Broken Luna Rise Back

_Elsa’s POV_The silver tray in my hands felt heavier than usual as I made my way through the crowded ballroom. The championship celebration was in full swing and the air buzzed with excitement and expensive perfume.“Elsa,” Luna Martha harsh voice cut through the noise. “Take this envelope to the stage manager. Caleb will be making his announcement soon.”My heart fluttered as I took the cream-colored envelope from her perfectly manicured hands. This was it. The moment I’d been waiting for. Caleb had won the championship game, scored the winning goal in overtime, and now he was going to announce our relationship to everyone.I smoothed down my black server’s dress and made my way toward the stage. The pack members were already gathering, champagne glasses in hand, their faces bright with celebration. I spotted some of the hockey team near the front, still riding high from their victory.The stage manager barely glanced at me as I handed him the envelope. “Another speech,” he muttered

Elsa’s POVThe stranger’s car had long disappeared into the storm, leaving only his words echoing in my head: “If you want revenge, survive. If you want freedom, fight.”I had repeated them like a mantra as I trudged through the snow, my body aching, my lungs raw from the cold. Each step toward Moonstone Pack felt heavier than the last, but where else could I go? The storm would swallow me if I stayed out here. The world beyond the pack was even crueler. And deep down, some part of me wanted to face Caleb again not because I needed him, but because I needed to prove to myself that he no longer owned me.By the time I reached the borders of Moonstone, dawn had broken, pale light spilling across the trees. The guards stiffened when they saw me, surprise flickering across their faces. No one had expected me to return, least of all Caleb.“Bring her in,” one of them muttered, his tone a mixture of pity and unease.I squared my shoulders and followed, every muscle screaming in protest. My

Elsa’s POVMonths had passed since the night Caleb nearly broke me. The bruises faded, the welts healed, but the scars beneath my skin the ones no one could see remained.I told myself I was stronger now, that I wouldn’t cry or bend again. Every day, I forced myself to wake, to work, to push past the whispers that followed me. Pity. Scorn. Mockery. They had never seen me as anything else, and part of me wondered if they ever would.Still, I survived. That had to mean something.The morning began like any other. I was sweeping the steps outside the packhouse, trying to ignore the cold that bit into my fingers, when a shrill voice cut through the air like a blade.“Well, if it isn’t the little orphan girl, pretending to be useful again.”Crystal.I stiffened but didn’t look up. I’d learned long ago that reacting only fed her cruelty. She thrived on the attention, on the way others bent under her venomous tongue.Unfortunately, ignoring her rarely stopped her.“Didn’t you hear me?” she

Elsa’s POVThe summons came in the afternoon. I had just finished hauling buckets of water from the well, my arms trembling from exhaustion, when a young maid rushed toward me, her face pale.“Elsa,” she whispered, glancing nervously over her shoulder. “Young lady Crystal’s calling for you.”The bucket slipped in my grip, sloshing water over my feet. My stomach sank. Crystal never called unless it was to cause trouble.“I don’t suppose she said why?” I asked, my voice flat.The girl shook her head quickly. “No, but… you should hurry. You know how she gets if you keep her waiting.”I did know. And though every bone in my body wanted to run in the opposite direction, I wiped my hands on my skirt, lifted my chin, and forced my legs to move toward the packhouse.The halls were buzzing with life, but when people saw me, their chatter dipped into whispers. Eyes followed me, some pitying, some mocking, most indifferent. By now, I had grown used to being the subject of their gossip, but today

Elsa’s POVThe stone floors gleamed beneath my raw hands, though no one would thank me for it. My body ached, my stomach hollow and growling, but I dared not pause. Crystal’s words from earlier echoed mercilessly in my head:“If she doesn’t scrub every inch of the palace clean, she doesn’t eat today. And if she’s not finished by night, you will pay, too.”She hadn’t even addressed me directly. She’d said it to the high maid, her tone light, as if discussing weather rather than my survival.The high maid, a woman who had long since learned to bend beneath Crystal’s cruelty, simply nodded. “Yes, my lady.” Then she turned to me with weary eyes and said, “You heard her. Don’t expect supper.”So here I was, on my knees, hands raw from scrubbing floors that already shone, knowing that no matter how much I cleaned, Crystal would find fault. That was her way.By mid afternoon, sweat drenched my back, dripping into my eyes, stinging the skin where bruises from the last beating still lingered.