CHAPTER EIGHT: THE PUP

It was a pup.

It lay in a basket. Small. Woven. The basket had been pushed into the corner of the wardrobe, as though someone wanted it hidden.

Aria stared at it.

The pup was tiny. Grey. Its eyes were closed. Its ribs pressed against its fur like fingers beneath cloth. A shiver ran through its body. A weak whimper escaped its throat.

It will not survive.

The thought settled over her like a weight.

A knot tightened in her chest. Her hands trembled as she reached for the basket.

Who would leave a pup here?

She lifted the basket out of the wardrobe. The room was empty. Silent. No answer came.

Days. It must have been here for days.

The pup whimpered again. Its tiny nose twitched. Something inside Aria cracked open.

"You are just like me," she whispered.

Tears burned her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her hand.

Then she remembered.

The emergency kit. Under the bed.

She had seen it earlier—a small wooden box with bandages, salves, and dried herbs. Mira had taught her how to use them. Treat the wound before the infection sets in. Clean it. Cover it. Keep it warm.

She pulled the kit from under the bed and knelt beside the basket. Her fingers worked quickly, gently. She cleaned the pup's wounds. She wrapped the bandage around its tiny body. The pup stopped shivering.

By the time she finished, it had fallen asleep.

Aria sat back on her heels. A small smile tugged at her lips.

You are safe now.

Then she heard footsteps outside the door.

Her heart slammed against her ribs. Her breath caught.

What if it is a setup? What if someone knows?

She scooped the pup into the basket and pushed it back into the wardrobe. Her hands shook as she closed the door.

The footsteps grew closer.

1...2...3.

The door opened.

A palace guard stood in the doorway. His face was blank.

"Come with us. The King has ordered you to return to the maids' quarters."

Aria froze.

The pup. She thought about the pup. It was still hidden in the wardrobe. Alone. Weak. If she left, no one would feed it. No one would care for it. It would die.

"No." The word came out louder than she intended. "Please. Can I not stay here?"

The guard gave a signal to the second guard. Footsteps approached. Hands grabbed her arms.

"No! Leave me alone!"

She twisted. She pulled. She tried to break free. But the hands were too strong.

They dragged her through the corridors. She stumbled. She fell. No one stopped.

The maids' quarters were dark. Cramped. The air smelled of sweat and old straw. Rows of thin mattresses lined the walls. A single candle flickered in the corner.

The guards threw her inside. She landed hard on the floor, her palms scraping against the stone.

She clenched her fists. Her jaw tightened.

The King. He fooled me. He gave me a room, and then he took it away.

The hatred burned in her chest. Hotter than before.

She pushed herself to her feet.

The door opened again. A woman entered. Tall. Sharp-eyed. Grey hair pulled back into a tight bun. She carried herself like someone who had never been questioned.

"Good evening, Maiden Vivian."

The palace girls bowed their heads. Aria watched. She was not used to this. The bowing. The titles. The cold formality.

Maiden Vivian was in charge of the palace girls. She ran the royal kitchen. Everyone obeyed her without question.

"Young girl. This is your bed."

She pointed to a thin mattress in the corner. Aria walked toward it. Her legs felt heavy. She sat down. The bed was hard. The blanket was thin. Everything was small.

This is where I belong now.

Maiden Vivian turned to address the room.

"Listen well. You are all to wake at six in the morning. We must prepare for Princess Selene's arrival."

"Yes, ma," the girls answered in unison. They bowed their heads.

Aria watched. She did not bow. She did not answer.

Maiden Vivian's eyes landed on her.

"And you."

She walked toward Aria.

"After the welcoming of the Princess, I will teach you the rules of this kingdom. But the basics you must know now."

She held up one finger.

"When the Princess, Luna, or Alpha speaks to you, bow your head. Do not look them in the eye."

She held up a second finger.

"Keep your hands behind your back. Always."

She lowered her hand.

"Is that clear?"

Aria bowed her head slightly.

"Yes, ma."

"Good."

Maiden Vivian stepped back.

"Tomorrow, we will begin with cleaning before we head to the kitchen. Who will clean the rooms in the maids' quarters?"

Silence.

Then Aria spoke. Her voice was loud. Clear.

"Me, ma."

Every head turned. Some of the girls stared. Others whispered.

If only she knew how hard that is.

She volunteered for that?

"I will do it alone, ma."

Maiden Vivian looked at her for a long moment. Then she nodded.

"Very well. If that is what you want."

She left.

The whispers grew louder.

"She cannot do it."

"She is trying to forget her parents."

Aria lay down on the bed. She turned her face to the wall. She closed her eyes. She let the words wash over her.

Her mind drifted.

The pup. She thought about the pup. It was still in the wardrobe. Alone. Scared. Hungry.

I guess you must be lonely, little one.

She had volunteered for the cleaning because of it. Cleaning the rooms meant access. Access meant she could reach the room. The room meant she could feed the pup.

I hope you survive one more night. Please. Survive.

Then another thought crept in.

What if they find out?

Her stomach tightened.

I would be executed. Like my parents.

She sighed. Then she shook her head.

I do not care if I am executed. I cannot survive in this palace anyway. I want to join my parents, wherever they are.

Her jaw set.

But I will take care of the pup first.

The girls were still talking. Their voices drifted through the dark.

"My wolf is the best among you all," one of them said. She was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "She caught a rabbit last week. All by herself."

"That is nothing," another girl said. She sat up, grinning. "My wolf can come out whenever I want. Watch."

Her eyes flashed gold. Her fingers lengthened into claws. Fur rippled across her arms.

The other girls gasped. Some clapped.

Aria watched.

She felt nothing.

No pull. No stir. No wolf.

Her fingers touched the wristband on her arm.

Why has my wolf never awakened?

No answer came.

She closed her eyes.

---

The next morning, Aria woke before dawn.

Five o'clock.

She had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the cottage. Thomas. Mira. The happy moments. The laughter. The warmth.

She took her bath. She dressed. She wrapped the bandage around her hand again—even though the wound had vanished. If anyone saw her unmarked skin, they would ask questions. She could not afford questions.

The other girls woke shortly after.

At six, Maiden Vivian entered.

"The doors are open. Begin your chores."

Aria stood. She gathered her cleaning supplies. Bucket. Clothes. Soap. Brush.

"Breakfast is in the kitchen," Maiden Vivian announced.

Aria rushed to the kitchen. She took her food. She did not sit. She did not eat. She poured it into a small cloth bag and tucked it under her clothes.

Then she began cleaning.

The first room. The second. The third.

She worked fast. Her hands moved without thought. But her mind was elsewhere.

Finally, she reached the room. The one she had been given. The one she had been forced to leave.

She looked around. No one in the corridor. No one is watching.

She slipped inside.

Her eyes went straight to the wardrobe. She crossed the room. Her hand reached for the handle.

She opened the door.

The pup was there. Alive. But weaker than before. Its ribs pressed against its fur. Its eyes were still closed. Its breathing was shallow.

It could not even whimper.

Aria's heart clenched.

She lifted the pup out. She reached under her clothes and pulled out the food. She fed it. Small bites. Careful. The pup devoured the food. It had not been eaten in days.

She heard footsteps outside the door.

Her breath caught. Her body went still.

The footsteps grew closer. Then they passed.

Aria exhaled.

She held the pup close. Its heartbeat pressed against her palm. Faint. But there.

"Little one," she whispered. "I will take care of you. Even if it means losing my life."

She kissed the top of its head. Then she placed it back in the basket. She tucked the basket into the wardrobe. And closed it gently.

She stood and adjusted her clothes. A deep breath steadied her. Then she picked up her cleaning supplies.

Immediately, she stepped outside. She had barely taken two steps when she felt it.

A presence.

Watching.

Her skin prickled. The hair on the back of her neck rose.

Her head turned.

No one. Nothing. Just an empty corridor.

But the feeling did not go away.

Someone had been there.

She shook her head.

I am just imagining things.

She walked to the next room.