The Banished Shy Luna Chapter 23

The wine was smooth on my tongue, sweet with a hidden sharpness that lingered long after I swallowed. It steadied my hands, but not the storm in my chest. Elder Thora’s words echoed through me—*I see you for who you are. I will not allow them to bury you anymore.*

I drew in a shaky breath and set my glass down, tracing the rim with trembling fingers. “Elder Thora,” I whispered, afraid to sound foolish but unable to keep it in, “what do you think I could become? I mean… what sort of future do you see for me? Because all my life, I’ve only ever been told that I don’t matter. That I’ll never be more than a shadow of Lyra. And now you’re telling me I could be… something else. But what?”

Her silver eyes softened, though her aura remained steady, powerful. She leaned back in her chair, tilting her head as though to study me from every angle.

“Darling,” she said at last, her voice rich with certainty, “you are capable of everything.”

The words sank into me, heavy and foreign. *Everything?*

“If you wished,” she continued, her gaze unwavering, “you could rise as Luna of a pack. I see the strength in you, the quiet command you don’t even know you wield. Wolves would follow you if you let them. Not because you forced them, but because you would inspire them.”

My heart lurched. A Luna. *Me?*

Thora’s lips curved faintly, as if she could see my disbelief. She lifted her glass and swirled the red liquid inside before continuing. “If leadership is not what you desire, then perhaps the path of a warrior. You have endurance. Resilience. You heal, yes, but more than that—you refuse to stay broken. That is the mark of a fighter. With training, you could lead warriors, command them in battle, defend not only yourself but others.”

A strange warmth spread through me at the thought. Leading warriors? The girl who folded laundry and scrubbed floors? The girl mocked for being weak?

But Thora wasn’t finished. She leaned forward, her gaze sharpening. “And if neither of those call to you, you could forge your own way entirely. You could start something of your own—your own business, your own legacy. Wolves respect strength and ingenuity alike. You have both.”

I blinked at her, stunned. No one had ever spoken to me like this before. My parents had never given me a choice. Even Lyra’s mockery had always been framed as fact. But Elder Thora’s words weren’t commands. They were… doors. Open doors.

She let the silence linger, sipping her wine before she added, “But I have another idea. One that may suit you best.”

My breath caught. “What is it?”

Her eyes softened, but there was fire behind them. “Come work with me. Not as a servant. Not as someone hidden in the shadows. But as my advisor, perhaps even my executive. A voice at my side. You have insight born from suffering, empathy forged in fire. You see what others miss, and you endure what others cannot. I value that. Greatly.”

The weight of her words pressed into me. Me—working with her? Standing beside someone like Elder Thora, whose presence even Alphas bowed to? My stomach fluttered with disbelief, with awe.

She reached across the table and took my hand, her grip steady and sure. “You have so much potential, Kira. More than even you realize. But it is not for me to decide. It is for you. You must choose. You must decide your own future.”

I swallowed hard, the words scraping against my throat. “But… how can I choose? I don’t even know who I really am yet. All I’ve ever known is what others have told me. That I’m weak. That I don’t belong.”

Thora’s thumb brushed across my knuckles. “Then begin by deciding who you want to be. That is where all futures start—not with what others say, but with what you claim for yourself.”

The world blurred for a moment, my eyes stinging. My voice cracked as I whispered, “Can you… can you give me more examples? Please? Just so I can understand. So I can picture something better.”

Her lips curved into a patient smile, like a teacher indulging a curious child. “Of course, darling. Imagine yourself standing beside an Alpha, your presence commanding as his equal, not his shadow. Imagine yourself traveling from pack to pack, advising leaders, helping them find balance where they falter. Imagine yourself building a sanctuary for wolves like you—those who have been cast aside, those who need a place to heal. You could do all of these things, Kira. And more.”

Her voice grew softer, but stronger, every word striking deep. “You are not a ghost. You are not invisible. You are not your sister’s shadow. You are light, whether you recognize it yet or not. And one day, that light will burn so brightly that none will be able to deny you.”

My chest ached, cracked wide open by her words. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t being told to be less. I was being told I could be more.

I squeezed her hand, my voice trembling. “I… I don’t know what I’ll choose yet. But… thank you. For giving me choices. For believing I have them.”

Her silver eyes shimmered with something like pride. “That, my darling, is the first step.”