Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 357

Nolan’s POV

I walked down to the gate with Solon and Derek to meet the arriving Alphas.

Henry was the first to appear, crossing the yard at a brisk pace ahead of his warriors. He shook hands with Solon and then with me.

“Alpha King. Alpha Nolan. Beta Derek.” He hardly paused, already looking behind us. “Where’s Luna Talia?”

“She’s alright. She’s with Leslie right now, but she’ll be here soon,” Solon answered.

He didn’t ease up. “I need to see her for myself. With everything going on, I just need to know she’s okay.”

I understood his worry. Though he had once been Jason’s Beta, his kindness and loyalty toward Talia had earned my trust as well. Now, the way he looked after her felt almost like an older brother protecting his sister.

“She’ll come down for dinner, don’t worry,” I assured him. “You’ll see her then. I give you my word. She’s just staying with Leslie to help with some work.”

That seemed to ease the tension on his face little by little.

“Good. That’s good.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “Thank you, Alpha Nolan.”

After that, the Alphas arrived one by one with their warriors. Each one greeted Solon, shook his hand, and said the usual things people say when they show up for something they wish they could have avoided. Solon thanked them calmly, but I could see he was tired. Watching him, I realized our fathers made this look easier than it really is. By nightfall, Colin arrived.

Colin started to ask, but I cut him off. “She’s okay, Colin. She’s just busy right now. You’ll see her at dinner.”

He closed his mouth and then gave a short laugh. “Was that obvious?”

“You and Henry both have the same expression when you’re worried about Talia,” I answered.

Colin nodded and then turned serious as he faced Solon. “I brought a hundred of my best warriors, my King. They’re at your disposal for as long as you need.”

“Thank you,” Solon replied, his voice composed, though I could tell it wasn’t easy. “It means a lot that you would stand with us.”

“You’re practically family. I wasn’t going to let you two deal with this on your own,” Colin said.

Then, Solon raised his voice so everyone could hear. "Thank you, everyone, for coming. Before we talk, we'll eat. Follow me to the dining hall." He knew it was better not to send tired Alphas to their rooms hungry, especially with important business still ahead.

The dining hall was crowded and quiet, which was never a good sign. These people had fought rogues, lost friends, and led their packs through hard times; however, tonight even the strongest looked nervous.

Landon nodded slowly. “And the antidote? She’s been at it a long time. I think a lot of us were hoping she’d have something for us before this started. Half my warriors won’t say it out loud, but it’s the bite they’re afraid of, not the dying.”

Other Alphas followed Landon’s lead and began asking questions.

“My healer can slow a turning if the victim is seen within the first 30 minutes of the bite,” someone said. “But she can’t stop it. Has Luna Leslie provided anything?”

“If there’s a real cure, we need to know about it now,” another Alpha insisted. “Not once we’re already under attack.”

I saw Solon’s jaw tighten as the Alphas kept asking questions. He knew this talk had to happen sooner or later.

“There’s no antidote,” he said firmly, and everyone went silent.

The words hit hard. Across the table, I saw Colin’s hands clench into fists, his jaw tight. One of the younger Alphas stared at his plate, eyes wide, as if the food had turned to dust. Even Henry, who was always confident, looked away for a moment, trying not to show his fear.

“Not one that works,” Solon continued, “I won’t insult you by pretending otherwise, not when I’m asking you to risk everything with me tomorrow. We don’t have a cure.”

“This is what you brought us here for?” an Alpha snapped. “You summoned every Alpha in the territory, and now you’re telling us there’s no cure for the mad rogue's toxin? You expect us to march out there and die?!”