Underwater: The Silent Luna novel Chapter 94

Chapter 94

Ethan secretly hoped the therapy would yield results for him.

Not just for Meadow.

For himself.

For the man he used to be before the accident.

For the Alpha he still felt burning somewhere beneath the scar tissue and silence.

He was determined now, more than he had been in years. This was no longer just about healing bones or regaining strength. This was about dignity. About power. About love. About claiming what was already his by fate.

He wanted to walk again for Meadow’s sake.

It would be his gift to their marriage.

He did not want anyone to look at her and see the wife of the crippled Alpha. He wanted the world to see her beside a man who could stand tall, shoulder to shoulder with her, strong enough to protect her, strong enough to mark her properly, to complete the bond the way nature intended.

Above all…

He wanted to claim her.

To join his soul with hers fully.

That could only happen if his wolf awakened and connected with hers.

Without that bond, something vital would always remain unfinished between them.

The thought gnawed at him with quiet urgency as he wheeled himself toward the desk. He began to make last-minute arrangements with brisk focus. He cleared his calendar. Cancelled meetings. Delegated pack matters. Gave Beatrix strict instructions on which files to bring to the cabin should anything urgent arise.

He did not plan to work at the cabin.

This time, the cabin would be theirs alone.

Meanwhile, Ashley had already made up her mind.

Victoria was the weak point.

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Not because Victoria was disloyal to Meadow, but because loyalty made people careless with information. People who felt safe

talked. And Ashley only needed one small crack to wedge herself through.

Her goal was not to turn Victoria against Meadow.

She was not foolish enough to think that would work.

Instead, she wanted leverage.

Personal details.

Habits.

Fears.

Anything she could twist into a weapon.

As far as Ashley was concerned, Ethan was only stepping forward as Alpha because of Meadow. It was a phase. A performance driven by love and pride. With Meadow gone from the picture, he would retreat again, back into isolation, back into the shadows, back into the quiet life he had always chosen after the accident.

And when that happened…

Joseph would be forced to take over completely.

Whether he wanted to or not.

Ashley dressed carefully, soft makeup, neutral tones, harmless elegance. Then she stepped outside and asked a driver to take her to Minnie’s, the café where Victoria worked.

As the car pulled away from the estate, she leaned forward slightly.

“Did you take Victoria home early this morning?” she asked casually.

The driver shook his head. “No, ma’am. I took her straight to work.”

Ashley smiled faintly.

So she’s only here temporarily, she thought.

Good.

Temporary people were easier to displace.

When they arrived at Minnie’s, the café buzzed with late-morning energy, mugs clinking, steam hissing, soft music floating through the air. Ashley went straight to the counter instead of taking a table.

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Victoria was there.

Of course she was.

Their eyes met.

Victoria’s smile dropped instantly..

“Minnie’s Café,” Victoria said coolly, slipping into her professional tone. “How can I help you?”

“I’d like a latte, Vicky,” Ashley replied sweetly.

Victoria stiffened at the sound of her name on Ashley’s lips.

Ashley leaned slightly closer, lowering her voice just enough to feel intimate. “I know we started on the wrong foot,” she said smoothly. “But after seeing what Meadow went through yesterday… I realised how wrong it would be to antagonise her. She’s already struggling.”

Victoria remained stone-faced as she prepared the drink.

“You’re the only supportive friend she has,” Ashley continued. “I don’t want to stand on the opposite side of that. Please… don’t be suspicious of my intentions.”

The latte slid across the counter.

Telling Victoria not to be suspicious only made her more suspicious.

“If you want to get to know Meadow better,” Victoria said flatly, “get to know her on your own. You won’t find anything out by coming here. Now excuse me, I have customers to attend to.”

She glanced pointedly behind Ashley, where a small line had formed.

That was the dismissal.

Ashley’s fingers tightened briefly around the cup.

She turned and left without another word.

The drive back to the estate was filled with seething frustration. Victoria hadn’t taken the bait, but Ashley was far from finished. She had not survived this long by giving up after one failure.

She would find another angle.

Another crack.

Another weakness.

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As she headed toward Joseph’s part of the house, a sound stopped her.

Coughing.

Harsh.

Wet.

Coming from Luna Amber’s office.

At first, she ignored it.

Then it came again.

Longer.

More violent.

Ashley slowed.

Something about the sound unsettled her.

She turned, walked back a few steps, and knocked on Amber’s office door.

She did not wait for permission.

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She opened it.

What she saw made her stomach tighten.

Amber sat behind her desk, shoulders slightly hunched, one hand gripping a tissue. Her face was pale, unnaturally so. As Ashley stepped inside, Amber lifted the tissue and wiped her mouth.

The white cloth came away smeared with saliva… and blood.

Ashley froze.

For a second, she forgot to hide the shock on her face.

“What is it, Ashley?” Amber asked coolly. “Can’t handle seeing a little blood?”

Ashley immediately composed herself, straightening her posture. “Of course I can,” she replied smoothly. “I was only surprised.”

Amber waved her off with a tired flick of her hand. “I pushed myself too hard during training. This is the result. Now excuse me.”

Colour returned to her face slowly, too slowly.

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Chapter 94

Ashley nodded, masking her unease, and left the office.

As soon as the door closed behind her, her heart began to race.

Blood… during training? she thought.

Amber was sick.

Very sick.

And suddenly, many pieces began to slide into place in Ashley’s mind.

Back in Ethan’s wing, the therapist arrived quietly.

She was older than Ethan expected, with silver threaded through dark hair and eyes that felt like they could see straight through bone and skin into the spirit itself. Beatrix ushered her in with formal respect.

Meadow sat stiffly on the couch.

Ethan positioned his chair beside her.

The therapist introduced herself, her voice calm, measured. She did not rush them. She did not demand anything. She simply

observed.

“The wolf is not always loud,” she said gently. “Sometimes it is wounded. Sometimes it is silent. Sometimes it is afraid to speak.”

Her gaze lingered on Meadow.

“And sometimes,” she added, slowly turning to Ethan, “the Alpha’s wolf has been asleep for so long that it has forgotten how to answer the call.”

Ethan felt something stir deep inside his chest.

Not pain.

Recognition.

He and Meadow exchanged a look, quiet, uncertain, but bonded in the same fragile hope.

Outside the mansion walls, threads were tightening.

Ashley was plotting.

Amber was dying.

A witness had been silenced.

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And Ethan’s wolf was finally beginning to wake.

The storm was no longer approaching.

It had already begun.

Comments

R Visitor

I’m really enjoying this book. When can we expect an update?

7 days ago

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Underwater: The Silent Luna