Banished by My Pack, Chosen as the True Luna Chapter 08

Banished by My Pack, Chosen as the True Luna Chapter 08

The morning after the attack, Alexander found me sitting outside the settlement.

The sun had barely risen.

Most people were still asleep.

I was staring at my hands.

At the memory of silver light exploding from them.

At the memory of sending a grown assassin flying without touching him.

Alexander sat beside me.

Neither of us spoke for a while.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“The legends describe something similar.”

I looked at him.

“The Moon Chosen Luna?”

He nodded.

I sighed.

“I keep hearing that title.”

“Because nobody thought it was real.”

“And now?”

Alexander glanced toward me.

“Now I’m sitting next to proof.”

I laughed weakly.

“That’s terrifying.”

“It probably should be.”

That wasn’t reassuring.

Not even a little.

Alexander seemed amused.

“The legend says Moon Chosen Lunas weren’t selected by an Alpha.”

I froze.

The words sounded familiar.

Too familiar.

The Moon Goddess had said almost the same thing.

Alexander continued.

“They were chosen directly by the Goddess.”

A chill traveled down my spine.

For the first time, I wasn’t wondering if the dream had been real.

I was wondering what else the Goddess hadn’t told me.

Then suddenly—

My head snapped up.

Alexander immediately noticed.

“What is it?”

I listened.

Hooves. Footsteps. Armor. Voices.

A voice I would’ve recognized anywhere.

My stomach dropped.

Alexander’s expression darkened.

“Olivia.”

I looked toward the southern forest.

“He’s here.”

Silence.

“Who?”

I swallowed.

“Ryder.”

______

The entire settlement reacted instantly.

Theo nearly dropped his breakfast.

“What?”

Maya cursed.

Alexander stood.

His face became unreadable.

“How far?”

“Less than three kilometers.”

Theo groaned.

“Oh, this is going to be annoying.”

Within minutes, everyone was preparing.

Not because they expected war.

Because they didn’t trust Silver Fang.

And honestly?

Neither did I.

Alexander walked beside me.

“Do you want to leave?”

The question surprised me.

“What?”

“If you don’t want to see him, you don’t have to.”

I stared.

Nobody had asked me what I wanted in a very long time.

My throat tightened.

“No.”

I took a breath.

“I’m done running.”

Alexander nodded.

That was all.

No pressure.

Just trust.

______

Ryder arrived twenty minutes later.

For a moment, nobody moved.

The entire settlement stood behind Alexander.

Theo.

Maya.

Jacob.

Everyone.

Across from us stood Ryder and his warriors.

Then my eyes found him.

And his found mine.

The world seemed to stop.

He looked thinner.

More tired.

His beard was longer.

His eyes immediately searched me for injuries.

For signs of weakness.

For proof I was suffering.

The moment he realized I wasn’t—

Something flashed across his face.

Relief.

Then confusion.

Because I looked better than when I’d left.

Healthier.

Happier.

And standing beside another Alpha.

Alexander took one step forward.

Ryder immediately mirrored it.

The tension became unbearable.

Finally Ryder spoke.

“I’m here for Olivia.”

Alexander’s answer came instantly.

“No.”

Theo muttered:

“Strong start.”

Nobody laughed.

Ryder’s eyes narrowed.

“She’s carrying my child.”

Alexander folded his arms.

“She’s carrying her child.”

Theo whispered:

“Ouch.”

I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.

Ryder looked like he wanted to murder someone.

Alexander didn’t seem concerned.

At all.

______

Then Ryder looked at me.

Really looked at me.

Not the pregnancy.

Not my abilities.

Not the future heir.

Me.

“Olivia.”

The name sounded strange coming from him now.

I met his gaze calmly.

‘Alpha Ryder.’

The title hit harder than I expected.

I watched his expression change immediately.

Because he understood.

I wasn’t calling him Ryder anymore.

And maybe I never would again.

“We need to talk.”

I shrugged.

“We’re talking.”

‘Alone.’

Alexander answered before I could.

‘No.’

Ryder looked ready to shift.

‘I wasn’t talking to you.’

Alexander looked bored.

‘Still no.’

Theo actually laughed this time.

Ryder turned back toward me.

His voice softened.

Something it hadn’t done in weeks.

“Olivia.”

I waited.

“I was worried.”

For a second, silence filled the clearing.

Then I smiled.

A sad smile.

Not an angry one.

Not a cruel one.

Just honest.

“I wasn’t.”

Ryder blinked.

“What?”

“I wasn’t worried.”

His jaw tightened.

I continued.

“Because for the first time in my life…”

My eyes drifted toward the people standing behind me.

Theo.

Maya.

Alexander.

Everyone.

‘…I was surrounded by people who actually wanted me alive.”

The words hit.

I saw it.

Ryder physically flinched.

Good.

Because it was true.

______

The silence stretched.

Then Ryder exhaled.

Slowly.

“I made mistakes.”

Theo whispered:

“That’s one way to put it.”

Alexander ignored him.

I didn’t.

It almost made me smile.

Ryder took another step forward.

“I should’ve handled things differently.”

I laughed.

That surprised him.

“Handled things differently?”

My voice rose.

“You locked me in a servant room.”

Ryder looked away.

“You let people call me a freak.”

Silence.

“You asked me to stand beside your new Luna.”

Still silence.

“And you only started looking for me after you found out I was pregnant.”

Nobody spoke.

Not even his warriors.

Because they all knew.

Every word was true.

One of Ryder’s men stepped forward.

“Alpha.”

He handed Ryder a small pouch.

Ryder looked down.

Then back at me.

“We found something.”

I didn’t care.

Or at least I thought I didn’t.

Until he dumped the contents onto a table.

A bracelet. A knife. A piece of fabric.

All taken from the assassins.

Alexander immediately became alert.

“So?”

Ryder picked up the bracelet.

“There was a scent on it.”

I froze.

Because I could smell it too.

The moment the bracelet appeared.

Perfume.

Familiar perfume.

Expensive perfume.

My stomach dropped.

No way.

I stepped closer.

Alexander moved with me immediately.

Without thinking.

Without hesitation.

Ryder noticed.

And hated it.

I picked up the bracelet.

Then inhaled.

The scent was faint.

But there.

Definitely there.

Sophia.

I looked up.

Slowly.

“The woman who hired them wears your Luna’s perfume.”

The entire clearing went silent.

Ryder froze.

“What?”

I tossed the bracelet onto the table.

“She touched this.”

“That’s impossible.”

“No.”

I met his gaze.

“It’s not.”

For the first time, genuine doubt appeared on Ryder’s face.

Not denial.

Doubt.

And that was worse.

Because deep down—

He believed me.

______

After a long silence, Ryder looked at me again.

“Come home.”

The words sounded almost desperate.

I shook my head.

“No.”

“The Pack needs you.”

I laughed.

A real laugh.

Not because it was funny.

Because it was absurd.

“The Pack had me.”

Silence.

“And it threw me away.”

Nobody could argue with that.

Not even Ryder.

Especially not Ryder.

His eyes drifted toward my stomach.

“The child deserves a father.”

The words hung in the air.

Then Alexander stepped forward.

For the first time all day—

His voice carried actual emotion.

“If the child stays here…”

He looked directly at Ryder.

“…they’ll have one.”

The entire settlement froze.

Theo nearly choked.

Maya covered her mouth.

I forgot how breathing worked.

Ryder looked murderous.

Alexander didn’t care.

Not even a little.

His gaze shifted toward me.

Then toward my stomach.

“If Olivia stays here…”

His voice softened.

“That child will never be treated differently.”

Nobody spoke.

“I don’t care who their father is.”

My eyes stung unexpectedly.

Alexander continued.

“They’ll be protected.”

A pause.

“They’ll be loved.”

Another pause.

“They’ll be family.”

Silence swallowed the clearing.

For the first time since leaving Silver Fang—

I felt completely safe.

______

Eventually, Ryder stepped back.

Not because he wanted to.

Because he had no choice.

He looked at me. Hard.

Like he was trying to memorize my face.

Then he nodded once.

“I’m coming back.”

I wasn’t surprised.

“I know.”

His gaze shifted toward Alexander.

“And next time, we’ll talk alone.”

“No.”

Ryder glared.

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

Alexander shrugged.

“Still no.”

Theo laughed so hard he nearly fell over.

For once, nobody stopped him.

Ryder turned.

His warriors followed.

Slowly.

The distance between us grew.

But before he disappeared into the trees—

He looked back one last time.

At me.

At Alexander.

At the life he’d lost.

And for the first time—

I think he finally understood.

He wasn’t competing with my anger.

He wasn’t competing with my forgiveness.

He was competing with a man who had already given me everything he never did.