The Heartbroken Luna's Choice Banish Love novel Chapter 39

**Where Soft Light Shines, Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts**

**Chapter 39**

Trista’s POV

When I stirred for the second time, the late morning sun streamed through the curtains, illuminating the room in soft hues.

My body felt as if it had been taken apart and hastily reassembled, like a broken doll. Each joint creaked with a gritty discomfort, a reminder of the chaos of the night before.

Finished.

Fragments of last night crashed back into my consciousness: the wildness in his eyes, the frenzy that overtook him, and my own surrender to the intoxicating blend of his scent and the heat that coursed through me, fueled by something far beyond mere attraction.

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For me, this wasn’t reconciliation; it was a primal instinct awakening deep within.

My wolf stirred, lifting its head from the shadows of my mind, whispering gently, “The mating bond is mending. My strength is returning as well.”

It was right.

The repeated markings we shared had placed our bond in a state of repair, a fragile thread weaving us back together.

I pressed my forehead against my cold knuckles, willing the tremor in my chest to settle.

Reason crashed back in—this was neither forgiveness nor a return to what once was. I still had to find a way to terminate the mating contract.

Yet, the reality of the previous night weighed heavily on my mind.

We had been reckless, casting aside all caution.

No matter how entwined he was with Samantha, no matter that they had already welcomed a child into the world, I could not allow the possibility of carrying his pup to take root in my life now.

Urgently, I needed to reach the Royal Healing Institute’s pharmacy for emergency suppressant herbs—silver-leaf and bitter-root drops. They were my only hope to block any chance of conception swiftly.

I rushed through my morning routine, washing my face and dressing with a sense of urgency, my heart racing. As I descended the stairs, I encountered Wynn, who dashed toward me, her face etched with concern.

“Luna Trista, thank goodness you’re awake!” she exclaimed, gripping my arm tightly. “Grandpa and Dad have summoned Alpha Cassian to the study again.”

I turned my gaze to Alaina, who stood nearby, worry lining her features. “What happened?”

Initially, I had intended to question Alaina about the herbs in the bisque we had consumed last night, but the words caught in my throat.

Alaina genuinely cared for me, her heart invested in our bond. She didn’t want to see us sever the contract.

Perhaps she believed that a child would stabilize this precarious connection we shared.

Alaina was pacing, her anxiety palpable. “Gamma Ares rushed over early this morning. He mentioned something to Howard and Wilmot, and then Wilmot sent the omega aide upstairs to fetch Cassian. They’ve been in the study for nearly an hour now. Cassian just took the whipping last night, and I’m so worried.”

I paused for a moment, taking a breath to calm them. “Alaina, Wynn, don’t panic. I’ll go check on them.”

His back was injured, and after the way he had forced himself the previous night, no one knew how serious his wounds were.

Compassion for men rarely leads to good outcomes.

But Alaina had shown me kindness for years, and Wynn had always stood by my side, protecting me.

I couldn’t leave them in a state of anxiety.

As I walked down the long hallway of the main house, the familiar scents of wood polish and cold steel oil enveloped me, grounding me in the moment.

The mating bond within me snapped taut behind my sternum—not a gentle tug, but a brutal tear. It felt as if someone had snagged the delicate thread connecting us with cold iron and yanked it mercilessly in the opposite direction.

Heat and cold exploded from that same point, radiating outwards along my ribs.

My wolf collapsed in my consciousness, its ears trembling with distress. A broken, crushed whimper escaped its throat, echoing my own pain.

“Not her, Trista.”

“Ruined my happiness.”

Each word from him was like a nail driven into the seam of my sternum, piercing through the fragile facade I had built.

He had kept it suppressed for so long, but now it erupted forth, the truth finally spilling from his heart.

He loved Samantha.

She was the one he truly desired.

He harbored resentment towards Howard for tearing them apart, and he loathed the pack for robbing him of his so-called “happiness.”

And I—I was merely a stubborn fool, waiting by a stone tablet inscribed with another name, holding onto a vow that was never meant for me.

I closed my eyes, despair washing over me like a cold tide, submerging me until it reached my chin, then my eyes.

A sudden flash of heat in my vision was quickly replaced by an even deeper chill.

My heart felt physically torn open—not bleeding, but hollow. So empty that I could hear the echo of the wind passing through it.

My wolf tried to offer me warmth, but I could only clench my fingers, my nails digging into my palms, creating a dull ache that mirrored the turmoil within me.