Moonborn Heir Novel Chapter 8 – Later that evening, the pack grounds are quieter, shadows deepening under the rising moon.
Rhea, face flushed with excitement, enters the cabin, carrying the scent of roasted meat and something warm and spiced.
“Talia! The Betas invited us to dinner,” she says, her eyes alight. “You should come. It’s a good chance to meet the others, to…fit in.”
I offer a weary smile, glancing down at my bruised arms and legs. “I think I’ll pass, Rhea. I’m exhausted. And besides…I think I proved enough today.”
Her expression softens, but a hint of disappointment flickers there. “Alright. You rest, then. I’ll bring back a good story or two.”
As she leaves, closing the door softly behind her, silence settles over me.
My body aches from the training, every muscle sore and screaming, but beneath it, a strange satisfaction lingers. The feeling of having pushed myself beyond my limits, of having made the others see me differently, maybe even respect me.
But there’s something else too — a quiet thrill, woven with memories of Lucian’s intense gaze. I’m pulled from my thoughts by a sudden knock at the door. My pulse quickens, and before I can gather myself, I open it to find Lucian standing there, holding a plate of food.
“You missed dinner,” he says, his voice steady, his gaze unwavering. He steps inside, closing the door behind him, his presence filling the small cabin in an instant. “I thought you might need this after today’s…effort.”
I take the plate, a little taken aback. “Thank you,” I say softly, settling onto the edge of the bed. The savory aroma of meat and vegetables wafts up, making my mouth water. I realize how hungry I am, how the day’s exhaustion has sharpened my hunger into a deep, gnawing need.
Lucian watches as I eat, his eyes tracing every movement, his silence heavy but comfortable. He pulls a chair close and sits, his arms resting on his knees as he studies me with that unreadable expression. “My father was the Alpha before me,” he says suddenly, breaking the quiet.
“He believed in strength above all else. Loyalty was secondary to power in his eyes. He ruled through fear, kept everyone in line, but…there was no trust. No unity.” His gaze hardens, his jaw tightening. “I grew up watching him tear the pack apart with his cruelty.”
I stop eating, surprised by the rawness in his voice, the flicker of vulnerability he allows me to see. He’s usually so guarded, so fierce, like nothing could ever reach him. But here, there’s a glimpse of someone deeper, someone burdened by a dark past.
“I never wanted to be like him,” he continues, his voice softer now, almost a murmur. “When he died, I swore I’d lead differently. But that comes with its own challenges.” His eyes meet mine, and the intensity there steals my breath. “And it comes with sacrifices.”
He pauses, a faint, approving smile flickering on his lips. “Today, you showed what strength truly means. Not just in power, but in resilience. That’s the kind of strength I want at my side…the kind of strength this pack needs.”
The air between us thickens, charged with an unspoken connection. I feel something shift inside me, a pull that’s both magnetic and terrifying. My wolf, Eira, stirs, her presence filling me with warmth.
She’s been quiet for so long, healing from the severed bond with Kael, but now…now, she’s there, stronger, humming with interest as she listens.
“He’s different, Talia,” Eira murmurs, her voice soft but certain. “Different from Kael. There’s a strength in him…a kindness beneath the darkness.”
I swallow, feeling a strange ache, like the beginnings of something I don’t fully understand. Eira’s words settle over me, mingling with my own feelings, blurring the lines between her instincts and my own.
Lucian’s gaze softens as he watches me. “Do you feel it?” he whispers, his voice dropping to a near-growl, dark and rough around the edges. He leans closer, his hand brushing mine, sending sparks up my arm. “The bond between us. It’s there, Talia…undeniable.” I can feel it — like a thread weaving itself around my heart, binding me to him with a force I can’t resist.
My skin tingles, my pulse racing as his thumb strokes the back of my hand, each touch sending heat curling through me. “I feel it,” I murmur, barely able to breathe, my voice a whisper of confession. “But…I don’t know if I’m ready. I don’t even know what this is.” He smiles, just a hint, as though he understands more than he lets on. “It’s destiny, Talia.” His words settle over me like a vow.
“You are meant to be mine. My mate.” My heart pounds, Eira echoing his words with a low, approving growl that resonates through me. But before I can think, his lips are on mine, hot and insistent, his hands cradling my face as he pulls me closer. The kiss is a storm, fierce and consuming, and I feel myself melting into him, my body responding with a need I didn’t know I had.
His hands move down, tracing my sides, leaving a trail of heat. My breath quickens, my mind clouded by a deep, primal urge. Eira’s voice fills me, pushing me forward, urging me to let go, to give in to the pull. But just as the bond flares, strong and undeniable, a sudden, sharp cramp twists in my
stomach, pulling me back to reality.
I break away, gasping, one hand pressing instinctively to my abdomen. The pain fades, but the warning lingers, a silent message from the child within me —
a reminder, a barrier I can’t ignore. Lucian’s eyes darken with frustration, but he pulls back, his jaw tight, his breathing ragged. “What is it?” he asks, voice rough.
I shake my head, swallowing hard, willing my heart to slow. “I…I can’t. Not now.” My words come out in a shaky whisper, the conflict tearing at me. “I’m sorry.”For a moment, he just stares, his expression hardening, the warmth in his eyes cooling to something unreadable. “I understand,” he says, his voice distant now, all traces of vulnerability gone.
He rises, his movements controlled, but I can sense the tension radiating from him. Without another word, he leaves, the door closing with a soft, final click that echoes through the silence. Alone, I sit there, my heart still racing, the taste of his kiss lingering on my lips. Eira is quiet now, but I can feel her restlessness, her longing mirroring my own. “Why did you pull away?” she whispers, confusion tinged with disappointment.
“I…I don’t know,” I admit, pressing a hand to my stomach. “Something…something stopped me. It was as if…” My voice trails off, the words too elusive to grasp. A strange sense of longing fills me, but so does a hint of something else — an inexplicable pull, faint but persistent, reaching out from the shadows of my past. A pull that brings Kael to my mind, unbidden, unwelcome, but undeniably there.
Eira growls softly, sensing the same pull. “Your heart hasn’t let go of Kael, has it?” I close my eyes, feeling the weight of that truth settle over me. “I don’t know what my heart wants anymore,” I whisper, my voice trembling with the uncertainty that gnaws at me. But as I sit alone in the cabin, the silence pressing in around me, I realize that I can’t deny it forever. And as much as I try to push him away, Alpha Kael’s shadow lingers, a reminder of a bond severed but not destroyed.
”Want to Recent list click here Moonborn Heir Novel, and you can also “allow notification” to get updates of latest chapter.