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Chapter 141: Still Parenting
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2022-12-01 18:12:30Related chapters
The Returned Luna Chapter 142: Panic
The words went through her with a startling shock of pain. He shouldn’t have been able to say that to her. He should have denied it before she had even managed to finish accusing him. “What… did you say?”Basil shook his head with a groan of annoyance, “Even if we are mates, she didn’t deserve that from me. I should have never divorced her.”Delia’s eyes widened as a little wave of golden light flickered across his back. Her heart thundered in her chest in terror. Sweat slid down the back of her neck. Was that the light that Eden had warned her about?How much time did she have left?“And when Laurel showed up…” Basil groaned. “I should have seen it. I should have known and done something before we were married. We wouldn’t be here now if I had!”“Basil, what are you–”“Three years of marital abstinence and refusing her because of my pride, and now she’s married and mated to my father with a child on the way!” He huffed, “The goddess is truly cruel when she wishes.”Delia covered her
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 143: Musings And Heat
Adolph and Laurel followed the attendant towards their rooms. chuckled as Laurel walked into their quarters and began to undress, fanning herself as she unbuttoned her traveling cloak and pouted. “I’m burning up and I’m hungry.”Adolph closed the door behind him as she started fumbling with the buttons on her dress.“All these laces! I can’t wait to go to the temple.”Adolph chuckled, approaching her and stilling her hands before she damaged the dress that she was so fond of. “Let me,” Adolph said, kissing her forehead. She practically purred before turning bright red. Adolph grinned at her, lifting an eyebrow at her as he began to unravel the mess she’d made of the fastening ribbons. She was no longer wearing gowns with corsets due to the baby. In its place, her gowns were cinched to her frame using a network of silk ribbons. He wasn’t surprised how sick of them she was already given how hot she could get, not even wanting to cuddle next to him in the night and soaking the sheets w
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 144: Grandfather and Granddaughter-In-Law
Laurel’s heart lurched. The fever was still in her blood from Adolph’s indulgence and the hot flash, but she had to get out of the tub. Her legs slipped out from under her and she huffed. They were still trembling and she glowered down at them with a huff. She would scold Adolph properly for making her legs jelly. “How long will it take for them to arrive?” Adolph asked beyond the door. “A week perhaps? Sir Chasel wasn’t clear on that, but he wanted to know what he should do should they return before you have.”“... detain them. If they are resistant to turning over Eden, detain them violently.”“Yes, Your Majesty. Is there any other message I should convey?”“If they arrive before we have returned, send word by carrier bird.”“Of course, Your Majesty.”The door opened and closed again before Adolph came back into the bathroom. She glowered at him. “I suppose you heard that.”“Yes, and my legs don’t work!”He grinned, “I am glad to be fulfilling my marital duty… perhaps later you
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 145: A Bit of Hope
Delia closed the door as Gavin exited and turned from it. She may have thrown him off her scent for now, but it wouldn’t last long. Gavin was planning to out her to Adolph and Basil if given a chance. She couldn’t be around when that happened. She couldn’t give Basil a chance to change his mind and banish her either. She should have gotten out much earlier than now, but it wasn’t too late. She went into her bed-chamber, looking for the trunk where she’d put her bag. As she expected it was at the bottom of the least lavish trunk among them. She put it under a bunch of things that didn’t seem to have much importance to her. She was glad that she’d at least had the sense to make sure she brought it with her on this trip. If Gavin knew that Laura was Laurel, it was only a matter of time before everyone knew, including Adolph. What he would ask her didn’t matter. What mattered more than Basil’s plans to divorce her was that Laura might remember enough about the night she was murdered to
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 146: Her Fault
Gavin paced his office, worrying his lip. The celebration was already underway with more people arriving by the minute. These plans he’d had to get rid of Laurel had been weeks in the making, yet he was having to change his plans quickly. He had not expected Adolph and Laurel to be so guarded even here. None of their entourage was swayed by promises of money or status. They seemed more offended by the idea and on the verge of giving everything away. There were no openings in the royal retinue where he might squeeze in one of his operatives. The royal cooks who had arrived and taken over part of his manor’s kitchen to prepare food for them were more guarded than even their bodyguards. They had knights inside the kitchen, keeping the staff divided though they were making all the same dishes. They didn’t even share utensils!No matter how he looked at it, poisoning Laurel to get rid of her unborn offspring, and hopefully her, wasn’t an option unless he wanted to end up dead as well.He
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 147: Light of the Night
*Laurel?* *Where are you?*Laurel looked up as Adolph’s words came to her mind. She followed Delia through the garden away from the lights of the ballroom and into the night. The moon was full above them as they walked. “So, what is that you wanted to speak to me about?” Laurel asked. *I’m outside with Delia.*“I…” Delia blew out a pained breath as they walked. “It’s going to sound really insincere, considering everything, but…”They came to an outcropping of rock. She could barely make out the sounds of the party in the distance. The scent of wine and the wind made her shudder. Had it been so long since she was waking up screaming in terror from the memory of being pushed to her death. She looked up at the moon and felt the memory surfacing just a little, but pushed it away.*I’m coming to get you.*“I wanted to say I’m sorry.”“Sorry for–”Alice growled, *Move!*Laurel turned around just as Delia lunged for her and shoved her back. Her feet slipped, but she leaned forward, avoidin
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 148: Compelled To Truth
He settled Laurel into his lap as the carriage began to pull away. It had been a night of revelations and surprises. He had never known that Gavin couldn’t shift, though he wasn’t surprised that Gavin had hired staff that also couldn’t shift, whether they were human or simply out of contact with their wolves. He had never expected that Basil had gone through the shift alone. The grief made his heart clench. The first shift could be terrifying. Without guidance, it could have done so much damage. Then, there was the matter of his son on the edge of going rogue. He’d had his suspicions about them not being fated mates, but he had never imagined that they had no mating bond beyond a marked bond. His head ached. Basil would need treatment and he would need to speak to his son about his shifting experiences. Basil told him that he didn’t remember. Did that mean he only shifted under duress? Did he blackout during it? Had he ever *truly* shifted or did he just think he had? If he had
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 149: A Life For A Life
The silence was deafening. Laurel wasn't sure if she could handle hearing anymore. It wasn’t even a part of Morrigan’s plan, but Delia’s jealousy and hastiness? Her death had served no purpose other than satisfying Delia’s ambition? She hadn’t allowed herself to think about who had killed her, but she’d had plenty of ideas about why. They revolved around the kingdom’s stability and Basil’s incompetence. When Eden had her kidnapped, she had wondered if he knew why Laura had died, yet his answer as he lay in her arms had been honest. Morrigan hadn’t even seen her as an obstacle to getting Delia married to Basil. How could anyone be so cruel? She wondered, staring at a loss at Delia. Adolph squeezed her hand.“So why attempt to kill me?” Laurel asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Delia glared at her, “You’re just as much in the way as she was. What else?”Delia growled, turning her head and glaring at Eden, “Stop making me say things!”Eden lifted an eyebrow, “I didn’t. You’re j
Last Updated : 2022-12-01
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The Returned Luna Chapter 174: Jack
His stomach churned but he nodded, walking into the room. Fear filled him, but as he entered the room he started to relax. “You’re so beautiful… you take after your father.”Laurel lay among the sheets, dressed in a loose gown and cradling the baby to her chest.At the distance, he could only see a tuft of honey blonde hair in the swaddling blanket. The wetnurses bowed and stepped aside as he approached. Laurel smiled up at him, “Want to meet him?”“Him?”Laurel beamed at him, “Him… Nimue told me before, but I wanted it to still be a surprise for you.”Another boy. Adolph sunk onto the bed beside her, kissing her cheek before looking down into her arms. He had Laurel’s nose and hair pattern though the coloring was all his. Maybe when he grew up he’d take after his grandfathers, but he wouldn’t be able to tell that for a while.“Can I hold him?”Laurel nodded, offering the child to him. He smelled like fresh water and clean skin as Adolph took him, and held him close. He was so smal
The Returned Luna Chapter 173: Defense and Not
Nimue took a deep calming breath as Basil let out a mournful sob. The air began to warm slowly around them as the path between their world and the afterlife closed. She should have known when her first evocation yielded nothing that Olivia was going to be another troublesome spirit.She hoped Basil would be able to recover and accept the truth in time.“No… mother…” Nimue’s heart twisted with grief as she calmed her powers and Basil’s hand tightened on her ankle. “Why? She… She lifted it.”“She was prepared to sacrifice you,” she said solemnly.“She lifted the curse, Nimue! You didn’t have to!”Nimue looked down at him, “She only did so to save her existence, Basil. That was the test. It wasn’t about remorse towards what she’d done to your father… it was about what she did to you.”His eyes welled with tears as she set her staff aside, allowing it to hover in the air. “She was never your mother.”She kneeled beside Basil, placing a glowing hand near the dagger in his chest as he fell
The Returned Luna Chapter 172: Oblivion
Adolph’s voice was sure and even, but Basil couldn’t believe what he was saying. Didn’t he understand that they had no way of knowing how long that would be? A few months? A few days? His father was the strongest man he knew, but he wasn’t indestructible!“But father—”“You’d let Basil be king?” Olivia scoffed and laughed, “You know he’s not ready. He won’t ever be ready!”The twinge of pain that went through him took his breath away. He pushed it aside. This wasn’t the mother he’d imagined his whole life. He expected his father to say those things, not the woman who died giving birth to him. He winced at the thought. She hadn’t died giving birth to him. She’d died giving birth to a curse. There was no other choice to make.“Nimue, end the séance.”Nimue said nothing. Whether that meant she couldn’t or wasn’t going to, he didn’t know.Adolph shook his head, “Your father tried to make that true, but it’s not. Basil isn’t an idiot. He’s young and inexperienced, but that’s fixable. He h
The Returned Luna Chapter 171: Love and Obsession
Adolph narrowed his eyes down at Olivia. She was just as pretty as she had been before, but he saw the wicked light in her eyes. “Shouldn’t you be greeting our son whom you’ve never met?” Adolph asked. She smiled at him, poisonous and vicious, “I would never put anyone before you dear husband.”“You are dead,” Adolph said, “Speak to Basil.”“… very well.”Olivia turned her head and looked at Basil. Adolph was about to retract his statement at the hopeful look on Basil’s face, but it was too late. “You asked them to kill the man who raised you,” Olivia said, “You asked for the death penalty.”“Mother, they—”“Don’t call me that!” Olivia hissed at him. “All of them. Murdered and for what? What of your loyalty to me?”Basil’s eyes widened, “To you…?”“After what your father did to me?” Olivia said, “What is a bit of money?”“You… You knew?” Basil asked. “But—”“I love your father,” she said, her eyes glimmering with tears. “But… that wasn’t good enough. My love was never good enough f
The Returned Luna Chapter 170: Olivia
Laurel didn’t expect Basil to come quickly, so when the door closed, she was grateful that Nimue made herself a cup of tea and smiled at her. “You were once someone else,” Nimue said. “I am glad that the moon saw fit to bring the white wolf back to us.”Laurel blinked and sat across from her, “You’re… not much like Eden.”Nimue chuckled, “Eden and I have different gifts… He is what we would call an elemental Wiccan. Lightning strikes, fire, flashy shows of power that most associate with real magic. I’m a spiritual mage.”Laurel blinked and made herself a cup of tea, “What… does that mean?”“It means I have a connection to the living and the dead. Hence, I know the body you’re in right now is one you were reborn into. I can only guess how you died, but I assume that Basil knew you in your past life.”Laurel winced, “This… isn’t how I expected this conversation to go.”Nimue shrugged, “You make plans and the spirits laugh, but I’m not concerned about your aura. It’s more than healthy a
The Returned Luna Chapter 169: Mates and Fated Pairs
Adolph watched Basil leave. Nimue winced.“I… would like a moment to speak with my wife,” Adolph said slowly. Nimue nodded, “I’ll… go after him.”She left wincing. That had been a fucking disaster if she’d ever seen one. As she exited the room, she followed the trembling confusion, fear, and anger down the hall and around the corner. The thing about magical compatibility between fated matches was that it worked like a homing beacon. She found him in a parlor sitting on the couch with his head in his hand. He lifted his head and shot to his feet as she entered. “You—You can’t just say things like that!” Basil said, “You can’t just accuse her if you—You’re a healer! How would you know something like that anyway?”Nimue watched him, his shoulders heaving as he held himself still. “I am a healer,” she said. “But I am not just a healer. Sit down and calm yourself.”“Look me in the eye and tell me the truth,” Basil said, glaring at her. “Tell me you know for sure my mother did it. Tell
The Returned Luna Chapter 168: Lady Nimue
Basil had tried to keep his mind focused on the path ahead the next morning, no matter how Nimue’s scent had seemed to take over his senses and make him dizzy with need and desire. She smelled like fresh blooming flowers, fresh earth, and a hint of fresh sweet bread. It was a distracting, comforting, and maddening scent. His wolf growled in contentment and want whenever she grew near, so he took to riding further ahead to try and keep his mind clear. *I hate you*, his wolf huffed and growled. *You and your stupid pride and fear and…**Not now*, Basil thought, stubbornly. *Focus on getting back to the capital, okay?*He huffed, *And your need for distraction instead of facing the truth…*Basil sighed, tuning out his wolf’s whining. This wasn’t the time for thinking about such things. Adolph and Laurel were supposed to be staying at the temple until the baby was born. There was no reason they should have called him back unless the baby was early or something had happened to his father
The Returned Luna Chapter 167: Forgiveness
Taliesin sent the message off with a heavy heart. While his judgment was sound and he knew he wasn’t wrong, the likelihood that it would all go to plan was slim. Curses laid by the dying or the dead were harder to get rid of than living curses and he was not an expert in such dark magics. He had no affinity for creating or breaking them. His late brother and twin, Merlin, had no such limitations, but he had gone into Eternal Repose after his wife, Viviane, had been killed in the war against Morrigan. Merlin could not help them.Taliesin couldn’t blame him. The war had taken so much from all of them and raising the barrier had taxed them both greatly. There was little hope that he would ever wake up, and Taliesin had accepted that centuries ago, focusing on raising Merlin’s daughter as if she were his.“Nimue?” Taliesin called as he returned to the meeting hall. She was seated on the old stone bench, looking up through the canopy of the ancient oak trees that were always in bloom. Hi
The Returned Luna Chapter 166: Cursed Last Moments
Laurel woke up, frozen in terror in bed. The last time she’d had a vision of the moon goddess, she’d been pushed off a cliff. She wasn’t sure if hearing that her husband’s late wife put a curse on him was better or worse. How bad was the curse now? How much longer did they have? Could she break it? If she couldn’t, what would happen to him?Her stomach turned as she turned over to see Adolph sleeping peacefully beside her. The days of his insomnia seemed to have caught up with him all at once. The strain of the days seemed to be gone now as he slept.His scent was just as bloody and lovely as ever, but that blood that she had once found just a bit sexy seemed tainted with danger now. It wasn’t just the scent of someone who had seen a great deal of war, but it was affecting his mind. An alpha werewolf like Adolph could be dangerous if they lost control of their strength. She knew that Adolph was much stronger than the average wolf. Was it anything like going rogue? Would it kill him?
