The Banished Shy Luna Chapter 41

The chamber felt as if it had been carved from silence and fire. Every Alpha’s eyes shifted like the weight of moons, and I could hardly breathe beneath it. Elder Thora stood tall, her silver gaze commanding, her voice unwavering.

“Each of you will speak,” she said. “Out loud, with the Council as witness. What would you do with what you know now?”

The first Alpha rose, the same grizzled one who had spoken earlier. His voice was steady, gravel deep. “If this had happened in my pack, I’d have removed Lucas the moment the truth reached me. A wolf denied food, denied the shift, denied freedom? That’s not an Alpha’s way. That’s a tyrant’s way. I’d place the girl—Kira—in training with my daughter. I see the strength in her.”

I swallowed hard, heat crawling up my throat.

The next Alpha stood, his dark hair spilling over his shoulders. “A Beta who exploits a starving wolf?” His lip curled. “In my territory, I would have executed Darin by dawn. A Beta’s duty is to protect, not prey. And a father who strikes his child in front of Elders? I would have cast him from the pack lands with nothing but shame on his name.”

Gasps swept the chamber. I lowered my eyes, pulse thundering, shame and vindication twisting inside me.

Another Alpha rose. His presence was sharp, cut from steel. “I would exile Lucas. He has failed his wolves. He lied, he manipulated, and he let rot spread in his ranks. The mother and the other daughter—if they came seeking redemption, I’d hear them. But lies of this magnitude? They poison everything. A pack can only survive on trust.”

Whispers spread. Lyra stiffened at his words, but she said nothing. Not yet.

One by one, the Alphas stood. Some wanted exile. Some demanded blood. Others spoke of stripping titles, of relocation, of rebuilding the pack’s survivors elsewhere. Each answer added weight to the scales. And every time, Lucas’s face grew darker, his jaw tighter.

Finally, Elder Malric rose, his massive frame casting a shadow over the table. His voice boomed like thunder.

“Enough.”

Silence fell instantly.

“Alpha Lucas,” Malric said, spitting the title like ash. “By the authority of the Elder Council, and with the support of every Alpha present, you are stripped of your title. You will no longer lead. You are Alpha no more.”

The room exhaled in shock. I felt my knees weaken.

Malric turned, eyes burning. “Beta Maverick and Beta Darin, you are stripped as well. You are no Betas. You are predators who preyed on your own. You are nothing.”

I heard my father’s sharp inhale. Darin stiffened, his fists trembling against his thighs.

“Your pack,” Malric continued, “will be broken apart. Its members will be relocated to stronger packs within this territory—packs that will actually serve them, not starve them. Its name will be erased. Its legacy, rebuilt elsewhere.”

An uproar swept the chamber, but Malric raised his hand and silenced it.

Elder Selene rose next, her obsidian eyes like blades. “And let it be known—Aleria and Lyra, your names will carry the truth of your lies. Wherever you walk, wolves will know. Your deceit will not be buried. It will follow you.”

My mother gasped, her hand flying to her chest. Lyra looked ready to scream, her face pale beneath her fury.

Then, Elder Cael lifted a single hand. At his signal, two guards entered—broad warriors clad in black. They carried silver chains, heavy and gleaming.

Lucas’s eyes widened. “No—”

The chains clamped around his wrists before he could finish. He roared, the sound wild, wolf bleeding into man, but the silver burned him instantly. His knees buckled, and the smell of scorched flesh filled the chamber.

“This is outrageous!” he bellowed, thrashing. “You cannot do this to me! I am Alpha—”

“You were Alpha,” Cael said coldly. “Now, you are nothing. Your punishment will be discussed behind closed doors.”

The guards dragged Lucas toward the door, his voice echoing off the stone walls. My stomach twisted at the sight.

Then, Elder Thora turned to me. Her eyes softened. “Kira.”

I froze, every part of me trembling.

“You have heard the truth. You have felt the choice. Will you accept Alpha Toren as your mate?”

The chamber held its breath. My pulse thundered in my ears. I looked across the table, to Toren. His eyes—dark, endless, steady—were on me. He wasn’t pleading. He wasn’t begging. He was waiting.

Nerves swirled in my chest like a storm. But beneath them, something brighter. Something fierce.

“I…” My voice shook, but I steadied it. “I do. I accept him as my mate.”

Gasps swept the chamber. My chest burned, my whole body light, as though I’d stepped into the sun.

“NO!”

Lyra’s scream cracked like glass. She lunged forward, her voice sharp with venom. “That’s not fair! It should be me! It should always have been me! I’m the one who deserves a powerful Alpha, not her. She’s nothing! She’s dirt! She’s—”

Her words spilled, ugly and frantic, echoing around the chamber.

I stood tall, though my knees shook. For once, I didn’t answer.

Toren’s growl did it for me, low and deadly, vibrating through the room. His glare locked on Lyra, his voice a blade drawn slow.

“She is mine. And if you ever insult her again, I will remind you why wolves bow to Alphas.”

Lyra paled, her lips trembling, but she said nothing more.

Elder Thora’s voice broke the silence, soft but cutting. “So it is decided.”

And just like that, my world shifted.