Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 412

The Heartbroken Luna’s Choice: Banish Love

Third Person’s POV

Cassian’s dark eyes were a mess of raw pain and desperation.

Finished

Ignoring the searing burn in his gut, he forced himself back into Trista’s personal space. “Who did this to you?” he rasped.

Trista didn’t even give him a side–eye. She kept her gaze locked on Thomasina.

Cassian followed her look, and his pupils–blown out from exhaustion–instantly narrowed into a lethal, predatory glint.

Trista suddenly dropped her guard, replacing her coldness with a look of lingering fear.

She addressed the crowd of guests who were busy sniffing out the drama. “It was Luna Thomasina… she grabbed me so hard it hurt. I tried to pull away, but she wouldn’t let go–it felt like she was trying to crush my arm. I only fought back to get away. I never meant for her to lose her balance.”

“You’re lying through your teeth!” Thomasina barked. She hadn’t expected Trista to flip the script and play the victim so effectively. Her polished face turned a sickly shade of green.

She clung to her husband, pointing a finger at Trista. “I didn’t even touch you! You’re just bitter about Samantha, so you decided to take it out on a pregnant she–wolf!”

Trista maintained her innocent mask, hitting back with total logic. “Luna Thomasina, I’ll admit Samantha made my life a living hell. But before tonight, I’ve never even seen you at a pack event in L.A., and I certainly didn’t know you were a Fernandez.”

Trista paused, glancing at the sharp–eared wolves in the hall. “Do you really think I’m stupid enough to intentionally injure myself under a security camera just to frame a Luna I don’t even know?”

Thomasina was stuck.

She had intentionally released her aura earlier in the ballroom to mark her territory and reveal her bloodline, but she hadn’t realized Trista was disciplined enough to play dumb.

Now, under the collective gaze of the guests, Thomasina had nowhere to hide.

Trista took a step forward, using the professional, steady aura of a healer to corner Thomasina.

“Luna Thomasina, you knew I was here representing the Blackthorns‘ interests with Alpha Xander. Yet you chose to smear me and risk a war between our two packs.” Her voice turned razor–cold “Was this really for the Fernandez family, or do you have another agenda?”

Before Thomasina could spin a lie, Xander stepped up.

As the Alpha of the Blades, his aura swept through the hallway like a hurricane. Alpha Edwin, do I need to re–evaluate our friendship on the West Coast?”

Alpha Edwin started sweating. A fallout between two pack leaders was no joke.

1/12

11:38 am

PXX.

Finished

He quickly forced a smile. “Alpha Xander, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This was clearly a misunderstanding–a breakdown in communication. We have nothing but respect for the Blade pack.”

To stop the bleeding, Edwin immediately signaled his beta to stand down. This had to be handled privately.

Fred let out a dry, mocking laugh, his eyes sweeping over the Fernandez family members cowering in the corner. “Alpha Edwin, word travels fast in L.A. If you let a petty, vengeful she–wolf whisper in your ear, you’re going to torch a century of Blackthorn’s reputation.”

The comment hit Edwin like a slap to the face.

Thomasina ground her teeth, looking like she wanted to tear the smirk right off Fred’s face.

She took a deep breath, reined in her frantic energy, and signaled an omega maid to bring over ten grand in cash. She held it out to Trista.

“It was a misunderstanding. Take this for the dress and the… little scare,” Thomasina said, her tone dripping with condescension. “I’m sure Alpha Xander isn’t going to hold a grudge over a minor hiccup, right?”

In her eyes, Trista was just an unmated stray. Even if she had a job with the Blades, how much could she really have?

Her white dress didn’t even have a visible logo. In a town like L.A., it probably cost peanuts.

Ten grand should be more than enough to buy her dignity.

“Ten grand?” Fred actually barked out a laugh. The sound was jagged and insulting in the quiet hallway.

Xander just shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips.

Cassian’s brow furrowed even deeper, his expression one of pure disgust.

Trista didn’t even look at the money. Her eyes stayed locked on Alpha Edwin. “Alpha Edwin, when your Luna accused me, you didn’t hesitate to pull the tapes and threaten Alpha Xander, you were ready to go to war for your ‘justice.”

Her voice was clear and powerful, echoing off the walls. “Now that the truth is out–that your Luna was the one who initiated the violence–you think you can just throw some cash at it? Do you really think my dignity is for sale, or do you just think it’s easy to bully an unmated wolf?”

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Sara Lili

Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.