Underwater: The Silent Luna novel Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Meadow packed her bags quickly, her hands trembling with urgency. She didn’t bother with fancy clothes, make-up, jewellery, or the delicate accessories Tamar had insisted she take when she moved into the McCloud estate. None of those things mattered now.

She needed escape.

She needed air.

She needed a moment to breathe before her life was carved into something she could not control.

Ethan had offered her a temporary door, a small, precious window of time, and she would take it with both hands.

Even if she knew, deep down, that the reprieve wouldn’t last.

Amber always got what she wanted.

And eventually, Meadow would have to face the fate the Luna planned for her.

But not today.

Not if Ethan had anything to say about it.

Meadow zipped the small bag, picked it up, and stepped out of the closet just as Ethan asked, “Are you ready?”

His tone was stern, clipped, as always, but she recognised the urgency beneath it. He wanted her out of here. Away from Amber. Away from the doctor. Away from the decision that threatened to trap her forever.

She nodded quickly.

“What about you?” she signed carefully, hands moving with soft precision.

Ethan turned his wheelchair around, expression unreadable.

“I have my things there.”

He began to roll toward the door. “Come on. I do not want to have another altercation with her.”

Meadow followed him immediately, quiet, obedient, trying her best not to draw attention. Her heart raced with every turn of the corridor, terrified Amber could appear at any second and drag her back.

Ethan dreaded the cabin, Meadow could tell. Even though he kept his expression locked in stone, something about the tension in his shoulders betrayed him.

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Chapter 17

She didn’t know why he hated the place.

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Not yet.

But she sensed it had something to do with the woman he had loved before, Cynthia. The stories had floated through the pack long before Meadow faded into invisibility: Ethan and Cynthia were inseparable, the perfect Alpha couple, the promise of the next generation. She had left after the accident, unable to tie herself to a crippled Alpha with a shattered future.

The cabin held memories of a life Ethan had once believed he would have.

For him, the trip would be painful.

For Meadow, it was salvation.

He is doing this for my sake… even though it hurts him.

They stepped outside, and Meadow noticed something she hadn’t before.

Ethan blinked rapidly, eyes adjusting to the sunlight.

It had been months since he stepped out of the mansion.

Months hidden in shadows.

Months spent behind walls.

Months refusing to see the world that once bowed to his command.

Realisation gripped her heart painfully.

He wasn’t just angry at the world.

He was hurting.

Truly hurting.

And somewhere along the way, he had let the accident strip him of more than the use of his legs, it had taken his confidence, his presence, his desire to live.

To Meadow, that was the real tragedy.

He was still strong.

Still powerful.

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Chapter 17

Still Ethan McCloud, the wolf everyone feared and admired.

Yet he had let himself shrink into the background, becoming bitter, silent, hidden.

She watched him quietly, wishing she could tell him this. Wishing she could speak. Wishing she had a way to show him he wasn’t as

broken as he believed.

A large black van rolled to a stop in front of them.

A guard opened the back doors and helped Ethan into the interior with efficient practice. The wheelchair was secured, and Meadow climbed in beside him. Her hands folded tightly on her lap, her heartbeat loud in her ears.

The doors shut with a dull thud.

Ethan leaned back and linked the butler sharply.

If my mother looks for us, tell her I took my wife on a honeymoon trip.

Before the butler could even respond, Ethan cut the mind connection.

Meadow inhaled shakily.

He was risking Amber’s wrath for her.

That alone made her chest tighten with gratitude so strong it almost hurt.

She could feel Ethan’s attention on her, the way he observed her from the corner of his eye. She sat small, nervous, trying to shrink into the upholstery. She had become good at disappearing. It was a skill sharpened by years of mockery and neglect, now perfected under Luna

Amber’s reign.

Ethan knew she feared him. He didn’t blame her.

He wasn’t the kindest man in the world. His silence was sharp. His expression cold. His presence heavy. And under different circumstances, Meadow would never have chosen him either.

But none of this was her fault.

Her mutism didn’t take away from her beauty, if anything, her silence enhanced it. Ethan had noticed that from the beginning. The gentle eyes, the soft features, the innocence she carried despite the world’s cruelty.

He admired her secretly.

And that was exactly why he had vowed not to touch her. Not to take advantage. Not to deepen the trap she was in.

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Chapter 17

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He would protect her as best he could, even if it meant hurting himself in the process.

He cleared his throat, voice low.

“My mother isn’t at the cabin, so I expect you to be more relaxed and have some fun.”

Meadow blinked. Fun? She didn’t remember the last time she had that.

“I will figure out a way to get you out of the contract,” he said.

She looked at him sharply, hope flickering weakly in her chest.

Could he truly?

Would he even be allowed?

But deep inside, she knew the truth.

Amber was ruthless.

Relentless.

Unstoppable.

And Meadow was a nobody, a mute girl with no allies, no rights, and no voice.

It was only a matter of time before Amber forced her will upon her.

But Meadow didn’t want to bruise Ethan’s ego or diminish his effort. He was trying, truly trying.

So she gave him the only comfort she could.

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She smiled.

A soft, grateful smile that reached her eyes, a silent thank you for everything he was doing. For the escape. For the protection. For seeing her when no one else did.

She signed a small thank you with gentle hands, hoping he understood.

He nodded once, gruffly, and looked away.

But Meadow saw the faint, fleeting warmth that softened his stern features.

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Chapter 17

And for a moment, despite the storm ahead, she felt safe.

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