Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 28

Chapter 27

Emily’s POV

The darkness didn’t feel like darkness. It felt quiet. Too quiet. I wasn’t in pain anymore. I wasn’t cold. I wasn’t anywhere.

“You’ve been hiding well,” a soft voice echoed from everywhere at once. “But not for much longer.”

I turned, and she was there. A woman made entirely of silver light. Her eyes held something ancient, something that saw right through me.

“I didn’t hide.” My voice barely carried.

Her lips curved into a slight smile. “No?”

She stepped closer, and the air around her shimmered like moonlight on water. “Then why are you still pretending to be so small?”

I swallowed hard, struggling to find my words. “I’m not-”

“You are,” she interrupted gently. She wasn’t being cruel. She just sounded completely sure.

“Who are you?” I asked.

She tilted her head, looking almost amused. “You already know.”

And I did. Somehow, deep down, I did.

“Why am I here?”

She said nothing. Then her gaze softened just a fraction. “Because something has begun. And you can’t stay asleep forever.”

My heart started racing. “What do you mean?”

She stepped back, the light around her flickering. “You were never as small as you believed.”

“Then what am I?”

She smiled, but this time, it wasn’t kind.

“That,” she said softly, “is what everyone is about to find out.”

The space around us began to crack.

“And be careful, little one…” Her voice turned much colder as the light faded. “You’re not the only one who has started to wake.”

The world shattered.

Maybe it was just a dream. It had to be.

A steady, annoying sound pulled me further away from the silver light. It was rhythmic and constant, grating on my nerves. Beep. Beep. Beep. Over and over again. I wanted someone to just turn it off.

“Turn it off,” I mumbled, eyes barely open.

The bright light in the room stung, making my vision blur. My voice was barely a whisper, and my lips were dry.

“Sweetheart, it’s okay. We’re right here,” a soft voice said nearby. I couldn’t focus my eyes yet. “What did you want us to turn off? Repeat that for me, please.”

Finally, my vision cleared. Luna Meredyth was sitting right beside my bed, gently rubbing the back of my hand to comfort me.

“I don’t remember,” I whispered, honestly forgetting what I had been talking about.

I began looking around the room when Doctor Reed and Poppy walked in.

“Emily, you gave us a real scare,” the doctor said, walking over to check the monitors hooked up to me. “Heart rate is steady. Blood pressure and oxygen levels look great, too.”

Poppy nodded, writing the numbers down on a medical chart.

“Emily, I’m going to shine a small light in your eyes to check your responses,” Doctor Reed explained, pulling out a small medical penlight. “Just track the light for me.”

I followed the beam with my eyes as he moved it back and forth.

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at me. “Your poor body took such a beating.”

As she listed my injuries, it made sense why I felt like I’d been trampled.

Poppy handed me a small mirror, and I winced at my reflection. Scrapes were already fading into faint pink marks as my skin healed. I could see neat black threads near my temple, and when I reached up, my fingers found more stitches hidden in my hair.

Meredyth noticed my silence. “It’s a miracle your wolf is this strong, Emily. You’ve been unconscious for eighteen hours.”

No one had ever called me strong before. Hearing it from the Luna Queen herself sent a warm rush of pride through me.

“I wish Nathan could hear her say that.”

The thought of him made my heart flutter with a sudden wave of hope. I looked down, trying to sound casual. “Did Nathan… did he come see me?”

Meredyth hesitated. “Oh, honey, he…”

My hope vanished, replaced by a heavy ache. He probably just saw this as another reminder of how clumsy and weak I was. I stared down at the blanket.

“He was completely beside himself when he found out you fell,” Meredyth explained quickly.

“Right. He was probably furious—that his useless mate embarrassed him again.”

“He had to leave for an emergency council meeting,” she continued.

“How convenient,” I thought bitterly. “A perfect excuse to get away from me.”

“I think I’m ready to sleep for a bit,” I said to Meredyth and Poppy, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Of course, sweetheart. Get some rest. I’ll be right outside,” she said softly, kissed my forehead, and left the room with Poppy.

As soon as the door closed, I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer. He didn’t want me. He left as quickly as he could just to avoid being near my bed.

I pressed my face into the pillow and cried.