Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 98

Nolan’s POV

“Do I need a reason to save someone?” I asked.

“Don’t get smart with me, Nolan. You’re on thin ice,” the Alpha King warned.

‘Do not tell him the mate bond,’ my wolf warned me.

‘Of course. Do you think I am a fool?’ I responded.

“I despise rogue wolves,” I said aloud. “They are lawless and destructive, and I do not tolerate them. I warned you before that Silverfang’s borders were weak. I told you rogues could slip through, and yet you did not believe me. Now here we are.”

The Alpha King frowned, and Solon continued to seethe with rage next to him. “Tell me the truth,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

“That is the truth,” I responded. It was a half-truth, but it was good enough for the time being. If he found out that I was Talia’s mate, he would have thrown me out before I could prove to everyone that he was a murderer.

“My wolf can tell you are not telling the full truth,” The Alpha King growled. I kept my expression neutral, but I did not respond. Taunting him right now would not be advantageous to me.

“What advantage do I gain from harming the Alpha King’s daughter?” I asked. “Think about it. How would that benefit me?”

Solon’s voice cut in, sharp and accusing. “You are nothing but a viper who hides his venom until the strike. Do not think for a moment we will be tricked by you.”

I turned my gaze on him, my lips curling into a bitter smile. “Trust from you was never worth much. You think because I don’t bow down and kiss your feet means I am guilty. I give respect when it is received and deserved. You see treachery in every step I take, but you see nothing of your own failures. While you chased trails that led nowhere, I saved her, and you have yet to thank me for that.”

“You expect us to believe that?” Solon snapped. The veins in his neck bulged with rage. “You appear from a place sealed for years, holding her half-dead, and now you claim you fought rogues and stumbled into a rescue. You insult us with this story. Admit it. You harmed her yourself.”

“Believe what you will,” I growled. “But the fact is you failed your sister, and you can’t accept it, so you’re projecting your anger onto me. Shameful for the future Alpha King.”

Solon caught off guard by the collision of our auras—two forces clashing, neither willing to yield.

“Our men searched the dungeon already. They found two dead rogue wolves, but no trace of a third person. No trace of this woman you claim was there,” the Alpha King stated.

“She was there. I am not lying,” I said through gritted teeth.

The Alpha King continued, “If you insist on saying she was behind the kidnapping, then bring me evidence. Catch her yourself. Until then, you are forbidden from seeing Talia.”

“As you wish, my king,” I said with disdain.

There was nothing more I could say that would change his mind. The King’s command was absolute. The guards shifted, ready to enforce it with claws if I resisted.

I forced myself to swallow my rage, though my glare never left his face. Without another word, I turned sharply on my heels and exited the infirmary.