Underwater: The Silent Luna novel Chapter 238

Chapter 238

Meadow looked at him, worried. Her eyes moved over him, not like she doubted his courage, but like she was measuring the cost. He

was not fully healed yet, and the surgery was supposed to be a secret. She did not want a situation where Cynthia would irritate him

enough to give away his progress. Meadow knew how that woman affected him. Hatred was not quiet where Cynthia was concerned.

It was old, bitter, and mixed with years of betrayal and humiliation.

Ethan could see Meadow was wary.

“How well can you control your temper where that woman is concerned, Ethan?” she linked him.

He understood her reasons for asking. He did not take offence. She was right to worry. A few days ago, maybe even yesterday, he

might not have been able to answer confidently. Cynthia had a way of reaching into his old wounds and twisting. But now things

were different. He had a purpose beyond rage. He had a goal. His wolf was returning. Meadow was his mate. His mother needed

saving. Whitewood needed reclaiming. Cynthia was no longer the centre of his humiliation. She was a problem to be handled.

“Very well. I can handle it well. Now that I have a goal and know where I am heading. I do not want Joseph to face her alone. She is

with warriors, and Joseph hates her just as much as I do, maybe even more. I do not trust Levi either. He is yet to explain what he

went to do for almost twenty–four hours. I can’t leave my brother in their midst,” Ethan explained.

Meadow understood. That was the thing about him. Beneath the temper, beneath the pride, beneath the old pain, Ethan loved deeply. His mother. His brother. His pack. And now her. He could not remain sitting beside Amber while Joseph handled Cynthia and

warriors alone. Not when everything was already too unstable.

“Okay. Go. I will remain here with Victoria. We can hold our own if there is an issue,” she linked him back with a smile.

Ethan nodded. Relief moved through him, though worry stayed beside it. He did not like leaving Meadow anywhere. Not even with

Victoria. Not even in the hospital. But Amber was there, and Meadow was stronger than most people knew. He had to trust her too.

Victoria found their exchange weird, especially when they stared at each other and changed their facial expressions. She wondered if it was a new sign language she had yet to learn. It looked too silent and too smooth to be ordinary. Like a conversation happening where she could not enter. She kept her observation to herself, but the curiosity remained. Meadow and Ethan had changed. She

could feel it even if she did not know what had caused it.

Ethan wheeled his chair closer to Meadow, and they kissed before he left the room. The kiss was not long, but it held a promise. Be

careful. Wait for me. I will come back. Meadow’s hand lingered briefly near his face before he pulled away, and then he left.

“What was that about?” Victoria finally asked Meadow.

Meadow laughed softly.

“Don’t worry. That is between Ethan and me,” she signed.

Victoria narrowed her eyes slightly, but before she could push further, Ashley entered the room with her bouquet of flowers. The

room shifted again, and Meadow looked towards her. Ashley saw Meadow, and shame pricked through her at once. It was not the

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Chapter 238

loud kind of shame that made people cry and beg. It was quieter, more uncomfortable, because Meadow had done nothing to

deserve Ashley’s hatred. Ashley knew that now. She would not have been in the current mess if she had not hated Meadow so much

that she worked against her. She might have married Joseph and faked a miscarriage, and that would have been it.

The thought itself showed her how twisted her mind had been, and yet it came naturally, which made her feel worse.

“You need to stop scheming,” Claire, her wolf, warned her.

Ashley chuckled quietly, knowing it would take a while for her mind to function differently. Scheming had become too easy. A Habi

A language. A way to survive disappointment. But maybe she could learn something else. Not quickly, but maybe

“Hey,” Ashley finally said and looked at Amber.

“How is she doing?” she asked.

Victoria was irritated by Ashley, and it showed in the tightness of her expression. She knew enough to dislike her, and maybe more

than enough to distrust her. Meadow, however, was neutral. Not warm. Not cold. Just steady. Ashley appreciated that more than she

expected.

“She is hanging in there,” Meadow signed and nudged Victoria to help her translate.

Victoria reluctantly translated, and Ashley smiled and nodded.

“I pray she gets the help she needs,” Ashley said, genuinely concerned for the Luna.

She had always known Amber was sick, but she had not known the extent until now. It was strange, realising how close she had

been to the truth without understanding it. Amber had seemed sharp enough to cut steel, even while sickness was quietly eating her

life.

“Thank you for jumping into the fight,” Meadow signed, thanking Ashley to show appreciation for being selfless for once.

Victoria translated, and Ashley smiled. The thanks touched her in a strange place because it was not something she expected from

Meadow, Not after everything. Not after the way she had treated her. Maybe that was why it mattered.

“My pleasure, Luna. Call me if you need assistance or something. I am heading back to my folks. I do not know if you have heard,

but Joseph broke up with me, and I think it is for the best. Anyway, I will see you all around. If there is a need to kick Cynthia’s

butt, please include me because I have a bone to pick with her,” Ashley said.

She meant her last words, and Meadow smiled. Meadow knew what had happened but did not tell Victoria, helping Ashley save face.

That small mercy was not lost on Ashley. She did not deserve it, but she accepted it quietly.

Ashley did not wait for a response. She just turned around and left. It was going to be a long, hard week for her. Her tears began to

pour when she stepped out of the hospital. She knew she would miss Joseph. It was hard not to.