Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 373

Talia’s POV

We didn’t head straight back to our room. Nolan wanted to keep an eye on the party a bit longer, and honestly, after everything with Geoffrey, so did I.

We returned to the party, but kept our distance so no one noticed us as we stood in the shadows between two string lights.

“Do we really need to watch him like this?” I asked.

“Yes. If he spreads rumors like Kent, I want to catch him in the act,” Nolan replied. “Then, we will be justified in kicking him out.”

Two hours later people continued to drink and dance. The young warriors sparred close to the fire while a small group of spectators cheered and jeered.

Someone was singing an old song, but off-key, but no one minded because they were all having too much fun.

“There,” Nolan said quietly, and I followed his eyes.

Geoffrey stood in the middle of a group of Alphas, laughing and looking completely at ease, as if he had been part of Silverfang for years instead of just a few hours.

“He’s completely different from Alpha Kent,” I said.

“Kent could hardly stand being in the middle of so many Alphas,” Nolan said. “He always hung back, kept track of the nearest exit, and never looked anyone stronger in the eye. That’s part of why everyone judged him so harshly. He was a coward.”

“Can you blame him?” I said. “He was wolfless in a room full of men who could tear him apart. It made him feel small and always afraid, so he got desperate for power any way he could. But Geoffrey isn’t like that.”

“Not at all,” Nolan said. “He’s confident, almost cocky. He’s strong and knows it. He doesn’t feel bad about not fighting with us because he knows he could beat almost anyone who challenged him.”

He won’t be satisfied just running Doomfur,” I said quietly. The way he tried to get close to Solon made my skin crawl. Geoffrey didn’t have good intentions. Maybe he wanted Silverfang for himself, maybe it was something else, but whatever it was, it wasn't going to end well for any of us if he got it.

As if he could tell we were talking about him, Geoffrey turned his head in our direction. Even with all the people between us, his eyes locked on mine right away, without needing to scan the crowd.

My wolf froze, every instinct on alert at how easily he found me. It felt like he already knew where I was before he even turned. Geoffrey smiled and raised his glass to me. His smile felt more like a threat than a friendly gesture, making the hairs on my neck stand up.

‘Don’t give him the satisfaction of seeing our response,’ my wolf growled.

‘I think it’s too late for that,’ I responded.

‘But I can’t just leave Solon and Leslie here on their own with this mess,’ I countered. ‘Geoffrey only backed down because Nolan threatened him. What do you think he’s going to do when he leaves?’ If we leave, there's nothing to stop him from going after Solon or trying to turn the other Alphas against him. He could lie, divide the pack or even attempt to take control by force.

‘We can’t defend Solon forever,’ my wolf argued. ‘He is going to have to deal with this, or the other Alphas will see him as weak.’

I turned over and saw that Nolan was already awake, watching me in the dark like he knew I needed to talk.

"I don't know what to do," I admitted.

“About Geoffrey?”

“About all of it. It doesn’t feel right to go home while Solon is still recovering. He and Leslie need me here,” I said.

Nolan reached over, pulled me close, and rested his chin on top of my head.

"You don’t have to make a decision tonight," he said. "Whatever you choose, whenever you choose it, I’ll support you. You’re not doing this alone.”