Page 88 of A Hunter for Luna

I hurried to my room, hanging on to my fragile control until the door closed behind me.

The sound of it shutting still hung in the air as the first tear slipped down my cheek, hot and bitter. I buried my face in my hands, my shoulders shaking with silent sobs as the old, familiar ache of loneliness and doubt clawed at my heart.

Once again, I felt truly, utterly alone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

LUNA

A thick fogrolled in overnight after the storm, obscuring the early morning sun. Benedetto and I stood in the stable yard of the de Metteil villa, saddling Biter and Dawn with supplies already packed on a mule the stableboy said was named Grace.

Pip perched on the gatepost, shuffling from foot to foot, wings half spread, his intense gaze fixed on us. His scales blended with the fog, so sometimes it was hard to see him except for the fiery veins of color in his eyes.

Benedetto adjusted the saddle’s girth. The stallion had puffed his belly and Benedetto responded by putting the bridle on then rubbing his knuckles against Biter’s side.

Then he tightened the girth quickly when the stallion danced and loosened his belly.

My husband didn’t look at me through the entire process. "You shouldn't come. If you're pregnant, it's too dangerous. It's a long trip."

I masked the sharp pang of hurt with a wry smile. "You've never cared about me in danger before. Why now?"

My heart sank. It wasn’t just about the danger. He was questioning my worth again, doubting whether I'll be more of a burden than an asset. He hadn’t sought my bed last night, either.

The insecurities from my encounter with Father bubbled below the surface. Did he really want me here, or was I just a convenient tool for his plans?

I’d been pushing the thoughts away all morning, and they kept returning the moment my concentration wavered.

Benedetto finally looked at me, expressionless. "This isn't a joke. If you're pregnant, it's not just about you anymore. I can't afford to slow down if things get rough out there."

My temper flared. "And you think I'd slow you down? Have I ever done that before? I've been by your side through any number of fights."

“Not while pregnant,” he answered flatly.

Pip’s head swung back and forth from me to Benedetto as we spoke.

I clenched my fists. Why did Benedetto refuse to see that I was capable? Why was it always about whether I was useful enough? Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down.

"Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "If it becomes a problem, if I really am pregnant, I'll turn back. But until then, I'm coming with you."

Benedetto's jaw clenched, but he nodded curtly. "Deal."

We rode out of Kalion, the city slowly waking up behind us.

I kept my gaze forward, my expression set, but I felt the weight of Benedetto's silence beside me. Why did it feel like we weremiles apart? I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. Even as we rode side by side, there was a distance between us I couldn't bridge.

Why was it there suddenly?

"You don't have to prove anything to me, you know," Benedetto said quietly.

My grip on the reins tightened. "I'm not trying to prove anything. I just want to be part of this, to help."

He didn't answer, just pressed his lips together in a thin line and spurred Biter forward, leaving me to trail behind.

Why was he refusing to talk to me? A sharp stab of pain pierced my chest. He thought I was just being stubborn. Maybe he didn’t trust me, despite everything.

As we headed for the shore road, the fog thickened, shrouding the landscape in a ghostly white. The path Benedetto took us left the main road, following a ruinously old road. I took Dawn off it onto the grass to keep the beast from straining on the uneven cobbles.

No sense in courting a sprain for my horse.

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