The Heartbroken Luna's Choice Banish Love novel Chapter 53

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**Where Soft Light Shines, Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts**
**by Evan Holt Crane**
**Chapter 53**

Ulva’s eyes lingered on Trista’s face, absorbing the moment like a painter taking in the colors of a sunset. “You’re right,” she finally said, her voice steady yet soft. “We’ll just… take things one step at a time.”

Trista, feeling the weight of her mother’s presence, stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Ulva from behind, resting her chin lightly on her shoulder. “Trust me, Mom,” she whispered, her voice a fragile promise. “I will redeem that staff. It shouldn’t leave Silverlight anyway.” The conviction in her tone was a flicker of hope amidst the shadows enveloping them.

As Trista spoke, a familiar heaviness settled in her chest. Her nose felt congested, and her breathing became uneven, the air thick with unspoken words. “I loved Cassian for so many years and was his mate for three. For his sake, I sacrificed the career I cherished, letting go of opportunities that could have shaped my future outside the pack. I poured every ounce of my energy into him, learning how to be the Luna of Ironthorn, mastering the art of standing by him at every public event. And this is where it has led me.”

Her voice trembled, each word feeling like a jagged stone scraped from her heart, bit by bit. “From today, I am giving up all illusions about love and mates.” The finality of her statement hung in the air, heavy and poignant.

Ulva, sensing the storm of emotions within her daughter, squeezed Trista’s hand in a silent vow of support, her touch firm yet gentle as she patted Trista’s back. The bond between them was palpable, a lifeline in the turbulent sea of their shared grief.

Inside her, Ulva’s wolf stirred, still weak and in the process of healing, yet it could acutely detect the suppressed pain emanating from Trista’s pheromones. It was a sorrow that wrapped around them like a shroud, heavy and suffocating.

Outside the breakroom door, the atmosphere shifted as if the very air held its breath. Cassian stood there, lunch box in hand, his footsteps quiet against the floor. He paused, the scent of Trista’s pheromones wrapping around him, contracting into a small, intimate circle that seemed to shield her from the outside world.

Through the door, he caught sight of her, leaning into Ulva’s embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks like a child who had finally found solace in the arms of a parent. Her shoulders shook with the weight of her emotions, and the sight tightened something deep within his chest, an inexplicable ache that he could neither understand nor dismiss.

Taking a deep breath, Cassian lifted his head, forcing his aura back behind his sternum, a practiced maneuver that concealed his turmoil. With a soft click, he closed the breakroom door, the sound resonating in the silence, and walked away, his fingertips lingering on the doorknob for just a heartbeat longer before he let go completely.

The faint glow of the purification rune shimmered in the sunlight above the main entrance of the Sanctum Healing Center, casting a warm light that felt almost ironic given the heaviness in his heart. As he stepped through the glass door, his eyes landed on Samantha, who stood at the foot of the steps, a figure caught between shadows and light.

Samantha was positioned to one side, clutching her appointment card tightly, the faint dark circles under her eyes betraying her exhaustion. The moment she spotted him, she instinctively suppressed her aura, softening her scent to be as gentle as a whisper.

“The doctor said my depression shows signs of relapse yesterday,” she offered, her voice low, almost a confession. “I have a psychological evaluation scheduled for this afternoon. I’m also doing a power assessment.” Her gaze fell to the lunch box in his hand, still carrying the lingering Ironthorn scent of metal and flint, a reminder of the pack they both belonged to.

She hesitated, the weight of her thoughts pressing down on her, before she cautiously probed, “Cassian, you haven’t had lunch yet, have you? Should we… go to that restaurant near the Shifter Academy? The one we used to sneak off to? I haven’t been in years, and I really miss it.” The nostalgia in her voice was palpable, a longing for simpler times when the world seemed less complicated.