The Banished Shy Luna Chapter 61

I shook my head, not understanding. “Why would that matter? What would it change about me?”

Toren’s eyes locked on mine. “If you have Shadow blood, it would explain everything. Your voice… your healing touch… even this strange connection with more than one mate.” His hand flexed at his side. “Shadow shifters were known for that. For carrying bonds that went beyond one. Sometimes several. Sometimes entire packs.”

My chest squeezed. “Bonded?” I whispered. “You mean… like you and Talon being brothers?”

“Yes,” Toren said, his jaw tight. “Brothers… or the bond between Alpha and Beta. It’s not unheard of in Shadow lore. The bloodline was built on ties—ties that strengthened packs beyond reason. But it came at a cost.”

Talon’s voice dropped lower. “It isn’t unheard of for Shadows to mate with whole packs. They pulled bonds like magnets. Shared strength. Shared hunger.”

I stumbled back a step, my stomach lurching. “No. Absolutely not. I won’t. I refuse. I want my mate—only my mate—and that’s it. I won’t… I won’t be shared.” My voice cracked, the last words breaking out in a sob of defiance.

Elder Thora’s expression was sorrowful, but her words cut like truth. “Kira, it may not be a matter of choice. You’ve accepted Toren as your mate, yes—but only part of the bond. It won’t fully snap into place unless you accept Talon as well.”

My heart stopped. “What?”

“I don’t make the rules of blood,” she said gently. “I only speak the reality of what history has shown us. If your blood is Shadow, the bond doesn’t complete with one. It demands the whole.”

Tyler’s voice rumbled suddenly, sharp and cutting through the tension. “If that’s the case, then…” His gaze flicked to Toren, then Talon, before landing on me. “Then Tyson may be her mate too.”

The room froze.

Even the air seemed to vanish.

Selene’s lips parted, a whisper slipping out, horrified. “Oh god. Not Tyson.”

A shiver danced up my spine. My lips trembled. “Who’s… Tyson?” I asked.

The silence stretched, oppressive. Toren and Talon exchanged a look—a silent language between brothers. Neither of them wanted to speak.

Finally, Toren did. His voice was hoarse, heavy with dread.

“Tyson is our older brother. Ten years older.”

Talon’s jaw tightened. “A loner. He refuses packs, refuses ties. He doesn’t lead. He doesn’t follow.”

Toren’s gaze met mine, his eyes dark as night. “And he’s known for murdering anyone who crosses his path.”

Talon added the final blow. “And he hates women.”

Toren’s jaw was tight, his eyes locked on Talon. For a heartbeat, I thought they would start again, the tension between them sparking like flint, but then Toren stepped forward. His hand slid to the back of my neck, grounding me, before he looked at his brother.

“We need to talk this out,” Toren said, his voice low but unyielding. “Before we even consider bringing Tyson into this.”

Talon’s lips pressed into a thin line, but he didn’t argue. “Agreed,” he said at last, though his voice carried the same storm as Toren’s.

Then Toren bent down, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. The heat of it lingered even after he pulled away. “We’ll figure this out, Starlight. I swear it.”

Talon leaned closer, too, his lips brushing my temple in a way that was softer than I expected. “Don’t be afraid,” he murmured. “Whatever this is, you won’t face it alone.”

My chest squeezed, a mix of emotions I couldn’t name. Before I could speak, they both turned and left the room together, their footsteps heavy with unspoken words.

Silence settled in their wake.

Tyler shifted where he stood, his gaze sliding toward me. There was something in his eyes—guilt, pity, maybe both—that made me squirm. He cleared his throat before addressing Elder Thora. “May I go?”

“Not yet,” Thora said firmly, her silver eyes pinning him in place. “Do you know where Tyson is?”

The air seemed to thicken. Tyler’s silence stretched long enough to make my stomach knot. Finally, his gaze cut back to me, burrowing deep, as if the answer was carved on my skin.

“He roams near the base of the southern mountain,” Tyler said slowly. “Just south of the bay. I saw him about three weeks ago.” His voice softened, almost reluctant. “I left him fresh clothes. Food. Other things. At the river where he likes to camp.”

A chill swept through me. So close.

Thora inclined her head in thanks, though her expression remained unreadable. “Then we know where to look if it comes to that. You’re dismissed, Tyler.”

He bowed once, but before he turned to leave, his eyes lingered on me again—long enough that it made the back of my neck prickle. Then he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him.

Elder Thora turned to me at once. “Kira,” she said gently, but there was steel beneath it. “It’s time we stop speculating. The only way to know the truth is through your blood. We’ll go see the Elders’ doctor. He will test you.”

My stomach dropped. “Blood?”

“Yes,” she said. “It won’t hurt. But the answers might.”

Elder Selene stepped closer, gesturing toward Jake and the twins still sprawled on the couches, their breathing even, deep with the forced sleep of exhaustion. “I’ll deal with them once you leave,” she said curtly.

That was that. No room for argument.

I crossed to the bed, pulling on the jeans folded at the edge, then a soft black tank that smelled faintly of Toren. A purple jacket hung over the back of the chair; I shrugged it on, the fabric comforting against my arms. Shyanne’s boots—she had gushed about them for nearly ten minutes earlier—sat neatly by the chair. I slipped them on, tightening the laces with shaky fingers.

When I straightened, Elder Thora was already at the door, waiting.

The hallway seemed quieter than before, but not safer. I followed her toward the elevator, every step echoing like a countdown. My hands curled in my jacket pockets, and I couldn’t stop the question that burst from me as we waited for the doors to slide open.

“Am I really that bad of a person,” I whispered, my voice small, “if I have Shadow blood?”

Thora’s head turned sharply. Her silver eyes softened—not with pity, but with something steadier. “No, child,” she said. “Blood does not make you good or bad. Choice does.” She quickly added, “But Shadow blood is dangerous. History has proven it.”

The elevator chimed. My heart thudded painfully.

Dangerous. Cursed. Maybe both.