The Second Chance Of The Rejected Moon (Celine and Bastian) novel Chapter 129

The Second Chance Of The Rejected Moon

Chapter 129

i nod gratefully at her words and for welcoming me into her home. After all, I’m nothing more than a stranger.

“And I’ll always be in your debt for that, Valeria. When we arrived at the house they’d gone into, the one where my father and brother were supposedly waiting, Bastian decided to go in first while I stayed outside with Rufus, one of the castle’s drivers. About five minutes passed without any sign of him. I tried reaching him through our bond, but he never answered. At first I thought he was simply focused on avoiding an attack or that he needed a little more time, but the silence began to worry me.” I lower my gaze to the cup cradled in my hands and slowly swirl the tea, watching the tiny leaves drift across the surface before continuing. “Then Rufus and I went inside.”

Darien and Vladimir stand beside the fireplace like my personal guardians. Valeria listens intently, taking my hand. She isn’t only offering warmth. She’s trying to comfort me.

I turn the cup slowly between my fingers and keep my eyes fixed on it as I continue the rest of the story.

“The house was completely empty. There wasn’t a single piece of furniture, no paintings, no personal belongings. Only two suitcases sat beside the staircase, as though someone had fled in a hurry. None of it made any sense. The air smelled of damp wood, and the silence was so deep I could hear the floorboards creaking beneath our feet. I tried reaching Bastian through our bond again, but there was still no response… until I heard his voice inside my head. He was telling me to come upstairs.” Without realizing it, I tighten my grip on the cup until the heat of the porcelain forces me to loosen my fingers. “The bedrooms were empty, the doors stood open, and all the lights were off. Only the last door at the end of the hallway was closed, and a faint light leaked from beneath it. With every step I took, that feeling of danger kept growing inside me. When Rufus tried to open the door, he realized it was locked from the inside, and at that moment…” My voice breaks, forcing me to pause again to catch my breath. I swallow hard before continuing. “…my instincts screamed that something was terribly wrong.”

I let out a long sigh. The memories return with a clarity I’d rather not have, and my eyes fill with tears as I relive the last thing I remember.

“I pushed Rufus aside. We were both halfway through shifting into our wolves when I kicked the door with all my strength and tore it off its hinges. The moment it hit the floor, I saw my mate lying unconscious on the ground. My stepmother and my sister were inside the room, but they weren’t alone. There was a warlock with them.” I tighten my fingers around the cup and shift my gaze to the fire crackling in the fireplace, as though its warmth could drive those memories away. “He threw a sphere of electricity at me. I managed to dodge it in time, but Rufus wasn’t so lucky. He collapsed unconscious immediately. I tried to negotiate. I told him I’d surrender if he promised not to hurt Bastian. For a brief moment… he kept his word. He didn’t harm either of us. I ran to Bastian and made sure he was still alive. He was only unconscious.”

Johan… that son of a bitch.” Vladimir clenches his jaw, the curse slipping through gritted teeth. “What did he want from you?”

“Me. I lower my gaze to my belly and instinctively rest a hand over it before continuing. “My blood… and my sword. He promised that if I cooperated, he wouldn’t hurt me. Once I fulfilled my part of the bargain, he’d bring me to Montana, and I’d have to find you so you could send me back home.”

Vladimir sets the bottle down on the cabinet and walks over until he’s standing directly in front of me.

“Exactly how much time has passed since that day?”

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