The Banished Shy Luna Chapter 35

Toren’s voice rolled like thunder, low and final, the weight of it pressing into my chest. His eyes blazed with a dangerous fire, wolf breaking through, and for a moment I swore I could feel the walls of the suite shudder under the force of his rage.

My breath hitched. He looked terrifying—and yet, for the first time in my life, someone was furious for me.

But if he let his wolf slip free, if he killed Darin here and now… Alpha Lucas would never let me live it down.

“Toren,” I whispered, my voice shaking.

Slowly, I reached out. My fingers brushed the back of his fist, hot and trembling, the skin stretched tight with restrained violence.

His head jerked toward me, his molten eyes locking on mine. The fury didn’t vanish—it never could—but my touch anchored him, tethered him. His chest rose with a ragged inhale, as though I’d dragged him back from the edge of a cliff.

And then, suddenly, I was in his lap.

He hauled me onto him like I weighed nothing, his arms wrapping around me in an unyielding cage. My body stiffened. No one had ever held me like this before. Not tender, not protective. Not like I mattered.

“What’s wrong?” His voice rumbled low against my ear, not soft, but concerned.

My hands hovered awkwardly before finally pressing against his chest. I could feel his heartbeat, fast but steady. My own heart thundered, betraying me. “It’s just… no one’s ever held me like this. Or shown interest in me like this. This—” I gestured helplessly between us “—this whole world with you… it feels new. Too new. I don’t know what’s right or wrong anymore. I don’t even know how to think for myself.”

His arms tightened, a faint growl vibrating through his chest, as if he wanted to rip apart every memory that had shaped me.

My voice cracked. “Until Elder Thora showed me last night that I could choose. That I had a choice at all. Everything else in my life has always been taken or commanded for me.”

The words tumbled out faster now, sharp and jagged. “I wasn’t allowed to shift because Lyra couldn’t. Because my twin—because she couldn’t, they told me I wasn’t allowed either.”

Elder Thora’s calm, unwavering voice cut through. “Your twin does have a wolf, Kira. A strong one. They told everyone she didn’t, but she has simply been hiding it. Which begs the question—why?”

The room went silent. Why? Why would they lie? What had been the point of keeping Lyra’s wolf a secret while I was punished, starved, broken?

Elder Thora’s tone was sharp but thoughtful. “There are only a handful of reasons a family would hide a wolf. None of them noble.”

Toren growled low, his chest vibrating against mine. “List them.”

Her silver gaze sharpened. “The first is protection. Perhaps they thought her wolf was too strong, and if others knew, she would be targeted. The second—politics. If they pretended Lyra was wolf-less, it made her seem fragile, someone the pack must protect. It gave them sympathy. Influence. Leverage.”

“And the third?” Toren asked, voice like steel.

Thora’s lips pressed into a thin line. “The third is the darkest. If they lied to give Lyra freedom from responsibility. If they shifted every burden onto you, Kira, making you the scapegoat so she could thrive without expectation.”

The words stabbed like knives. My breath shook as I pulled back, staring between them. “They… they used me. They blamed me so she could shine.”

Toren’s jaw clenched, fury burning in his eyes. “They broke you to build her. Cowards.”

I shook my head, tears still dripping. “But why me? Why would they sacrifice me? I’m their daughter too.”

“Because you were stronger,” Thora said softly. “And strength threatens those who hunger for power.”

The truth of it hollowed me out. My life—all the punishments, the starvation, the beatings—it had been orchestrated. A play written by my parents so Lyra could be their precious jewel while I rotted in the shadows.

Toren’s hand cupped my face, tilting it up so I had no choice but to meet his gaze. His voice was rough, but steady. “You’ll never be hidden again. Not with me. Not ever.”

My heart ached, my chest breaking open as I clung tighter to him.

And then—

BANG. BANG. BANG.

The pounding rattled the door, sharp and heavy. My whole body stiffened in Toren’s lap.

“Kira!”

The voice was unmistakable. My father. Beta Maverick.

Ice shot through my veins.

Another slam shook the door. “Alpha Toren! Open this door. I know my daughter is in there!”

Toren’s wolf bristled immediately, his entire body stiffening under me. A low, murderous growl built in his chest, vibrating against my ribs. His eyes flashed, glowing hot and dangerous.

I pressed a shaky hand against his chest. “Please,” I whispered. “Not here. Not like this.”

The pounding came again, harder, angrier. “Do you hear me, Alpha? She belongs with her pack. With me. Open this door!”

Toren’s voice was low, dangerous. “She belongs to no one but herself. And if you try to take her, Beta, I’ll tear you apart.”

My father’s growl echoed from the other side. “She is mine to discipline! My blood, my daughter. You will not interfere!”

Rage surged in Toren, palpable, almost physical. His arms tightened around me, protective, possessive, his claws threatening to break through his skin.

Thora’s voice sliced through the storm. “Enough. Both of you.”

The room stilled.

She stood, her silver gaze like moonlight cutting through smoke. “Maverick, your time is ending. And Toren—control your wolf. This girl needs more than violence to save her.”

Her words grounded us both.

But the pounding came again, relentless. My father’s voice was venom. “Kira! You open this door now, or you’ll regret it. Do you hear me? You’ll regret it!”

Toren’s eyes snapped back to mine. His voice was a vow, heavy and fierce. “You’ll never regret choosing me. Not once. Not ever.”

The next slam shook the walls. And I knew—when that door opened, nothing would ever be the same.