Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 397

Nolan’s POV

I woke up under the harsh hospital lights, everything around me blurry and strange. My head throbbed with a dull ache, and my memories floated just out of reach. What happened? The last thing I remember was talking to Arya by a stream. How did I end up here?

‘We are safe. Our mate has been watching over us,’ my wolf said. As he reassured me, I realized someone was next to me. I turned my head to see Talia holding my hand. She looked relieved to see me awake.

“Talia?” My voice came out rough. My throat was dry. “What happened? Were we attacked? Where is Arya?”

“No, you’re okay. Arya is fine,” Talia said.

I slowly sat up, and Talia gave me a cup of water. I drank it down and then a second cup before I said, “If nothing happened, why am I in the hospital?”

“First, tell me what you remember. How did Arya’s shift ceremony go?”

Her question caught me off guard. I tried to remember. “It went well. Arya finished her shift without any problems. I helped her. She was nervous, but she did great.”

Talia nodded, her fingers tightening around mine. “What else do you remember?”

I took a shaky breath. “After the ceremony, Arya was excited. She wanted to run and see how strong she was. We ran through the forest under the moon until we were both too tired to keep going.”

Talia squeezed my hand. “And then?”

“We ended up by the stream. Arya wanted to do more. She asked if we could swim, but I told her it wasn’t a good idea after her shift. She looked disappointed, so we just sat by the water.”

I paused, looking at Talia. “What’s going on, Talia? Why are you asking me this?”

“Please just tell me everything,” Talia said.

“Arya talked about her parents. Both were warriors. She wants to be like them. She told me how hard she trains. She sounded proud, but also sad. I told her she’s already becoming a great warrior.”

Talia’s eyes softened. “You did the right thing.”

I nodded. “While she talked, I started feeling tired. I don’t remember falling asleep. I just remember her voice and the stream. Then I woke up here.”

Talia looked relieved. Before I could ask again, she said, “Arya gave you something while you were resting. I still don’t know how she did it without you noticing.”

My heart skipped a beat. “She what?”

“She injected you with an anesthetic to knock you out,” Talia explained.

I tried to make sense of Arya's actions. I felt a flicker of resentment and regret because she betrayed me after I helped her through her first shift.

I thought back to the time at the stream. Did I remember feeling a pinch? I couldn’t remember, but I also knew if I had, my wolf would have warned me.

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