Chapter 6

Elowyn

I was led by the guards to my room, the one I was told I would share with three other servants, all of them women, in the southern wing of the palace.

I was still in my chains like a slave, and the heavy metal made every step slow and tedious. The guards did not care. They dragged me along mercilessly, their grips bruising my arms. I bit my lips hard to keep from crying out.

“Make way, for the Luna approaches,” one of them declared.

Sabrina walked ahead of us, head held high, her back straight and regal. She didn’t need to speak. Her presence alone scattered the servants who dared to approach. They turned quickly and scurried away, their eyes lowered in fear, desperate not to cross her path.

After several more minutes of walking down the narrow corridors of the southern wing, Sabrina stopped before a small door. She turned to me, her eyes sliding over me with malicious contempt that made my stomach twist.

“Come on, Elowyn. Get in.”

The guards shoved me forward and released me. My wrists ached as I rubbed them, then I moved slowly inside the room Sabrina was standing in front of.

I stepped inside and looked around. The space was small and cramped, with four bunk beds lining the walls and satchels hanging by them. A single window let in a sliver of moonlight, barely enough to make the room feel alive.

“This shall be your room,” Sabrina announced smoothly. “You will stay here with the other servants and you shall only answer to me. Do you understand?”

I swallowed hard. “I don’t, Sabrina. I gave you the gown you asked for. I have never offended you. Why treat me with such cruelty?”

Her deadly green eyes flashed, and before I could react, she stepped forward and seized my hands in an iron grip. Pain shot through me like fire. I howled, struggling, but she only tightened her grasp.

“You shall from this moment address me as your Luna,” she hissed. “And if you ever again question my decision, I’ll have your head for dinner. Do you understand?”

“You’re hurting me, Sab—I mean, Luna,” I gasped as tears pricked my eyes. The pain was unbearable, and yet she did not release me. My voice cracked. “Please… you’re hurting me. Release me.”

Her voice was cold and sharp. “Do you understand?”

This time, I nodded quickly, desperate for relief. Only then did she let go. My hands throbbed as I cradled them to my chest, the phantom sting still burning through my skin.

“Good.” She dusted her hands off with deliberate disdain, as if she had touched something filthy.

“There are rules you must follow,” she said then, her tone dripping with authority. She looked at me, waiting.

I nodded my head obediently, though my chest heaved with silent rage.

Encouraged, she continued. “You shall answer every time I call. And you shall come to my bed every night to mate with the alpha. This begins tonight.”

I froze, the words sinking into me like shards of glass. I couldn’t believe how wicked Sabrina was. Not only had she deceived the alpha into choosing her as his mate, she was now plotting to sacrifice me in her place. She wanted me to take her risks, to bear her burdens, even to give birth to the alpha’s heir, while she remained untouchable.

The thought made me sick.

Still, I forced myself to speak, my voice trembling but steady enough to carry meaning. “If… if I carry the alpha’s child as a servant with no mate, people will talk. They will wonder. They will question. And when the child is born… how will you prove that you gave birth to it? The pack will whisper. The rumors will spread. How will you silence them when they demand the truth?”

The shift in Sabrina was instant. Her eyes sharpened, turning deadly, and for a terrifying moment I thought she would strike me down where I stood. Her silence was worse than her threats.

I panicked, my words rushing out quickly. “I am not questioning your decision, Luna. I would never dare. I only wish to make sure your plan does not blow up in your face. I only want to protect you.”

The air between us was heavy. Her glare did not soften, but she tilted her head ever so slightly, considering me in a new light.

“Then think your way out of that,” she said finally, her voice like velvet over steel.

My breath caught. “My way…?”

“Yes,” she said. “You are so concerned about appearances, so worried about what others will say. Then you will come up with a solution. By tomorrow. You will tell me how I can prove myself mother to the alpha’s heir without doubt, without question.”

My mouth went dry. I could not refuse. I dared not refuse.

“Yes, Luna,” I whispered, bowing my head.

“Good,” she said, satisfaction curling her lips. She turned toward the door, moving with deliberate grace. Her perfume lingered in the air, thick and sweet, cloying as poison. At the threshold she stopped, glancing back over her shoulder.

“Do not forget tonight,” she reminded me.

The words struck me like a blow. My chest tightened, and I forced myself to nod. “I will not.”

Her smile was cold, almost triumphant, and then she left, the door clicking shut behind her.

I sank onto one of the bunks, my chains clinking faintly as I moved. My hands still throbbed where she had gripped me, and my mind spun wildly. 

She wanted me to create the lie that would save her, the deception that would shield her name. 

I shouldn't have said anything. I had thought that logic would make her rethink her decision. But obviously, pointing out the truth bad only made her dig my grave deeper.