The Banished Shy Luna Chapter 173

A smear of crimson across the shattered dashboard.

Drops splattered on the broken window.

A thick streak staining the seat beside me.

“Toren—?” I choked.

No answer.

“Tyson? Talon?”

Nothing.

My heartbeat thundered, too loud, too fast. My fingers scrabbled against the buckled seatbelt until it finally came loose. I fell to the ruined ceiling—now the floor—with a grunt of pain, hands shaking as I crawled across broken glass.

“Toren—answer me,” I whispered, voice breaking.

Still silence.

The ringing in my ears grew sharper. My vision tunneled.

I reached toward movement—finally—someone was shifting in the front.

Please be alive.

Please.

Tyson stirred first, his hand twitching, blood running down his temple. He groaned, trying to lift his head.

“Moonshine…” His voice was slurred. Weak. “Stay… stay down…”

“Tyson!” I reached for him—

But froze when my hand landed on something wet.

Another smear of blood.

Not Tyson’s this time.

My gaze dragged slowly, painfully, to the right—

Where Toren’s body lay partially pinned under the dashboard, red soaking through his shirt, dripping from his mouth.

“No,” I whispered. “No, no, no—Toren—Toren!”

My voice cracked, tears burning behind my eyes. I crawled toward him on shaking limbs, ignoring the stabbing pain in my ribs. Talon was somewhere behind us—I could hear faint movement—but all I could see was the blood pooling beneath Toren’s back.

“Toren,” I begged, cupping his face with trembling hands. "Please—talk to me.”

For a terrifying second, he didn’t move.

Then—

He coughed, blood bubbling at his lips.

“Kira…” His eyes fluttered open, unfocused but alive. “You’re… okay…”

Relief hit me like a punch to the chest. I pressed my forehead to his.

But the moment didn’t last.

Because the air outside shifted again.

A deep, unnatural hum vibrated through the asphalt, through the wreckage, through my bones.

Tyson pushed himself upright, wincing. “They’re not done.”

I whipped my head toward him. “Who isn’t?”

His silver-glowing eyes met mine—shining with fear.

“Elders,” he rasped. “And something else.”

Talon finally kicked his door open, staggering around to the passenger side, blood dripping from his arm, face bruised, but alive. He crouched beside Toren, checking his pulse.

“He’s bleeding badly,” Talon growled. “We need to get him out—now.”

But before we could move him—

A shadow stretched across the road outside.

Long. Tall.

Not human.

Not wolf.

Something ancient.

Something summoned.

A voice boomed from outside the shattered SUV, vibrating the metal frame:

**“KIRA PEIR. BY ORDER OF THE COUNCIL, YOU ARE TO BE TAKEN ALIVE.”**

Talon snarled, positioning himself between me and the window.

Tyson’s eyes flashed silver-hot.

Toren tightened his grip on my hand, even while bleeding out.

I swallowed hard.

The baby kicked.

And the shadow outside moved closer.

The shadow outside the shattered SUV moved again, stretching longer, darker, swallowing the road like ink bleeding across paper.

Talon crouched in front of me, teeth bared, blood dripping down his arm.

Tyson staggered to his feet, leaning heavily against the twisted car door, eyes burning molten silver.

Toren tightened his grip on my wrist with the last of his strength, breathing ragged and wet.

And then—

Footsteps.

Rapid. Heavy. Unsteady.

“Move!” a voice shouted. “Get her out—NOW!”

My head snapped toward the sound as debris shifted on the embankment—

Mason.

His clothes were ripped, his face smeared with dirt and blood, and he was limping badly—but he was alive. Barely.

Right behind him—

Douglas.

Covered in deeper cuts, one eye swelling shut, a jagged piece of metal sticking out of his shoulder like an afterthought. But he was still standing. Still fighting.

And flanking them—

The twins.

Shyanne and Marianne stumbled into view, one of them missing a shoe, the other pressing a hand against her bleeding forehead—but their eyes locked on me with pure, unwavering resolve.

“Kira!” Shyanne yelled, voice cracking. “We’ve got you!”

Douglas roared, stumbling into the road. “Form up! NOW!”

Talon hooked his arms under mine and yanked me out of the SUV just as the shadow closed in. Tyson dragged Toren out behind us, grunting with the effort, blood pattering onto the asphalt.

We barely made it ten feet before Mason and Douglas reached us—

before the twins caught up—

before everyone stopped, panting, bleeding, shaking.

And without a single word, they moved.

They formed a circle.

Around me.

Around Toren’s half-conscious body.

Around the unborn babies we didn’t even have names for yet.

Talon stood in front of me, shielding my entire torso with his body.

Tyson positioned himself on my right, one arm braced protectively against my back.

Douglas blocked my left flank, despite clearly being seconds from collapsing.

The twins stood shoulder-to-shoulder behind me, trembling but refusing to budge.

And Mason took the final spot, facing the road, chest rising and falling like a man ready to die for his child.

My throat tightened.

“Mason—your leg—” I croaked.

“Doesn’t matter,” he growled. “Nothing gets through us.”

The shadow stopped ten feet away.

Slowly, impossibly, it lifted its head.

Not human.

Not wolf.

Something somewhere between.

A creature built from Elder magic, bone, and void.

Its voice scraped the air clean:

“SURRENDER THE ANCIENT ONE.”

Talon snarled so loudly it vibrated my spine.

“Over. My. Dead. Body.”

Tyson cracked his knuckles, silver fire bursting across his skin. “Line up. I’ll kill every one of you ugly bastards.”

Douglas spit blood onto the ground. “I’m in a terrible mood. Please pick me first.”

Shyanne whispered, voice trembling, “Kira… stay behind us.”

Marianne echoed, “Don’t move. Whatever you do—don’t move.”

Mason lifted his hands, power flickering at his fingertips. “Touch her, and I swear I’ll take an Elder down with me.”

My heart twisted. Broke. Reformed.

They were all barely standing.

Some were barely breathing.

But every single one of them stood between me and the darkness.

And the darkness noticed.

The creature’s eyes—black and endless—landed on me.

“ANCIENT ONE. YOU CANNOT BE PROTECTED FOREVER.”

My pulse hammered.

Talon’s hand found mine behind his back, squeezing once.

Tyson leaned closer. “Don’t be scared.”

Douglas grinned despite the blood in his teeth. “Be pissed.”

Mason muttered, “Be ready.”

The twins whispered, “We’ve got you.”

But the shadow creature…

It dropped onto all fours.

Its spine cracked backward.

Its claws dragged sparks across the asphalt.

Its jaw split open too wide.

And it lunged.

Straight at me.