The Banished Shy Luna Chapter 56

The twins had practically taken over the room. Dresses, jeans, skirts, and tops were spread across the bed like an explosion of color. 

Shyanne was holding up a sleek black dress to my frame, while Marianne scrolled on her phone, showing me pictures of outfit ideas.

“This one would look killer on you,” Marianne said, tilting the screen so I could see a dark green satin slip dress. “Simple, but it’ll make Toren lose his mind.”

I flushed hot, shaking my head. “I don’t know… I’ve never worn anything like that.”

“That’s the point,” Shyanne giggled, wiggling her brows. “First dinner as his mate? You show up and remind him exactly what he’s getting.”

I rolled my eyes, but my smile betrayed me. Their energy was infectious, and for a moment, I let myself enjoy it—imagining what it might be like to dress up, to walk into a room on Toren’s arm, to belong.

But then it hit me.

A strange sensation swept through me, sharp and disorienting. My wolf stirred, restless, ears pricked at something I couldn’t name. My breath hitched, my chest tightening.

“What is it?” Marianne asked, frowning.

“I don’t…” I shook my head, pressing a hand to my sternum. “Something’s wrong.”

The twins exchanged a glance, but I was already moving. My feet carried me across the room before I even realized what I was doing. I didn’t care that I was still in nothing but a bra and underwear. I didn’t care that the towel sat forgotten on the bed. The pull inside me was stronger than shame.

I opened the door.

And there he was.

Toren.

He stood at the far end of the suite, his dark eyes fixed on someone at his side—Talon. My breath caught when I saw him. He looked better than before, stronger, though pale. He was speaking low, his words sharp, and whatever he said made Toren’s shoulders tense with unease.

The twins gasped and darted after me, one of them yanking a towel from the bed. They covered me just in time as all three men turned.

Toren was across the room in an instant. His hands gripped my shoulders as he wrapped the towel tight around me, his voice rough, urgent. “Kira—what are you doing?”

I clutched at the fabric, heart racing. “I… I felt something. From you. What’s wrong?”

His eyes flickered, conflicted, torn between fury and something else entirely. His thumb brushed over my shoulder like he was stalling for time.

And then Talon growled.

“Get your hands off my mate.”

The room froze.

I blinked, my breath stalling in my chest. Slowly, I looked from Talon to Toren, my voice shaking. “Is that… why you’re uneasy?”

Toren’s grip tightened on my shoulders. He bent low, his breath brushing my temple. “It’ll be okay, Starlight. I’ll handle this—”

But Talon stepped forward, his face dark with certainty. “No, I’ll handle it. She’s mine. I can feel it. I felt her when she touched me. The bond snapped into place—you can’t deny it.”

“Bullshit,” Toren snarled, stepping into his space. “She is mine. She’s always been mine.”

But before I could breathe again, Talon stepped forward, his body rigid, his jaw set. “You’ve had your fun, Toren. Now step aside.”

Their wolves rose, power colliding in the air so thick it was hard to breathe.

I stumbled back, the towel slipping as the twins moved with me, frantic.

Then it happened.

Shyanne’s foot caught on the edge of the rug. She cried out, arms flailing as she toppled into me.

I hit the floor hard, my hip slamming against the wood with Shyanne’s full weight crashing down on top of me.

The crack that followed was deafening, sickening. Pain seared through my hip, radiating up my spine, and I screamed.

Shyanne scrambled off me, pale and horrified. “Oh gods, Kira—I didn’t mean—”

But Toren and Talon were already there, dropping to their knees at my side.

“Kira, look at me,” Toren ordered, one hand sliding under my head, the other gripping my arm. His dominance wrapped around me like a chain, his wolf pushing, commanding.

“No—don’t listen to him. Breathe with me,” Talon countered, brushing Toren aside and cupping my cheek. His thumb stroked my skin, gentle but insistent. “You’re safe. I won’t let anything hurt you.”

Their words tangled, their touches clashed.

“She’s mine.”

“She’s mine.”

“Let her go—”

“No, you let her—”

“Kira, breathe with me—”

“No, look at me—don’t listen to him—”

“You’re safe with me—”

“She doesn’t need you—she needs me—”

Their growls overlapped, vibrating through me, suffocating. Their hands were everywhere—my arm, my shoulder, my waist—both of them trying to soothe, to claim, to command.

It was too much.

My breaths came fast, shallow, useless. The walls pressed in, their voices slamming into me like fists.

“I—I can’t—” My chest convulsed, my lungs refusing to expand. My vision blurred, panic clawing up my throat.

And then I shattered.

The scream tore out of me, piercing and primal.

The windows exploded outward, glass raining across the garden below. The chandelier burst above, crystals raining down like shards of ice. Mirrors cracked, wine glasses splintered, the sound of destruction echoing through the suite.

The twins collapsed instantly, unconscious on the floor. Jake, who had rushed in at the sound, dropped beside them.

Even Toren and Talon staggered back, hands clapping over their bleeding ears, their wolves snarling in pain.

I knelt in the wreckage, chest heaving, the remnants of my scream still vibrating in my bones. My hands shook, my body burned, and the only word I could choke out was:

“Thora!"

The heavy thud of footsteps echoed down the hall before the door burst open. Elder Thora swept in with Elder Selene at her side, both of them cloaked in a faint shimmer of power—a protective shield that made the air hum with energy.

Thora didn’t hesitate. She crossed the room in a blur, dropping to her knees before me and pressing her palm firmly over my mouth. The scream that had been clawing its way out of my throat cut off instantly, the silence ringing almost louder than the chaos I had unleashed. My wide, tear-blurred eyes locked on hers, and her silver gaze was fierce, steady, unyielding.

Behind her, Selene’s voice cracked like thunder. “What the hell did you do?” she demanded, her sharp eyes snapping to Toren, then to Talon, as though daring them to answer.