The Heartbroken Luna's Choice Banish Love novel Chapter 16

**Where Soft Light Shines, Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts**
by Evan Holt Crane
**Chapter 16**

**Trista’s POV**

I took a deep breath, forcing air back into my lungs, and spoke in a tone that felt unnaturally flat. “You aided the Silverlight Pack, and in return, your pack, along with you, gained significant standing and reputation. The Elder Council even reserved a seat for you because of your actions. Mating with me was clearly advantageous for you.”

His expression remained unfazed, as if my words were mere calculations in a ledger. “I have chosen to take the dignified route. I have not publicly accused you at the Ceremony, nor have I lodged a complaint with The Elder Council, and I certainly have not sought any public resources from Ironthorn. What else do you want from me?”

There was no flicker of emotion in his eyes. “For me, the mating bond has always been a matter of costs and benefits, never just an emotional entanglement.”

His gaze locked onto mine, his voice as icy as the rules he recited. “You claim you won’t take any assets from Ironthorn. That’s simply because I doubt your ability to do so.”

Silence enveloped us, heavy and suffocating.

In that moment, the connection that once bound us felt like a frayed thread, reduced to mere numbers and transactions.

I rummaged through my bag, retrieving a pen and a piece of paper. With a steady hand, I scribbled an IOU, pressing my thumbprint onto it with a hint of defiance. “State your number. Principal and interest. How much do I owe you?”

He snatched the pen from my grasp, his frustration palpable. “I settled the Silverlight Pack’s debt in US dollars. A simple IOU won’t suffice.”

A fire ignited in my chest, a mix of anger and desperation. I looked up at him, my voice rising slightly. “What exactly do you want from me?”

He stood tall, his presence overwhelming. The primal instinct of the wolf glimmered in his eyes. “You wish to terminate the mating contract? Very well. Since we were bonded for three years, I’ll offer you a discount—one million US dollars. I expect it transferred directly to the Ironthorn Pack’s account.”

My throat constricted painfully. “I can’t manage that right now.”

He gripped my shoulders firmly, his Alpha voice cutting through the air like a knife. “Then fulfill your responsibilities as my Luna. Stop using your emotions to test my boundaries.”

I forcefully pushed his hands away, my resolve hardening. “That, I absolutely cannot do.”

His gaze darkened, a storm brewing beneath the surface. “I invested in the Silverlight Pack to secure the stability of our mating. If you refuse to uphold that stability, the money must be returned. You cannot reap the benefits from both sides.”

I stared into his eyes, seeing the man I had once chosen as my mate when I was just a young wolf.

In his mind, this was merely a debt to be settled, nothing more.

He continued, his tone eerily calm. “Before you make a decision, consider this carefully. Your mother has just left the Sacred Site. After the pack’s collapse, her long-term care and medication will not come cheap. If I reclaim the apartment where the Silverlight Pack currently resides, you need to have a plan for your parents.”

“And what about Attwater? The Shifter Academy mentor reached out to me. His grades are consistently at the top. He possesses immense potential. Should he leave that prestigious school, his future will be severely limited.”

I stood there, frozen, my expression betraying nothing.

He laid bare every one of my vulnerabilities, forcing me to confront the truths I had been reluctant to admit.

I remained motionless.

Cassian leaned closer, the weight of his shoulders pressing down on the mattress, bringing him within inches of my face. I could count the shadows cast by his lashes.

“Don’t force yourself to the Stone Circle,” he murmured, his voice low and filled with an unexpected tenderness. “I don’t want that.”

I turned my face away, trying to escape the mixed scent that lingered on his breath.

My chest felt hollow, an emptiness that echoed with the realization: In his presence, I had no right to utter the word “no.”

He had me pinned down with money and authority. I was forbidden to see, to ask, to create a stir.

If the truth were to leak, I would still be the one left to clean up the aftermath as his Luna, safeguarding his reputation.

I stared at the ceiling, waiting for the heat in my eyes to dissipate.

I only knew the barest outline of his past with her. Samantha was a rogue wolf of omega lineage; she could never ascend to be the Luna of Ironthorn. That was why the former Alpha had opposed their mating.

Since he couldn’t bring her into the Stone Circle, he was keeping her and her child outside the pack’s protective boundaries.

His refusal to dissolve our contract was merely a strategy to enforce my compliance and to keep them hidden.

With a deep breath, I carefully lifted my tongue from my teeth, ensuring every word was articulated clearly. “I can’t pay you that much right away. And I won’t meet those demands. Present me with a third option.”