Chapter 5: Luna Only In Name

ADELINE 

“Be fast about it before I change my mind!" The guard behind me barked, shoving me forward so hard I nearly stumbled. 

The other two guards standing at the cell entrance burst into laughter as they watched me struggle to keep my balance. 

“Can you imagine this pathetic little shit being a Luna? Our Luna?” One of them guffawed. 

“A sick joke, I tell you,” the other hissed. “A useless Omega as our supposed leader? It's unheard of. I'm surprised Alpha Dominic hasn't executed her yet. I expected it to happen that very day.”

“The latest gossip says the mating ceremony was done with some kind of blood oath,” the guard behind me said, kicking my calf simultaneously. 

I landed on the ground, groaning at the pain shooting up my leg. 

“Move it!” 

I hurried out of the cell as fast as my tired body would carry me. 

“Blood oath or not, this is ridiculous! The rumors are already spreading like wildfire. The King has to do something about this before it gets out of hand. If he's not careful, the other factions might start to think him weak.”

I stiffened at the guard's words. Had this one mistake really caused this much trouble? 

My chest felt heavy as I imagined the consequences this would wreck on me. An Omega and an Alpha could never be mated, not to mention me taking up the position of Luna. 

It was an anomaly. An abomination. 

And right now, I was splat right in the center of it all. 

The days since I'd been locked up in the dungeon had faded into one another, causing me to lose track of time. I might have been locked up there for three days or more, awaiting my inevitable fate of death. 

And this morning, the guards had come here to unchain me. I wondered if this was the day I would finally be executed, and I tried to make peace with that, blinking back the tears that pooled in my eyes as the guard pushed me through the musty pathway of the dungeon. 

I shouldn't have been surprised at the misfortune that continually befell me. Right from childhood, my life had been a vicious cycle of bullying and hatred. I was nothing but a worthless waste of space. Even my father proved it. This was evident from the way he had betrayed the pack without even considering how it would affect me. 

And he had left me all alone in the world to fend for myself, branded as the daughter of a renegade. 

Even the moon goddess considered me worthless. Why else would she mate me to a man like Hilton? And even when I'd managed to escape, I had fallen right into the hands of a man more vicious. An accidental second chance. 

But this was no second chance. It was a death sentence. 

Perhaps death wasn't so bad. I was scared, but it was possibly the closest thing to freedom I would ever taste. My life was hell, and I was sick of living it. Maybe I shouldn't be so afraid of execution. It would take care of more than one problem…

My hand instinctively moved to my stomach and I trembled. This seed inside of me, it was a terrible, terrible curse. 

The feeling of the guard's rough shove yanked me out of my reverie. 

Instead of the execution ground I was expecting, I was standing in front of a royal chamber, its white ornate doors slightly ajar. The guard pushed the doors open and finally let go of me. 

“Get in. A maid will be here shortly with further instructions.”

“B-But why am I here?” My voice was hoarse. 

The guard scowled. “Are you stupid? How dare you talk back at me?” he hissed. 

I staggered back. “I wasn't. I was just–”

He grabbed my throat. “Your silly little trick to be one of the royals might have worked for now, but don't you dare think you have a say in anything. You are Luna only in name, not practice. Little bitch.”

With that, he pushed me aside and stalked off. I stood at the door, still shaken but confused. 

I wasn't being executed?

And what did the guard mean by Luna in name and not practice? I was going to remain the Luna?

I was so confused I did nothing but stand at the entrance, wondering what to do. Finally, I surrendered to fatigue and hobbled inside the room. 

A gasp escaped my throat as I stood at the door, taking in the beautiful sight in front of me. 

It was bigger than any chamber in the Redpool pack house, white walls, high ceilings, gold linings on every piece of furniture, and a queen sized bed with vintage beddings. Purple velvet drapes framed the tall windows and tapestries adorned the walls. It was very luxurious, and yet, simple. 

Still awed, I lowered myself onto the carpet, scared I might stain the sheets if I sat on the bed. My eyes roamed the room and settled on the mirror directly opposite me, my reflection clear. 

I sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of myself. I looked completely horrible. My skin was pale and caked with grime. My silver hair was a mess, disheveled and sticking up in every direction, and I was still clad in the red dress from the mating ceremony. It felt like a metal armor weighing down on me. 

Suddenly, I heard the doors swing open. Out of habit, I scrambled to my feet and placed both hands behind my back, bowing slightly. 

“We don't have time. Come here, let's get this over with,” a female voice said. 

I recognized that voice. 

My head snapped up to face her and I froze when I saw that I was right. Lisa, one of the maids who had tricked me, was standing there. Beside her was another girl I didn't recognize. 

I rushed forward, my eyes wide. “You…you're one of the girls who tricked me!”

She ignored me, avoiding eye contact. “Alpha Dominic sent us here to clean you up and make you look presentable. There's a bag of toiletries here to–”

“Lisa,” I called out desperately, angry at the unfairness of all this. I grabbed her hand and forced her to look at me. “Don't pretend like you don't know me!”

She slapped my hand away harshly. “Don't be stupid. This better be the last time you ever mention my name. I don't know you, okay? If you get me in trouble with the King, I'll make you pay.”

Tears stung my eyes. 

She shoved the bag of toiletries at me. “I assume you know how to bathe yourself? Don't expect to be treated like an actual Luna. You're just a slave. So, hurry up so I can get out of here.”

She then settled on the bed and crossed her legs. I stared at her in disbelief, gripping the bag. Pain stabbed at my chest, and the tears came despite how hard I tried to keep them at bay. 

What did I do to deserve this? I had only known those girls for one day. A single day, and yet they played such a cruel trick on me. What was it about me that was so repulsive?

Had they somehow discovered my past? My status as a traitor's daughter?

“Why me?” I asked her, my voice thick with tears. “You don't even know me. Why would you do this to me? I am in this mess because of you.”

Lisa chuckled. “You were an easy target. The new girl, all wide-eyed and hopeful. It was funny. We wanted to teach you a little lesson about life. Who knew you'd be so stupid to actually fall for it?”

I felt a mix of pain and relief. 

Relief that no one here knew about my past. Pain that they had tricked me into a life-threatening situation just for fun. 

I turned away to hide the tears streaming down my cheeks. 

“I meant what I said, new girl,” Lisa's voice came again. “If you dare bring me or any of the other girls up to the King, I will destroy you. Besides, no one will ever believe you. All the odds are against you.”

With a chilling smirk, she stood from the bed and walked out of the room. 

I trudged to the bathroom and turned on the shower to muffle my cries. Once I was done, I emerged to see a dress laid out for me on the bed. The maid who had come in with Lisa was still standing there, waiting. 

“You should get dressed. I'll fix up your hair.”

I nodded and obeyed. 

She worked in silence, and I let my thoughts roam. I didn't understand why the King had released me and sent maids to prepare me. 

But from the looks of it, I would soon find out. I was so nervous I rubbed my hands on my dress to wipe off the sweat. 

“What were you thinking trusting Lisa and the others?” the maid suddenly asked. 

I looked at her through the mirror. She was a brown haired girl, around my age, with a scar running down her chin. 

“They were…friendly. I thought they accepted me. It was a mistake.”

“It was stupid,” she said, “And totally your fault. You're lucky it was a blood oath. Alpha Dominic would have had your head on a spike by now. But you won't be lucky for long.”

I swallowed, feeling the sting of her words. But I said nothing. It wouldn't make a difference. 

Finally, she curled the last piece of hair and put it in place. “All done.”

I turned to face her. “What happens now? Why were you sent to prepare me?”

“The King didn't say. But you don't want to anger him further, so I suggest you follow the crowd. It's Wednesday, trial day for offenders. You should attend.”

“But…”

“Please, save your questions. I don't have time. Until your fate is decided, you are a pack member and Luna. Start acting like it.”