Chapter 7

Isabella's POV

A month had passed since Terrence brought me to the Blue Moon Clan, and I was beginning to feel settled. I had found a cleaning job at an inn near the market, and although the long hours left me exhausted, I was getting used to the work. At least I could earn my own money while living under Terrence's roof.

He had never made me feel like a burden. We often shared dinner when his duties allowed it, and our conversations had become something I looked forward to. For all his authority as Alpha, Terrence was easy to talk to, and I had come to trust him as a friend.

That evening, we sat together at the dining table while he told me about a merchant who had wasted nearly an hour arguing over a simple dispute.

“You should have seen his face when I ruled against him,” Terrence said, shaking his head. “Apparently, he expected me to change the rules because he didn't like them.”

I laughed. “Perhaps he thought you would eventually get tired of listening to him.”

“I nearly did.”

His dry delivery made me laugh again, and for a little while, the troubles I carried seemed far away. I was grateful for the home he had given me, especially because he never treated his kindness as something I owed him for.

When I mentioned that the innkeeper had offered me more regular shifts, Terrence nodded approvingly.

“That's good news. Just don't work yourself into the ground.”

“I'll manage.”

“And remember, you can stay here as long as you need. You don't have to rush into anything just because you think you should.”

“I know.” I smiled at him. “Thank you, Terrence. For everything.”

He waved away my thanks and returned to his meal.

The next afternoon, I was passing the market stalls when I overheard two women discussing the Ashen Pack. I would have continued walking, but one of them mentioned its former Luna.

“Apparently, she was banished after betraying Alpha Zane,” the first woman said. “Imagine losing everything like that.”

“Some say she disappeared into the mountains. I doubt anyone will ever see her again.”

I kept walking, refusing to let them see how their words affected me. The familiar ache was still there, buried beneath the life I was trying to build, and hearing strangers repeat the accusations brought it closer to the surface. I had hoped that distance would make the past easier to bear, but even here, the Ashen Pack's name was enough to remind me of everything I had lost.

I didn't stop to hear the rest of their conversation.

By the time I returned to Terrence's residence that evening, I was tired enough to want nothing more than a quiet room and a full night's sleep. Mara informed me that Terrence was occupied with his duties, so I ate dinner and went upstairs.

Inside my room, I paused in front of the mirror.

The woman looking back at me had a face that no one from the Ashen Pack would recognize. The bone-shaper had changed my features so thoroughly that even someone who had once known me well would struggle to identify me. I studied my reflection briefly, still aware of the price I had paid to leave my old life behind.

At least the transformation had given me what I needed most: the freedom to live without fear of being recognized. Whatever people said about the former Luna, they would never connect her to the woman standing before this mirror.

I turned away, changed into my nightclothes, and climbed into bed. Tomorrow, I would return to the inn, finish my work, and come home to the quiet life I had begun to appreciate.

For now, that was enough.