The Banished Shy Luna Chapter 112

The food was delicious.

Maybe it was the exhaustion finally catching up to me, or maybe Jake really was as good of a cook as everyone claimed, but the roasted meat melted in my mouth, the vegetables were seasoned perfectly, and for once, my body felt warm instead of heavy. The chatter around the courtyard had died down into something soft and content — the sound of a pack at peace.

Toren sat across from me, his plate already empty, his arm resting lazily on the back of my chair as he watched me with a faint smirk.

“You’re staring,” I said, stabbing a piece of potato with my fork.

“Admiring,” he corrected, his voice low and smooth. “There’s a difference.”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. “You’re impossible.”

He leaned in slightly, his gold-flecked eyes warm. “You know what the pack’s been saying about you?”

I glanced up at him. “Oh gods, do I want to know?”

He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that made my stomach flutter. “They’re raving about you. Half of them can’t shut up about how beautiful you looked during the ceremony, and the other half can’t stop talking about how you stood like a true Luna.”

Heat crept up my neck. “They’re just being kind.”

Toren shook his head. “No, Starlight. They mean it. You’ve done what most Lunas can’t in a lifetime — you’ve earned their trust in a matter of days.”

I looked down at my plate, embarrassed but oddly proud. “They needed hope,” I said softly. “I just gave them something to hold on to.”

He reached across the table and took my hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles in slow, deliberate circles. “You gave them more than that. You gave them direction. You gave me direction.”

I met his gaze, and my chest tightened. “Toren…”

“I mean it.” His voice softened, almost reverent. “I’ve led this pack through war, betrayal, and blood. But until you, I never realized how much we were missing.”

My heart was thudding in my ears. “And what’s that?”

His lips curved faintly. “Light.”

The word caught in my throat. I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t. I just let the silence settle between us — warm, tender, and fragile.

Then a sharp shout cut through the peace.

We both froze.

It came from the far side of the courtyard — two voices, low at first, then louder, angrier.

Toren’s chair scraped against the ground as he turned, his entire body going tense.

Across the firelight, Tyson and Talon stood chest-to-chest, both of them radiating aggression so thick it felt like static in the air. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but Tyson’s voice was sharp, commanding, while Talon’s was pure fire.

“Hey!” I called out, already pushing up from my seat. “What the hell—”

Before I could take another step, Toren’s hand caught my wrist. His grip wasn’t rough, but it was firm enough to stop me.

“Don’t,” he said, his voice low but absolute.

I blinked at him. “They’re fighting, Toren—”

“There’s nothing you can do. Not when Talon’s like this.”

The certainty in his tone sent a cold prickle down my spine. “What do you mean, ‘like this’?”

“Look closer,” he said quietly, nodding toward his brother. “Watch his eyes.”

I turned my head — and instantly, I saw it.

Talon’s movements were too sharp, his breathing too fast. And when he turned slightly toward Tyson, the firelight caught his face — and his eyes.

They weren’t their usual warm brown. They were flashing bright yellow.

The color came and went in quick bursts, like lightning behind a stormcloud.

My heart stuttered. “His eyes—”

Toren’s jaw flexed. “His wolf is too close to the surface. That’s not just temper — that’s instinct.”

I stared at him. “Instinct for what?”

He met my gaze, serious and calm. “He feels threatened. And that’s dangerous.”

“Threatened by who?”

“By Tyson.”

“What? Why? They’re brothers!”

“Not right now, Starlight,” Toren said softly, but there was an edge in his voice that made my pulse jump. “Right now, his wolf doesn’t see family. It sees another Alpha — one that’s challenging his space.”

I looked back at them, my throat tight.

Tyson was saying something, his hands open in front of him, trying to diffuse the tension. But Talon’s posture only grew stiffer. His breathing came faster now, shoulders squared, his muscles trembling beneath his shirt. The yellow in his eyes burned brighter — longer.

“This isn’t a mate issue,” Toren said, already straightening from his seat. “This is an Alpha issue.”

I tore my gaze away from the two men and looked at him, my voice barely a whisper. “Can’t you stop it?”

He hesitated for only a second. “I can try. But if Talon’s wolf takes over, there’s no telling how far it’ll go before it recognizes friend from foe.”

I swallowed hard. “Then I’m coming with you.”

He turned to me fully, his tone sharp now. “No. Absolutely not.”

“Toren—”

He stepped closer, his eyes burning with authority. “You will stay here. Get the pack inside. Get them squared away for the night. I don’t want anyone near this until I say so. Do you understand me?”

I wanted to argue, to push back, to do something other than stand there while everything spiraled, but the look on his face told me this wasn’t up for debate.

I nodded tightly. “Fine. But be careful.”

He softened just enough to reach out, brushing his knuckles against my cheek. “Always, Starlight.”

And then he turned, his body shifting from warmth to steel as he crossed the courtyard toward his brothers.

Tyson stood rigid now, his arms lowered, his head tilted just slightly — not in submission, but in restraint. Talon’s wolf was close, dangerously close. I could see the tension rolling off him like heat waves.

The rest of the pack had gone still. Conversations stopped. Forks hovered midair. Every wolf there could feel it — that low, invisible hum of dominance that meant a fight was brewing.

I forced myself to turn away before I made things worse.

“Everyone inside,” I said firmly, my voice louder than I meant it to be. “Now.”

A few heads snapped up. No one argued. The younger wolves moved first, guiding the cubs and elders toward the estate. Shyanne and Marianne appeared at my sides without a word, mirroring my tension.

“Luna?” Shyanne asked quietly. “What’s happening?”

“Alpha business,” I muttered. “Toren’s handling it.”

The words tasted bitter in my mouth.

As the pack began filing inside, I glanced over my shoulder one last time. Toren had reached them now, his presence alone enough to make the air ripple. The three men stood in a tight triangle, their stances rigid, their power pressing against one another like colliding storms.

Even from where I stood, I could see the faint glow of Talon’s eyes — not just flashing anymore, but burning.

My pulse quickened. My wolf stirred.

Something was about to break.