Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 56

Talia’s POV

Sleep refused to come. I tossed and turned in my bed. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Viki’s smirk, remembered her lies, and felt the sting of how easily Jason had chosen her over me. She had faked a pregnancy with poison and manipulated. Now she would be dead before morning.

My wolf stirred within me. ‘You should not feel guilty about this,’ she reassured me. ‘Viki did this to herself. No one forced her to do what she did. She doesn’t deserve your pity.’

I pushed myself upright. I needed air. I stepped out of my room. The corridor was quiet. Outside, the night air was cool, carrying the scent of damp earth. I followed the familiar path toward my rose garden.

The moment I stepped into the garden, the sweet scent of roses hit me. The roses were in full bloom, each petal glistening with dew beneath the moonlight. Then, I noticed another scent.

“Father?” I whispered, my voice thin. “What are you doing out here?”

He was crouched near one of the bushes, carefully gathering petals into a basket. He looked up at me and waved me over.

“The roses are perfect tonight,” he said with a low chuckle, his deep voice calm. “I’m going to make Rosefall, your mother’s wine. She created the recipe herself.”

My throat tightened. My mother had died when I was so young that I barely remembered her face. I only had fragmented memories of her laughter and hugs.

“Tell me about her,” I said. “Please.”

He looked at me, then back at the roses, as if weighing whether to open the door to old memories. My mother was always a sore spot for him. I learned about her through the omegas and Solon, but I never really got much from my father.

Slowly, he nodded. “Your mother was the Beta’s daughter, my childhood sweetheart. I was fortunate that she became my fated mate. From the moment I first saw her, I was smitten. She had just tossed a warrior flat on his back for being too forward with her.” My father chuckled, his eyes distant with the memory. “Everyone blessed our bond. She loved roses—more than you, more than anyone I’ve ever known. She filled the house with them, even made desserts from their petals.”

I smiled faintly. “You’ve never told me that.”

His lips curved into the faintest smile. “She used to chase Solon around and pin rose crowns on him when he was little. He hated it.”

The image made me laugh. It was needed after such a heavy day. “That sounds like him.”

He straightened, opening his broad palm to reveal a handful of petals before placing them into the basket. “When you were born, you carried the faintest rose scent. She called you her little ‘Rose Princess.’ It suited you.”

A lump rose in my throat. I had always wondered where my unusual scent came from. To know it tied back to my mother’s love for roses made me feel as if she wasn’t entirely gone.

“You believe me now,” I pressed.

“I always believed you, Talia,” my father said firmly. “But you must also trust that I know what I am doing.”

I nodded, letting out a breath. He had been right so far about Nolan. He hadn’t harmed me—if anything, he had protected me. “I know, and I do.”

“You must still be careful, Talia. Neither of them can be trusted fully,” my father said. “There is no telling how Jason will react once he realizes you are the Silverfang princess.”

I forgot that I never revealed my identity to him. Solon made him leave during my banquet. I would have to be very careful, especially now Viki is dead.

“I’ll be careful,” I promised.

Father gave me one last look before turning back to the basket of petals. “That’s enough for tonight. Come, I’ll show you how to make Rosefall.”

But as I left the garden, one thought gnawed at me: if neither Nolan nor Jason could be trusted, then who would strike first?