Moonblood: A Hale Reborn

💬 Long Overdue

The Salvatore School had quieted down for the night, the soft echo of distant footsteps and magical wards humming faintly in the walls. In the dorm Hope shared with Nova, the tension was heavy but fragile, like glass about to shatter.

They hadn't said anything since Nova admitted the baby was Hope's. Words clung to their throats, unspoken, while emotions swirled like a storm just beneath the surface.

Hope stood near her bed, arms crossed but her posture not aggressive. Just tense. Guarded. "We need to talk," she finally said.

Nova was curled on the edge of her bed, hoodie drawn up over her head like armor. "Talking is what got us here in the first place."

Hope exhaled slowly. "No. Not me rocking your world all night till morning—that got us close. But you pretending I don't exist every day since? That's what landed us here."

Nova didn't respond.

Hope crossed the room and sat across from her, giving her space but not letting her retreat. "I'm not here to fight. I just… I need answers. Real ones. No more lies, no more dodging."

Nova's hoodie slipped back slightly, revealing her tired, guarded eyes. "Ask."

Hope hesitated, words jumbled and raw in her chest. "Why didn't you tell me about the baby?"

Nova rubbed her face, clearly exhausted. "Because I didn't know what it would mean. Because I didn't think you'd care. Because I was scared. Pick one."

"I would've cared," Hope said, her voice cracking. "I do care."

"That night… it wasn't supposed to matter." Nova's voice cracked. "I needed something that didn't hurt. Something real, even for just a minute."

"And it mattered to me," Hope said softly. "More than I expected."

They fell into silence for a long moment, the air pulsing with everything they couldn't say.

Nova glanced toward the door. "You really locked us in?"

"I needed to make sure you'd stay," Hope said, a tiny, guilty smile playing on her lips. "You've run from every conversation we've needed to have."

"Because I don't know how to do this," Nova whispered, voice tight with emotion. "I've never let someone in without losing a piece of myself. Last time I did, I fell in love with a Hunter. Yes, a werewolf hunter—go ahead, take a second to soak in that brilliance—and shocker, it didn't end well."

She held up a hand before Hope could speak. "Don't even try to tell me I'm not a walking cautionary tale. I know I'm an idiot. But what broke me wasn't just the hunter thing. It was that she cheated on me—with someone I thought of as a brother. Like full-on, caught them tangled up in my sheets, betrayal level shit."

Nova's laugh was bitter, raw. "And that? That shattered me. Turned me inside out. So yeah, I've got trust issues the size of a mountain, a deep-rooted fear of love, and don't even get me started on commitment. I'm a hot mess wrapped in a snarky exterior."

Hope moved slightly closer, her blue eyes sparking with something fierce. "Then let me give something back. I'm not asking for all of you, just... don't shut me out."

Nova looked like she was about to fire off another snarky retort, but Hope narrowed her eyes, voice dropping into a low growl. "Because after hearing what she did to you, I want to tear her apart. And if that bastard who betrayed you is still breathing, he better pray he never crosses my path."

Nova blinked, caught off guard by the flash of protective fire in Hope's tone. "Damn... possessive much?" she muttered, but there was no real heat behind it.

Hope smirked. "Maybe. But you should've known when I rocked your world, I wasn't going anywhere."

Nova's eyes brimmed with tears, but she nodded.

🌿 The Bond Between

Hope pulled out one of her notebooks—the one filled with magical theory and ancient lore—and flipped to a marked page. Her expression was serious, but her eyes softened as she glanced up. "I've been researching," she said, her tone measured, but layered with intent and urgency. "About what we are."

Nova arched a brow, crossing her arms. "What we are? We're two stubborn idiots who had mind-blowing sex and now have a baby on the way. Pretty sure that's all biology, Hope."

Hope didn't flinch. "Try soulbonded biology."

Nova's sarcasm faltered as she frowned. Hope angled the book toward her, the page filled with scribbled notes, faded ink, and glowing runes. "It's not just a myth. I've found fragments—references to bonds blessed by nature, connections so deep they're felt in the soul. It's rare, insanely rare, but it's real. And we have it."

Nova snorted, trying to re-arm herself with sass. "Great. So not only did I get knocked up by a one-night stand, but it turns out said one-night stand comes with magical emotional chains. Just my luck."

Hope's eyes narrowed slightly, but her voice stayed calm—low and firm. "It wasn't just a one-night stand, Nova. You know that. You felt it too."

Nova scoffed, rubbing a hand over her face. "You don't know what I felt. You weren't the one who woke up still broken after trusting someone again for the first time in years."

Hope stepped closer, her magic sparking faintly in the air between them. "And you weren't the one who woke up and realized the person you couldn't stop thinking about disappeared without a trace. Don't act like I didn't care."

Nova looked away, but Hope wasn't done. "You're carrying my baby. You're mine."

Nova's head snapped up, green eyes blazing. "Excuse me?"

Hope crossed her arms and stared her down. "I said you're mine. You and that baby are mine. That's not some possessive bullshit—I'm not saying you don't get a choice—but I'm not walking away. Not now. Not ever."

Nova's lips parted like she was about to argue, but then closed again.

"You really believe we're soulbonded?" she asked, quieter this time.

"I do." Hope's voice softened. "And maybe I don't know everything about it yet, but I know how it feels. I feel it every time I look at you. And when you're in pain, when you're scared—I feel it, Nova."

Nova rolled her eyes, deflecting. "Yeah? Well, you didn't feel me puking my guts out at 3 a.m. for a month straight, so this soulbond of yours needs a tune-up."

Hope smiled faintly, amused despite herself. "Okay, fair. But I felt something. A pull. A gnawing in my chest that wouldn't go away. That's why I kept digging."

Nova sighed, shoulders sagging a bit. "I don't know what to believe, Hope. Last time I trusted someone—really trusted them—they gutted me. Figuratively. Not literally."

Hope's expression darkened, her protectiveness flaring to the surface. "They're still alive?"

Nova mumbled, "Unfortunately, yes. Both of them."

Hope's jaw clenched. "Names. Now."

Nova blinked, caught off guard by the sudden steel in Hope's voice. "What—why?"

"Because I'm not letting anyone hurt what's mine again," Hope said, her voice sharp with conviction, magic thrumming just beneath her skin.

Nova's cheeks flushed, a quick wave of color rising as she ducked her head to hide it. "You can't kill them, Hope," she muttered, trying to sound firm. "But... if I ever see them again, I'll tell you. Then you can kick their asses."

Hope's grin spread slowly, smug and satisfied. "You just blushed."

Nova glared at her, even as the heat deepened in her cheeks. "Shut up."

Nova hesitated, then muttered, "Look, I'm not saying the bond's fake. I just… I don't know what to do with any of this. With you."

Hope stepped forward again, closing the distance. "Then give me a chance to show you what we could be. Let me prove you wrong."

Nova's eyes searched hers for a long moment, walls rising and falling like waves inside her. But for the first time in a long time, she didn't walk away.

👣 A New Start?

Nova pulled her knees to her chest, eyes darting between Hope and the floor, arms wrapped tightly around herself. "What do you want from me?"

Hope's voice was honest. Soft, almost hesitant. "I want a chance. To help. To be there. Maybe even... to date you, if you'll let me."

Nova let out a shaky laugh, part bitter, part amused. "You want to date the hormonal, emotionally scarred, pregnant Alpha?"

Hope smiled, eyes bright despite the tension. "That's exactly the one I want."

"You're insane," Nova murmured, rubbing at her eyes.

"Maybe. But I care about you. And I care about our kid."

That word—our—made Nova flinch, just a little. Like it touched a part of her she wasn't ready to feel yet.

Hope noticed. "Too soon?"

Nova shook her head. "No. Just... not used to it. It feels... too good."

They sat in silence again, this time softer. The kind of quiet that grows when two people are figuring out how to heal.

Nova looked at Hope. Really looked at her—at the steadiness in her gaze, the softness in her smile.

"You're not going to run?" Nova asked.

Hope leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Nova's. "Only if you're running with me."

Nova's walls cracked just enough to let a smile through, tremulous but real. "Okay. Let's try. But just know, this is your one chance, Hope. One chance to prove me wrong. Don't waste it."

Hope wrapped her arms around Nova slowly, gently, as though hugging something fragile and precious. And for the first time since everything started—since betrayal, heartbreak, soulbonded confusion, and hidden truths—they both felt like they might actually be okay.

Together.

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