A Luna's Broken Heart

Anne T. Thyssen Paranormal

When she didn’t speak, I repeated, “Is there anyone I should call for you? Or would you like to call them yourself?”
Her green eyes were filled with sincerity as she shook her head. “There is only me now.”
“Now?” I echoed, unsure.
She lifted her hand and started biting her nails, seeming anxious. I worried I might have triggered something in her, but then she began to smile. Her smile soon turned into soft laughter. I was taken aback, wondering why she was laughing.
When she noticed my confused expression, she stopped, removed her hand, and said, “Sorry, I must look like a crazy person, laughing out of the blue. I’m just so… happy!”
“I can see that,” I said, still puzzled by her reaction.
“When you asked if I had someone you could call, and I said no, it just made me realize there really wasn’t anyone for you to call, and that made me happy.”
“It made you happy not to have anyone to call?”
“I know how that must sound, but yes. It did!”
For a moment, I wondered if she was truly unhinged, but then I reminded myself I didn’t know her entire story. Perhaps she had escaped an abusive relationship or lost someone who had caused her pain.
“Well, I’ll let you get some more rest then. Your doctor mentioned it’s important for you to have plenty of rest and food to aid your recovery,” I said, rising from the bed.
“You don’t want to ask me about my story?” she asked, looking puzzled.
“I told you, you don’t have to share anything you’re not comfortable with. It’s your story. You can choose to tell it to me, to someone else, or not at all. It’s up to you.”
She offered a sweet smile, but as I turned to leave, she grasped my hand. With my support, she slowly stood up from the bed.
“What are you doing? You should stay in bed,” I said, concerned, tightening my grip on her hand as she attempted to rise.
She exhaled deeply, finally standing on her own. Her green eyes locked onto mine, deep and serious. I wondered what she was about to say, but instead of speaking, she reached out and gently brushed aside the side of my blazer, exposing my shoulder.
The white shirt was slightly see-through, revealing a mark that was a painful reminder of a past I was trying to forget. I stared at Cecilia, feeling alarmed, and then quickly pulled back, covering myself.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“It hurts, doesn’t it?” she said softly.
I looked at her in confusion.
“When they mark you and then cast you aside for someone else.” The cheerful demeanor I had seen moments ago had vanished, replaced by a somber, intense expression. Her gaze remained fixed on my shoulder, even though it was covered, before she turned her green eyes back to me. They looked like glass, as if there were no emotions behind them.
“I think you’ll want to hear my story,” she said.
***
Selene struggles to reclaim some semblance of normalcy after months of isolation from the upper-class world she once thrived in. Cast aside by the king for a traitor’s daughter, she has become the subject of society’s ridicule.
However, when a new resident arrives at her home for abandoned and abused mates, Selene is taken aback. This new arrival is unlike the others—she is genuinely happy. Intrigued by the newcomer and her story, Selene begins to see a way to sever her final tie to Valerio and possibly regain her life. But she soon realizes that doing so may come at a steep cost.
Rider was presumed dead by everyone, even by his own brother Valerio. Hidden away and deeply scarred by the loss of his family—especially his twin brother Ryker—he has abandoned his former life of violence.
Choosing instead a path of healing, he dedicates himself to saving lives rather than taking them. When Rider discovers James, a person of great importance to his brother Valerio, he feels compelled to help bring him home. But convincing James is no easy task, and in the process, Rider is forced to step out of the shadows and confront his past.
*Book Four*
Recommended to first read: A Bite From An Alpha King, A Beta's Undying Love and A Second Chance Mate

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