nolan would have realized that I was missing and would be recklessly searching the forest for me. Marco and Della would try to calm him down but they would probably fall into a trap if they weren't already in one. The best way to keep everyone safe was to get out myself.

I moved forward into the darkness, feeling around for a wall or edge, but found nothing. The floor was flat and seemed to go on forever. My feet started to ache, but I kept moving. I couldn’t stay here.

Then, ahead of me, someone said my name.

"Talia."

I knew the voice, but it couldn’t be real. I hadn’t heard it in weeks, and even then, it wasn’t really a voice. The last time I saw him, he was red-eyed and thrashing, screaming in a way I’ll never forget, while Nolan stood over him with the dagger. Now, he sounded like he used to, before the potion changed him.

“Father?”

He was there in the empty darkness. He opened his arms, and I rushed to hug him. His arms wrapped around me, and I leaned into him.

“I am so happy to see you,” I said into his shoulder.

“Me too,” Father said.

“I avenged you. I killed Jason,” I continued.

“I knew you would be able to do it. I am so proud of you,” Father responded. “You brought me back.”

'Talia, get away from him,’ my wolf urged. 'This isn’t real. He isn’t real. You know he isn’t.'

I knew.

Of course I did.

My father was gone. I saw him die, and I buried him myself. I knew the truth, but I didn’t want to let go. For a moment, I stayed in his arms, wishing it was real. Grief came over me. I wanted to believe I could stay, that he was alive somewhere, that I could rest and none of the pain had happened. Every part of me longed for that comfort.

His face changed. The smile disappeared, and briefly, he had no expression at all. He looked like a puppet with my father’s features, blank and empty, waiting for someone to tell him what to do.

“Stay,” he ordered.

“No.”

“I am your father, and you will do what I say,” he yelled.

“Shut up! You’re not him!” I snapped and swung at him.

He shattered and disappeared the moment I made contact with him. The darkness broke apart too. Cracks spread out, filling the emptiness with light until there was no darkness left.

Suddenly, I was back in the forest. Sunlight shone through the gray trees. The white mist faded, drifting away between the trunks like a retreating tide.

Ahead of me stood three women.

They wore white robes, and veils covered their faces, showing only their eyes. They watched me calmly, as if they had been waiting for anyone to come out of the darkness. The woman in the middle was older, with gray hair that looked like soft moonlight. Her presence was strong, almost like an Alpha’s. She came closer to me.

“What brings you here, Luna Talia?”