Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 390

Talia’s POV

Before I could reply to Arya, Walden jumped in. “I’d be happy to go with you for your shift ceremony, Arya,” he said warmly. “You’ve always been like a daughter to me.”

But Arya shook her head. “Thank you, but I want Alpha Nolan with me.” She then turned to me again. “Please, Luna. Won’t you agree?”

Nolan stood stiffly beside me. I could tell he was uncertain. He felt responsible as Alpha, worried about me, and unsure what Arya really wanted. My mind raced. Was Arya testing us, or trying to come between Nolan and me?

‘This little brat,’ my wolf growled. ‘You have to agree. Otherwise, it’ll seem like we don’t keep our promises.’

I forced a smile, even though I hated all of this. “I don’t mind, and those are the rules,” I finally said, trying to sound calm. “And I, for one, don’t want any of Della’s nasty eggs.” I gave a weak laugh.

Arya relaxed, giving a small, grateful smile.

‘You should say yes,’ I told Nolan through our mate bond.

Nolan hesitated. I could feel he was torn between his duty as Alpha and his loyalty to me. He finally nodded, and Arya said happily, “Thank you, Alpha. Thank you, Luna!”

The tension in the crowd faded just slightly as people started talking again, but I could feel the pack watching us, eyes flickering in our direction. Near the drinks table, a woman leaned in to whisper urgently into Jamie’s ear, and their glances kept darting from Arya to me. Two warriors exchanged uneasy looks behind folded arms, pretending to carry on their conversation but clearly straining to catch every word.

I heard someone mutter, "Did you see Luna’s face?" while another voice answered, "Arya always was bold, but that’s a new record."

Arya’s request seemed to undo all the good Della had tried to do tonight. The pack was tense again, waiting to see if I’d lose my temper. I had to stay calm, even though I wanted to call Arya out for asking something so bold.

Noticing the pack members gossiping, Della frowned. “No, we’re going to have a fun night, dammit,” she muttered before climbing back onto the crate.

“What do you think you’re doing? This party isn’t over,” Della yelled. “Jamie, keep the drinks coming. We’ve got more rounds to play. Or is everyone scared to keep going?”

A few pack members stepped forward to get the game going again while Marco played more music. I took another sip of my water before Nolan gestured toward the packhouse. I was fine with leaving. I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate anymore

Once we were far from the party and the music was just a low hum, Nolan pulled me aside. “You don’t look so good,” he said, worried. “Are you alright?”

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