The Banished Shy Luna Chapter 21

The butler walked beside me with silent dignity, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. His presence steadied my nerves, even as my heart fluttered like a caged bird in my chest. He led me down the hall, the thick crimson carpet swallowing the sound of our steps, until we reached the elevators at the far end.

He stopped and faced me, his expression calm but kind. “You’ll find Elder Thora downstairs,” he explained. “Take the elevator to the first level. When the doors open, you’ll pass the front desk. Continue down the hall—there are several conference rooms you’ll recognize from earlier. At the very end, you’ll see the signs for the bar. Follow them, and you’ll find her waiting.”

I nodded, clutching the slit of my gown, nerves tugging at me again. “Thank you… for everything.”

The words felt too small, too thin, but they were all I had. On impulse, I leaned forward and hugged him. For a heartbeat, he stiffened—startled—but then his arms wrapped gently around me, his embrace polite yet warm.

“You’re welcome, Miss Kira,” he murmured. When we parted, there was the faintest smile on his lips.

I stepped into the waiting elevator, my heels clicking softly against the polished floor. I turned to wave once, and the butler inclined his head in a final bow before the doors slid shut.

The golden numbers above the panel glowed softly: 4.

My brows furrowed. Fourth floor? Strange. I didn’t remember walking up four flights of stairs with Elder Thora. My memory fuzzed at the edges—had she guided me here without my noticing? Or was this just another sign of how easily she controlled the room?

I pressed the button marked 1 and folded my hands in front of me. The elevator shuddered, then hummed to life. But instead of sinking downward, I felt the floor rise beneath me.

*Up.*

I frowned, staring at the glowing panel as it ticked higher. The faint reflection in the gleaming metal doors caught my attention. My own face stared back at me—hair swept into a sleek bun, eyes shadowed by delicate curls, gown glittering as if scattered with starlight. I hardly recognized myself.

The elevator slowed, and with a soft chime, the doors parted on 8.

My breath caught.

He stepped inside.

Not just any man. The moment the doors closed behind him, the air shifted—thicker, charged, carrying the unmistakable scent of dominance. My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, recognizing him before my mind had fully processed it.

An Alpha.

I dropped my gaze instantly, heat flooding my cheeks, but I couldn’t help it—I glanced back at him in the mirrored steel of the doors.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, his suit tailored to perfection yet unable to disguise the sheer strength beneath. His jaw was sharp, his dark hair swept neatly back, and his eyes—Gods, his eyes. Brown, rich and molten, yet burning with a fire so intense it pinned me in place even through a reflection.

My core tightened, hot and insistent. Not like the urgent pressure of needing relief, but like fire curling low in my belly, a desire I didn’t understand.

I tried to steady my breathing, but then his gaze met mine in the mirror.

It was like being struck. My lungs forgot how to work, my body went still. Those eyes didn’t just look at me—they looked through me. Into me. It felt as though he saw every secret I carried, every shame, every hidden bruise.

And then—he moved.

The Alpha dropped to one knee in front of me. Shock froze me in place, my hands tightening on the fabric of my gown.

Only then did I notice—the buckle of my heel had come loose.

His large, calloused hand wrapped gently around my ankle, steadying it as he refastened the sparkling clasp. The touch was electric, heat shooting up my leg, making my knees tremble. My lips parted in a soundless gasp, my pulse thundering in my ears.

But he didn’t stop there.

When the strap was secured, he lingered. His hand slid slightly higher, firm but unthreatening, before he leaned forward and pressed his lips against the curve where my hip began, just above the slit of the gown.

The world tilted.

His eyes lifted, locking with mine. Something passed between us then—silent, undeniable. A recognition. A tether pulling taut.

My breath came shallow, my body trembling, though not from fear. No, this was something else. Something wild and unspoken.

Too soon, the elevator jolted to a halt. With practiced ease, he rose to his full height, putting space between us as though nothing had happened. His expression was calm, unreadable, but his eyes still burned.

The doors slid open onto the first floor, the murmur of voices from the lobby rushing in.

I stood frozen, my ankle still tingling from his touch, my hip still seared by the ghost of his kiss.

Nothing would ever feel the same again.

I forced myself to move, my legs shaky in the black heels as I stepped across the threshold. The gown swished softly around my legs, glittering under the chandeliers.

The directions the butler had given me echoed in my head. Pass the front desk. Pass the conference rooms. Signs at the end of the hall for the bar.

I clung to them like lifelines.

But as soon as my heels clicked against the marble floor, I felt it.

The weight of him.

The Alpha’s presence pressed against my back like heat rolling from a wildfire, heavy and undeniable. My wolf stirred uneasily, recognizing what my human side desperately tried to ignore. He wasn’t just another wolf in this sea of strangers—he was different. More dangerous. More powerful.

I didn’t turn. I couldn’t. My gaze stayed fixed ahead, on the polished front desk where a receptionist bowed slightly as I passed. My shoulders tightened, my spine stiff. Every step I took, I felt him behind me, his stride slow and certain, unhurried yet inescapable.

I moved past the front desk, the conference rooms looming to my left. The low murmur of voices drifted from within them, laughter, growls, the occasional slam of a fist against wood. Normally, I would have shrunk away, prayed not to be noticed. But tonight, I could think of nothing except the steady rhythm of his steps following mine.

My heart thundered, every beat vibrating through my chest. The gown’s slit brushed cool air against my leg, but heat coiled low in my stomach, hotter with every step I took.

At the end of the hall, the golden sign for the bar gleamed, an arrow pointing to the right. Relief should have washed over me. I had made it. Elder Thora would be there. Safety would be there.

And yet… my hands still trembled.

I turned, following the sign, and the scent of polished wood, aged whiskey, and faint smoke hit my nose. The bar’s doors loomed just ahead, carved with intricate wolf crests. I hesitated for only a heartbeat, my palm flattening against the cool surface as I pushed them open.