The Banished Shy Luna Chapter 158

It felt like someone ripped open my ribs from the inside.

Like claws digging through my heart.

Like every breath I had ever taken was stolen at once.

I dropped to my knees, a strangled scream tearing from my chest.

“NO—NO—NO—DON’T—TALON—DON’T YOU DARE—”

Tyson crawled to him, hands shaking so violently he could barely touch Talon’s shoulder.

“Talon,” he whispered. “Cupcake’s gonna be pissed if you don’t wake up. Come on—get up—get up—GET UP—”

No rise of his chest.

No heartbeat through the bond.

Nothing.

Toren barely made a sound.

Just a broken, animalistic whimper—

the kind only a wolf makes when half his soul is ripped out of him.

I couldn’t breathe.

I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t think.

I felt the bond severed from the deepest part of me, ripping through every nerve like fire.

“I can’t—” I choked. “I can’t feel him. I can’t—Tyson—I can’t—”

Tyson collapsed over Talon’s body, shaking, whispering “no, no, no,” over and over.

Toren dragged himself through the dirt toward them, his hand trembling as he touched Talon’s arm.

“Kira…” he croaked, voice shattered. “He… he’s gone.”

The words didn’t make sense.

Couldn’t.

Not Talon.

Not my Talon.

Not the one who always protected me.

Teased me.

Held me.

Called me Cupcake with that stupid smirk.

Lucas tilted his head, observing the devastation he’d caused, that sick smile returning.

“Well,” he said calmly, “that’s one down.”

Something inside me broke.

And the forest shook with my scream.

My scream wasn’t a sound.

It was a tidal wave.

The ground heaved, the trees bent backward, and every living creature — friend or enemy — collapsed beneath the force of it.

Lucas hit the dirt hard.

Lyra clawed at her ears, shrieking.

The shapeshifter convulsed mid-form.

Mason and Douglas slammed to their knees.

Even Tyson and Toren, my Alphas, dropped unconscious in the dirt.

But none of that mattered.

I crawled to Talon — my Talon — who was lying still in the mud, eyes empty, chest unmoving.

“No,” I choked. The word came out thin and breaking.

“No, no, NO—TALON!”

I shoved Tyson’s limp arm out of the way and threw myself over Talon’s body, hands glowing, power sparking violently up my arms.

“COME BACK!” I screamed, forcing my ability into him. “Please—come BACK—”

Light erupted from my palms.

Nothing happened.

His skin stayed cold.

His eyes stayed glassy.

His chest stayed still.

I sobbed so hard my body shook. “Cupcake—please—PLEASE—”

And then—

A warmth.

A glow.

A presence.

Soft moonlight drifted across the ground, pooling around us like liquid silver.

I felt her before I saw her.

The Moon Goddess.

When I looked up, she was standing above Talon, hovering just inches from the ground. Her hair flowed like starlight, her eyes bright and endless.

Around us, the others were waking with groans and gasps.

Tyson whispered, voice trembling, “Is that—?”

Toren choked, “It can’t be—”

Mason fell to one knee, stunned.

Douglas froze mid-breath.

Even the wounded shapeshifter whimpered in fear.

But the goddess’s gaze never left Talon.

When she spoke, her voice was soft and heavy with ancient sorrow.

“Kira, child of shadows. Why do you cry so desperately?”

I swallowed hard, voice breaking.

“He—he sacrificed himself—for Tyson—he’s dead—please—please—bring him back—”

My forehead pressed to Talon’s chest, hands glowing violently as my power burned through my veins.

“I’ll do anything,” I sobbed. “I’ll do ANYTHING—just bring him back—PLEASE—PLEASE—”

The Goddess drifted lower.

“Kira,” she whispered.

“No!” I snapped, power surging dangerously. “Don’t tell me no. Don’t. I’ll rip the Council apart with my bare hands if you ask. I’ll serve you until I die. I’ll birth a hundred children—thousands—whatever you need to rebuild our race—just PLEASE—bring him back!”

Behind me, someone gasped.

Someone else whispered my name.

But none of it mattered.

Not compared to the cold weight of Talon’s hand in mine.

Not compared to the deafening silence where his heartbeat should’ve been.

The Goddess knelt, the earth glowing silver beneath her knees.

She reached out—

But didn’t touch me yet.

Instead, her voice softened, shaping itself to the edges of my grief.

“You would give up your freedom?” she asked quietly.

“Your future? Your happiness? Your mate bond with the others—your destiny—your self?”

“Yes!” I cried. “YES—I’ll give you all of it—JUST SAVE HIM!”

The clearing trembled as if the world itself recoiled from my desperation.

Tyson tried to push himself up but collapsed again, voice hoarse:

“Kira—don’t—please—don’t give her your life—”

Toren’s voice broke next.

“Kira, stop—stop—look at me—look at us—”

But I couldn’t.

The goddess knelt, her silver gown pooling like moonlit water around her.

“Kira,” she whispered gently, “I do not require anything from you.”

My breath caught.

No demand.

No sacrifice.

No oath of servitude.

“Then—then why—?” I gasped, trembling. “Why would you help me?”

“Because,” she said softly, “you are already doing what I need. You are protecting the balance. You are protecting the innocent. You are protecting the wolves who cannot protect themselves. That is enough.”

My throat tightened as her hand hovered over Talon’s forehead.

“And because this wolf,” she whispered, “has earned his life.”

She lowered her lips to Talon’s brow—

And kissed him.

Silver light exploded outward in a shockwave of warmth so intense I gasped and fell back into the dirt. Everyone else shielded their eyes. Even the trees quivered under the force of it.

When the light dimmed—

Talon inhaled.

A huge, shuddering breath ripped through his chest.

I screamed.

“TALON!”

He gasped again, coughing, choking, blinking rapidly as color flooded back into his cheeks.

His eyes focused on mine.

And in the smallest, hoarsest whisper:

“Cupcake…?”

I sobbed and threw myself over him, clutching him so tightly he winced.

“Oh gods—Talon—TALON—”

Tyson, still weak, crawled toward us. “He’s—he’s alive—he’s actually—”

Toren dropped to his knees, bowing his head, overcome. “Thank you. Thank you, Goddess.”

Douglas wiped his face, stunned.

Mason whispered, “I never thought…I’d see a blessing like this again…”

The Moon Goddess rose gracefully to her feet, silver light swirling around her fingers.

“I have returned him to you,” she said softly. “And I have granted him a gift.”

Talon blinked, still dazed. “A… what?”

The goddess touched his chest.

“You were brave,” she said. “You threw yourself into death without hesitation. For love. For loyalty. For your mate.”

Talon’s eyes widened. “…Yes.”

“So I grant you something fitting.”

She placed a glowing hand over his heart—

And the clearing shook.

Talon gasped as luminous symbols burned across his skin, spreading like silver ink down his chest and ribs.

Everyone stared in shock.

Except the goddess.

She smiled softly.

“Rise, Talon,” she whispered. “The Gifted Alpha.”

Talon trembled. “What… is this?”

The Moon Goddess’s voice echoed with ancient power.

“Strength beyond any wolf of your generation.

Instinct sharper than any hunter.

And a bond to your Luna that can never be broken again.”

Talon’s breath hitched.

I covered my mouth, shaking, overwhelmed.

Then the goddess turned her gaze to the rest of us—warm, proud.

“Protect one another,” she said. “Your war has only just begun.”

And with a final shimmer of silver light—

She vanished.