The Banished Shy Luna Chapter 137

My blood turned to ice.

A laugh tore out of me—harsh, breaking, nothing like humor.

“Oh, Mason,” I said, shaking my head. “He did take his rage out on me.”

The room stilled.

I felt Toren go rigid beside the bed.

Tyson’s breath caught.

Talon lowered his gaze, jaw flexing.

But I kept going, voice sharp enough to bleed.

“You talk like you were sparing me,” I snapped. “Like staying away meant I stayed safe.”

Mason’s eyes flickered, but I didn’t let him speak.

“My mother hated me. Hated me because I was the reminder of her cheating. She beat me whenever she felt like it. Ignored me the rest of the time. Starved me. Used me.”

The air shifted, heavy and electric.

“And the man who raised me?” I continued bitterly. “The one I thought was my father? He made sure I never forgot what a disappointment I was. What a waste.” I scoffed. “You think Lucas didn’t take out his rage on me? He tortured me. Played with me like a toy. Used me as a punching bag. And you think your absence protected me?”

Mason inhaled sharply.

I glared at him, eyes burning.

“All of you,” I whispered, voice trembling with anger. “Every adult in my life hurt me. My mother. The man she was mated to. Lucas. Every one of them used me to satisfy their entitlement or their guilt or their rage.”

He tried to step closer.

I raised a hand. “Don’t. Don’t you dare.”

Mason froze.

My voice dropped to a low, vibrating growl.

“And now you come in here talking about how you were trying to protect me? How you didn’t want him hurting me?” My breath shook. “That’s exactly what happened, Mason. I was hurt. I was beaten. Controlled. Used. Every damn day of my life.”

Silence choked the room.

Toren stepped closer to me, jaw tight.

Tyson’s fists shook with fury.

Talon’s eyes glimmered with pain that wasn’t his.

Even Seraphim paused mid-breath, hands hovering over her supplies.

Douglas looked away, guilt etched across his face.

But Mason… Mason stood there like I’d shoved a dagger through his ribs.

His voice came out low. “Kira… if I had known—”

“You didn’t need to know,” I interrupted. “You needed to show up.”

His expression cracked—just barely.

“And no one did.”

My voice trembled, but the fire inside me didn’t.

“This,” I whispered, gesturing to myself, “is who I am because of all of you. Because everyone who was supposed to love me chose someone else’s comfort over my safety.”

Toren placed a hand on my back, steady and grounding.

Tyson stepped in front of me slightly, protective as always.

Talon touched my wrist, thumb brushing comfort into my skin.

I stared Mason down.

“You didn’t save me,” I said. “I saved myself.”

The words hit the room like a detonation.

Heat surged under my skin. A low vibration thrummed beneath my ribs, subtle at first — then growing sharper, tighter, hotter.

Seraphim moved fast.

“Luna,” she said firmly, stepping between us. “You need to breathe. Your aura is destabilizing again.”

“I’m fine,” I snapped.

“You’re not,” she said, voice steady but urgent. “Your pulse is spiking and your power is pressurizing.”

Pressurizing.

Like I was about to explode.

Toren’s hand tightened on my back. “Starlight—”

Tyson suddenly jerked, grabbing his chest with a hiss of pain. “Moon—calm down. I can feel it—your bond is… crushing.”

Talon’s eyes widened, pupils blown. “Kira. Luna. Hey—look at me.” He cupped my cheek, grounding, desperate. “Breathe. Just breathe.”

But the pressure kept building, rising from my sternum like fire trapped in a cage.

Mason stepped forward, concerned now. “What’s happening to her?”

“Stop,” Talon barked, shoving him back. “You’re making it worse.”

Douglas stepped in fast, grabbing his father’s arm. “Out. Just go—”

Mason didn’t move. “I’m not leaving her—”

“You will,” Toren snarled, finally stepping fully in front of me, his Alpha aura crackling. “If you push into her aura right now, she will rupture.”

“Rupture?!” Mason snapped back.

Seraphim lifted her palms toward me, chanting under her breath, trying to stabilize the energy vibrating off my skin. “Her emotions are tied to her core. If she loses control, the bond whip will rebound through every wolf she’s tied to.”

Tyson groaned, grabbing the wall for support. “Already happening—dammit—Moon, baby, breathe—”

I couldn’t.

I couldn’t breathe.

The pressure in my chest kept rising, like something clawing from the inside, scraping to get out. My vision blurred at the edges.

My voice trembled as I glared at Mason. “All those years you stayed away—because it was easier than fighting him—”

“Kira—” Mason tried again.

“And now you show up,” I spat, “acting like you suddenly care—acting like you deserve to stand in front of me—”

Toren grabbed a cup from the bedside table and pressed it to my lips. “Drink. Luna, drink.”

I shoved it away. “No.”

Seraphim’s eyes widened in alarm. “Her aura is spiking—Tyson, restrain her wrists—Talon, ground her—Toren, keep her breathing—”

Tallon took my hand, pressing it to his chest. “I’m right here. Focus on me. Cupcake—hey—focus.”

Tyson was panting, sweat on his forehead. “She’s pulling at the bond—it hurts—fuck—”

I could hear their pain.

Feel their pain.

And yet the pressure inside me kept climbing, boiling, rising like a scream that had nowhere to go.

Mason’s voice cut through the chaos, deeper now. Controlled. “What is happening to her?”

Seraphim snapped at him. “This is YOUR bloodline! You tell me!”

His eyes flashed gold. “My bloodline doesn’t implode—what did the Council do to her?”

“The Council didn’t need to do anything!” Tyson barked through clenched teeth. “She’s been abused for years—she never learned control—”

Talon shook, squeezing my hand harder. “Kira. Look at me. Kira. Please.”

I couldn’t focus. The pressure clawed at my lungs, my bones.

Douglas shoved Mason toward the door. “Leave. You’re making it worse—your aura is too strong—”

“I’m NOT abandoning her again!” Mason growled, voice shuddering.

“She’s dying,” Seraphim snapped, “AND SHE’LL TAKE HALF THE PACK WITH HER IF YOU DON’T BACK UP!”

Mason froze.

Everything inside me felt like it was tearing—heat shooting up my spine, across my ribs, into my throat.

Tyson collapsed to one knee, gripping his chest. “Moon—please—stop—hurts—”

Toren cupped the sides of my face. “Starlight. Look at me. Just look at me.” His voice was tight with fear he rarely let show. “Breathe with me.”

Talon pressed his forehead to mine, grounding warmth against the wildfire inside me. “We’re here. Always.”

Seraphim pressed both hands over my heart, chanting louder now, power glowing faint blue under her palms. “Luna—release the pressure. Let it go. Let it go—NOW.”

But it wasn’t stopping.

It wasn’t slowing.

The pressure kept building—

And then something snapped inside me.

A burst of energy shot out from my chest in a pulse so strong that it rattled every metal tray, cracked two runes on the wall, and sent a shockwave of wind rolling through the infirmary.

Talon stumbled. Tyson cursed. Toren caught my shoulders, voice sharp with panic—

“KIRA!”

I sucked in a breath that felt like fire.

Then darkness rushed in at the edges, swallowing my vision, drowning out every sound except the echo of my own heartbeat—

boom—boom—boom—

—and three voices shouting my name at once.

“KIRA!”