The Luna’s Choice by Kat Silver

Chapter 196

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Chapter 46: Theo

I went to the apartment after getting back to the packhouse to check on Ayla. Maggie had

sent me a text that she had been a bit off throughout the day. She said it didn’t seem like

anything serious, just that she wasn’t in the best of moods. I understood what she was

talking about as soon as I got close to the suite. I could feel her anxiety through our

connection.

I walked in to see her sitting at the dining table, chewing on a fingernail as she hunched

over books and papers strewn across the surface. I rested my hands on her shoulders,

kneading the tense muscles with my thumbs.

“What’s wrong, baby?” I asked as I kissed the top of her head.

She sighed. “I think I need to quit school.”

“What?” Now I was worried. I pulled the chair out beside and sat down, turning her to look

at me. “Why would you think that, Ayla? You were so excited to go to college.”

“I don’t want to give it up entirely,” she said but there was still a sadness in her tone. “Just

for this semester or this school year. I just feel like I can’t keep up. There’s so much going

on. I’ve had to miss so much and we’re not even a month in.”

“Then we take some other things off your plate,” I said.

“Like what?” she asked sardonically. “Your mother is still doing a lot of the Luna duties,

plus planning our solstice ceremony. I haven’t been working with her nearly as much as

we had planned. I’d like to do more for Zeff and the magazine. I’m still having to translate

Harry’s

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Chapter 46: Theo

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journal and figure out Dad’s books and research. Plus the Waar Pak investigation. Now the

rogue attacks.”

–

“You don’t need to worry about the attacks, babe,” I said. “We’ll handle that. And as far as

the investigation and this” – I took the journal that was sitting in front of her on the table

and tossed it aside — “you can take a break from that. We have plenty of other things to

focus on. Besides, if we can stop the Waar Pak now, we don’t need to know what they or

Harry were planning.”

“But what he was doing could help us find…”

“It’s not worth you going through this much stress,” I interrupted. “We can handle the

investigation and the Waar Pak and the border attacks without you for a while, okay? I’ll

keep you updated on everything, but you just let me worry about all of that.”

“That’s too much for you to do on your own, Theo,” she insisted.

“I’m not on my own,” I said. “I have a whole pack behind me. Just like you do. We have a

good team, babe. We’ll be okay. Taking care of yourself is more important.”

“But you need me to question anyone who’s under the command,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, and so far, it seems like once it’s broken, we can take it from there,” I stated. She

still looked like she was on the verge of tears. “Babe, it’s okay. I swear, it’s perfectly fine

for you to focus on school for a while.”

“But then I’ll feel guilty because that’s part of my job,” she said. “I want to help. I want to

be a good Luna and take care of my pack. I want to help get to the bottom of all this.”

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“Do you want that more than you want to go to school, then?” I asked.

She hesitated for a minute before shaking her head. “No, I want to be in school.”

“Then you’re staying in.”

“You just don’t get it,” she huffed, turning away and resting her face in

her hands.

I pulled her to me, rubbing her back as I held her.

“Then explain it to me, babe,” I said. “I want to understand.”

She leaned into me. “I just feel overwhelmed, and I don’t know why.”

“Of course you’re feeling overwhelmed, Ayla,” I said. “You’ve taken on so much and so

much has been put on you.”

“So?” she replied. “I once worked four jobs withour a car while writing a book. I’ve handled

a lot before. I don’t know why I can’t do this.”

“You should never have had to do that in the first place,” I said firmly. “You made it

through then because losing your home and your family starving pushed you. There was

no other option for you, Ayla. That was our failing back then. Now, you know there are

options. You don’t have to go non–stop. We won’t fall apart if you don’t push yourself so

hard.”

“But then I feel like I’m failing,” she murmured.

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“Then we need to work on getting you past that,” I said. I pushed her up so she could look

at me. “I would fall apart if you don’t take care of yourself. I won’t watch you work yourself

sick, Ayla. You are still the strongest person I’ve ever known, babe. Now, you need to use

that strength to put your health and well–being first. You’re no good to us

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“But I feel selfish choosing college. It doesn’t help the pack.”

“So, I wasted my time getting my degree?” I asked wryly.

“You know what I mean,” she huffed. “You weren’t the acting Alpha and you were doing

something that built a business that helps support us. I don’t even know what I’m going to

study yet.”

“And you won’t figure that out by quitting,” I said. “And I may be taking over early, but

that doesn’t mean you have to. You have my mother’s help, and anyone else’s that you

need, for as long as you want it. So, for now, no more work on the investigation. You focus

on school and the magazine column. If you find the time to work with Mom or plan our

ceremony, then go ahead. But that’s it, okay?”

“What about Kingston?” she asked. “You know you both need me there to keep things

civil.”

I sighed. “I think we can manage, but if it makes you feel better. You can help until

Kingston leaves, but once he’s gone, no more.”

She hesitated, but with effort, she pushed her crestfallen expression away and replaced it

with relief.

“Okay.”

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