All Chapters of THE LUNA'S RETURN FROM EXILE: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

CHAPTER 22 FORBIDDEN FOREST ELRIC I know it the moment the circle tightens. This was never about the flower. The rogues move in slow measured steps not rushing not panicking. Too clean. Too ready. Rael knew. Joseph’s back presses against mine. I feel his breath fast but steady. “There’s too many,” he mutters. “At least twenty,” I reply jaw tight. The rogue leader steps forward hands clasped behind his back like he owns the forest. “Smart alpha,” he says calmly. “Rael said you’d come yourself.” My wolf snarls. “Where’s the Lunar Blossom.” He chuckles. “Safe. For now.” Joseph spits on the ground. “Say what you really want.” The leader’s eyes flicker with interest. “The Moonborn girl. Give her to us and you both walk away.” I laugh dark. “Over my dead body.” He smiles wider. “That can be arranged.” He drops his hand. They attack. Steel rings. Wolves roar. Teeth flash in the dark. I move without thinking blade slicing shoulder ducking claws kicking ribs. Joseph fights l

CHAPTER 24 MOTHERS WARNINGMIRA'S P.O.VI stare at her like she’s a ghost that learned how to breathe again.My mother.Standing in front of me like she didn’t hand me over to hell and walk away.My fingers curl. My chest burns. I want to scream. I want to hit something. I want to ask her why she let me believe I was unwanted.“You don’t get to say my name,” I say quietly. My voice shakes anyway.Kira flinches. Her eyes are red. “I know,” she whispers. “I know I don’t deserve it.”Elric’s hand comes to my shoulder firm warm grounding. It keeps me from shaking apart.Alpha Theron’s voice cuts through the tension. “You came here with a warning. Speak.”Kira nods fast like she’s afraid the moment will disappear. “Rael went to the Council of Ancients. He told them a Moonborn has risen and that she’s unstable. He painted her as a threat to every pack.”My stomach drops.“The Council doesn’t debate,” she continues. “They judge and execute. If they decide she’s dangerous they’ll order her de

CHAPTER 26 TEST ONE – TORTUREMIRA'S POVThe arena feels different when I stand in the center of it with no weapons and no escape route, it feels more like a cage.The stone under my feet is cold. The walls is too high. Every face in the crowd feels too close. Shadowfang fills the stands, forced to watch, forced to witness. No cheering. No whispers. Just silence that presses against my chest.Elric stands at the front line with Alpha Theron and Joseph. His hands are clenched so tight his knuckles look white even from here. When our eyes meet, something in my chest twists.I nod at him once but I do not look away.Councilor Matthias steps forward, his robes Sweepin the ground like he owns it. His smile is thin and sharp.“Shift,” he says calmly.I close my eyes tightly, the change hits hard, my bones pull and my skin burns. My wolf tears through me like she has been waiting her whole life for this moment. When my paws hit the stone, the crowd inhales together.I am smaller than the oth

CHAPTER 28: BREAKDOWNMIRA'S POVThe silver fire leaves my body like it was ripped off and torn out of me.The chamber is half gone. The stone cracked open like a bone. The Metals are twisted. Smoke on the floor and entering the back of my throat. My ears ring so hard it feels like I’m underwater and everything sounds far away except my own breathing, sharp and ugly, coming out of me.I’m on my knees. I don’t remember me falling.My hands shake so badly that I press them into the floor just to feel something solid. The heat from the blast is still on my palms and I barely notice the pain. I welcome it. It’s better than the picture still burning behind my eyes.Elric’s body.His throat was torn open.His blood was spilled on the ground.I make a sound and don’t recognize it as my own until my chest tightens and my jaw starts to hurt from how hard I’m clenching it. I can taste salt and iron. I don’t wipe my face. I don’t care who sees me like this.Someone laughs softly and satisfied.

CHAPTER 30: RAEL'S ARRIVALMIRA'S POVThe words hit me like a physical blow when Elric said them."You have to fight Rael."I stared at him standing in the doorway of my room, his face carved from stone. Behind him I could see Joseph and Elara hovering in the hallway like they were afraid to come closer."What do you mean I have to fight Rael?" My voice came out steadier than I felt."The third test." Elric stepped inside and closed the door. "The Council's announced it. You fight three Ashback warriors without killing them. Beta Marcus, some warrior named Sera and—""And Rael." I finished for him. My hands started shaking so I shoved them under my legs. "Of course. Because why would they make this fair?""It's a setup." Elric crossed the room in three strides and dropped to his knees in front of me. His hands covered mine. "You know that right? Rael will try to kill you and when you defend yourself they'll claim you lost control."I wanted to laugh but nothing about this was funny. "