The council doors slammed shut behind me and I was shoved into the cold night air.<\/p>\n
Guards gripped my arms like iron, dragging me down the steps.<\/p>\n
The crowd was already waiting. They erupted the moment they saw me.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraitor!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMurderous monster!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGet out of our pack!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave, or die!\u201d<\/p>\n
The pack\u2019s fury rose like a storm, their faces twisted with hate.<\/p>\n
Some hurled stones at my feet while others spat on my face.<\/p>\n
I forced myself to keep my head high, though every step felt like a dagger to the chest.<\/p>\n
This was the same pack I had healed, protected, bled for. Now they wanted me gone\u2014or dead.<\/p>\n
Then a soft voice stopped the chaos.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liora stepped forward, her face swollen from fake crying.<\/p>\n
One hand rested protectively on her flat belly, she looked as pure as a dove , the contrast picture of me, who looked like a haggard criminal.<\/p>\n
The crowd immediately quieted, bowing their heads slightly as if she were already their Luna.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay away, my lady. She\u2019s very dangerous. She might attempt to harm you and your baby\u201d The Delta said, urging Liora back.<\/p>\n
He looked at me with disgust, as if I was going to cut through my chains and kill her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI beg you,\u201d Liora said, her voice trembling. \u201cLet me speak with her\u2026 just once. She was my Luna, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gasps rippled through the crowd when Liors spoke. They looked at her with admiration. They were moved by her facade.<\/p>\n
The guards hesitated, glancing at Draven\u2019s men for guidance. At last, one gave a reluctant nod.<\/p>\n
My stomach twisted. I knew this was no act of mercy.<\/p>\n
Liora approached slowly, eyes glistening with false tears. Her perfume is sickeningly sweet. She leaned close enough that only I could hear.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look so small like this,\u201d she whispered, lips curving into a cruel smile. \u201cDragged in chains, your title stripped, your name ruined. And all because you couldn\u2019t accept that he chose me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you hear them? They begged for your head and I saved you. I told Draven banishment would be enough. You should thank me,Kaia\u2026Afterall, without me you\u2019d already be rotting in a shallow grave\u201d<\/p>\n
My throat burned, rage choking me.<\/p>\n
Liora was deliberately provoking me to my limits, twisting the knife deeper into my heart. I can\u2019t let her.<\/p>\n
She wants to see me lose control and snap recklessly in front of these people.<\/p>\n
Not like they think any better of me anymore.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou thought he would fight for you? You thought they would believe you? \u201d Liora chuckled,mockingly. \u201cPoor Kaia. You\u2019ve lost everything \u2014Your crown, your mate and your pack. So sad\u201d<\/p>\n
Pointing to her stomach, Liora reminded. \u201cThis child will carry the Alpha\u2019s blood, the future of Silvermoon Pack. And me? Soon, I\u2019ll be Luna in name, not just in heart. And you? You\u2019ll be nothing but a forgotten shadow. By the time my child is born, nobody will remember you anymore\u201d<\/p>\n
Hearing this, I clenched my fists hard, and my nails pierced my palm.<\/p>\n
Liora lowered her voice even further, her eyes glittering with malice.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want to know a secret, Luna Kaia? That attack on me\u2026 it was never meant to kill me. It was meant to kill you. And now the whole pack believes it was your doing. Tell me, how does it feel to be crushed by your own story?\u201d<\/p>\n
I lunged, fury exploding out of me, but the guards yanked me back.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow could you be so evil, Liora? You are a monster!\u201d<\/p>\n
I struggled against my chains, spitting out words that were lost beneath the gasps of the crowd.<\/p>\n
Liora jerked away, clutching her belly, feigning fear.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see? She would harm me even now!\u201d she cried, her voice breaking. \u201cLuna Kaia, I was trying to have a word with you\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBanishment is too lenient. She deserve to die\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDie! You evil woman\u201d<\/p>\n
The pack erupted again, voices thundering in defense of their new darling. To them, Liora was the fragile, forgiving victim; I, the unhinged traitor.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a Luna, she carried the title with pride once,\u201d Liora wistfully spoke again.\u201cBut being a Luna is a heavy burden\u2026Not everyone can bear its weight\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes shimmered as if in sympathy, but the slight curve of her lips told me exactly how much she was enjoying seeing me humiliated.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe stumbled,\u201d Liora went on gently, \u201cand the pack suffered for it. But I cannot let bitterness linger in my heart. A queen must forgive\u2026 even when the wounds run deep.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murmur spread through the crowd as they nodded in approval of Liora\u2019s graceful and forgiving spirit.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease take the former Luna away. She still needs to learn to let go of the hate in her heart\u201d Liora turned away, instructing.<\/p>\n
The guards dragged me forward, jeers chasing me into the night.<\/p>\n
I struggled against the chain piercing my skin like hot iron while they roughly dragged me away.<\/p>\n
Once we reached the main exit gate of the pack, they flung me out like trash.<\/p>\n
And above the noise, Liora\u2019s soft, poisonous whisper lingered in my ears;<\/p>\n
\u201cGoodbye, Luna. You\u2019ll die forgotten, while I reign in your place.\u201d<\/p>\n
The gates thundered shut behind me.<\/p>\n
For a moment, I collapsed to my knees, the world spinning. The jeers of the pack still rang in my ears, cruel and merciless.<\/p>\n
They hate me now. They forgot so soon everything we\u2019ve been through together.<\/p>\n
I pressed a hand to my ribs where the guards had shoved me, trying to breathe through the sharp sting of rejection that cut deeper than any wound.<\/p>\n
I was no longer their Luna. No longer their Kaia. Only an outcast.<\/p>\n
But as I lifted my head to the silver glow of the moon,my tears dried. Rage and resolve hardened in their place.<\/p>\n
Clasping my ribs, I swore bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not the end, Liora. It\u2019s only the beginning. I will be back but not as the Pack\u2019s Outcast Luna\u201d<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shadows Follow Lonely Minds \u2014 Christopher Harris 4 Chapter 004 The council doors slammed shut behind me and I was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-nightshade-heir-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27249"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27249\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}