The Heartbroken Luna's Choice Banish Love novel Chapter 46

**Where Soft Light Shines, Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts**
**by Evan Holt Crane**
**Chapter 46**

**Trista’s POV**

The atmosphere in the observation room was suffocating, saturated with the sharp scent of silver-leaf disinfectant mingling with the purifying incense. It clung to the air like a thick fog, scraping against my throat and leaving behind a warm, stinging sensation that felt almost like a warning bell.

An emotional storm surged through me faster than I could have anticipated—sharp bursts of pain erupted from deep within my bones, sending jolts of electricity through my skin and pushing my pheromones to the edge of eruption.

The words from the study echoed relentlessly in my mind, an unyielding loop that refused to fade.

The one he had always desired, the one who held his heart, was Samantha.

His joy had been shattered. That child was his.

He would bear the weight of responsibility for them until the end of time.

With every word that reverberated in my thoughts, the buzzing in my ears intensified, like someone was cranking up the volume on an ominous judgment.

My fingertips began to lose their feeling, as though I were gripping a live wire, the energy pulsing through me. The wolf within me thrashed against the confines of my chest, urging me to take action—

To lash out, to flee, or to unleash my pheromones and bury everything deep within.

I dug my fingers fiercely into the edge of the linen sigil bandage, my knuckles turning white with the effort. I fought against the rising tide of scent threatening to escape, desperately trying to contain it.

The tumultuous emotions within me mixed with the various odors around me: the cold metallic tang, the scent of splintered wood, and the once-sweet aroma that now tasted bitter on my tongue, like caramel turned to ash.

I understood that I was teetering on the edge—one more breath escaping my lips, and I would plunge from the realm of ‘suppression’ into the abyss of ‘loss of control.’

The eyes of The Elder Council and the pack members would be upon me, their gazes like the flickering torches encircling the Stone Circle, ready to judge my every move.

I focused intently on the pain. The frayed edge of the elbow bandage scratched against my skin, sending sharp reminders of my reality. The abrasions beneath the knee bandage burned fiercely, like salt on fresh wounds.

Pain was a tangible anchor, pulling me back from the crest of the wave of memories that threatened to drown me.

My breaths came in shallow gasps. I began to count in my mind, “One, two, three…”

By the time I reached five, a chilling grip tightened around my throat, as if a chain of ice was constricting my airways. My breath felt trapped, caught between my vocal cords.

At seven, a wave of acid surged in my stomach, and I found myself choking on the very air I needed. The light in front of my eyes flickered, dancing between the purifying incense and the steam from the silver-leaf.

I pressed my shoulder blades deep into the couch cushion of the observation room, trying to retreat further into myself, to find some semblance of safety.

The mating bond felt like a hot iron searing into my skin, a brand that would not lift, burning with such intensity that I longed to scream, yet I stifled every sound, refusing to let it escape.

Finally, my fingertips returned from their numb state to a sharp, painful awareness. My wolf let out a soft, mournful groan within me.

**Finished.**

I buried my face in my arms, biting down on the gauzy fabric of my sleeve, forcing every sound to be muffled against the cloth.

With trembling fingers, I reached for my comm-stone. It took me two shaky swipes across the screen before I finally managed to unlock it.

“Dad,” I choked out, trying to smooth the tremor in my voice. “I want to come home.”

His only question was, “Where are you?”

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