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Their fight was brutal, claws and fangs clashing in a blur of movement. I wanted to help, but my attention snapped back to Celeste. She was losing control, the energy around her crackling like lightning. It’s not my power anymore. It become dark and uncomfortable! Wolves from both sides were being thrown back by her erratic blasts.
I climbed onto the altar, gripping her arm. “Celeste, stop! You’ll kill us all!”
“Why should I care?” she spat, shoving me away. “I’ve already lost everything!”
Her words hit me hard. Despite everything she’d done, a small part of me still pitied her. But I couldn’t let her destroy everyone in her despair.
I grabbed her again, forcing her to face me. “Listen to me! This power isn’t yours. It’s tied to my soul, and never control it! Let it go before it consumes you!”
She hesitated for a split second, her eyes flickering with something–fear, maybe? But then her face twisted with
rage.
“You don’t get to lecture me, Lyra!” she screamed, shoving me back. “This was supposed to be my story, not yours!”
Before I could respond, a wolf lunged at me from the side, and I braced for impact. But Zephyr was there, ripping the attacker away and shielding me with his body.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
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Banished and Betrayed, But She Walked Again–And Rejected Him
I nodded, my chest heaving. “We have to stop Celeste. She’s going to destroy everything.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said, his green eyes locking with mine.
I felt it then–the bond between us, stronger than ever. It wasn’t just about being mates. Zephyr wasn’t protecting me because of some mystical tie. He was fighting for me because he cared.
And I wasn’t going to let him down.
Turning back to Celeste, I squared my shoulders. This wasn’t just about my power anymore. This was about saving everyone I cared about–and stopping Celeste and Xavier for good.
I focused all my energy, trying to regain control of the power within Celeste’s body. It wasn’t just my healing power–it was something much stronger, something I hadn’t even known existed. The longer I fought the power coursing through me, the more I realized I wasn’t just healing. I was pulling at something deeper, something that connected my soul to my body, and finally severing the unnatural bond Celeste had forced.
I could feel it–the moment the connection between her soul and mine finally snapped. There was a violent
surge, a crack in the air, and I knew she felt it too. Her eyes widened in fear as she realized she was losing control.
The unstable power surged, a wave of dark energy swirling out of her, and I watched as she crumpled, screaming
in agony, overwhelmed by the backlash. The power was too much for her to handle, and within moments, she was
gone. Her body slumped lifelessly to the floor, and the energy that had once been hers to control faded into nothing.
I gasped for breath, feeling the weight of her death–and the return of my own soul to its rightful place. I was
back. My body felt like mine again, like I could finally breathe after being suffocated for so long.
I barely had time to process everything when I felt Zephyr’s presence behind me. He stepped forward, his eyes
filled with concern as he took in the sight of me. “Lyra…” he whispered, relief flooding his voice. “You did it.”
I nodded weakly, still recovering from the ordeal. “It’s over. Celeste is gone.”
Before we could talk any further, the sound of growls and fighting reached us. Xavier. He was still struggling, trying to regain control, but Zephyr was already moving, swiftly, his warriors by his side.
The battle was brief. Xavier, once so full of arrogance and power, was now outmatched. Zephyr fought with an
intensity I hadn’t seen before, and within moments, Xavier was on the ground, defeated. Zephyr stood above him, his expression cold.
“You’re done, Xavier,” Zephyr said, his voice hard. “I’m taking control of the Nightshade Pack.”
Xavier glared up at him, his pride shattered. “You don’t have the right…”
“I have the right,” Zephyr snapped. “You lost it the moment you let your obsession control you.” He turned to his warriors, his pack now solidly behind him. “Strip him of his alpha status. Exile him.”
The pack moved swiftly, taking Xavier’s title from him in front of everyone. He was nothing now–his power, his status, everything he’d built, stripped away. He was left kneeling, powerless, his fate sealed.
“You’ll regret this,” Xavier spat, but his voice lacked the conviction it once had. He knew he was defeated. There was nothing left for him here.
Zephyr didn’t spare him another glance. “No. You’ll regret it.”
Xavier was exiled, forced to leave the pack and face the consequences of his actions. He had no one left n
The pack had turned their back on him, and his obsession had cost him everything.
I looked at Zephyr, my heart heavy with everything that had happened. But there was relief too, a sense of peace I
hadn’t felt in a long time.
“It’s over,” I whispered.
Zephyr pulled me into his arms, holding me close. “It’s over, Lyra. You’re safe now. And we’re going to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
But then Xavier’s mother show up.
“You!” she spat, storming toward me. “This is all your fault! You destroyed everything. My son, the pack, the
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Banished and Betrayed, But She Walked Again–And frejected Him
legacy–we gave you everything, and this is how you repay us? You’re nothing but a disgrace!”
I held my ground, refusing to let her intimidate me. “Careful,” I said evenly. “Your son destroyed himself. Don’t try
to pin his mistakes on me.”
Her eyes narrowed, and her voice rose to a shrill pitch. “Don’t you dare talk back to me! You think you’re so
special because of your powers? You’re worthless! A fake Luna who couldn’t even-”
Before she could finish that sentence, I slapped her. Hard. The sound echoed in the room, and for a moment, she stood there, stunned, her hand flying to her cheek.
