Chapter 2

Nova's Pov

I shut the door to my small room behind me, the click of the latch sounding louder than it should in the quiet. The space was tiny.

Barely enough for a narrow bed, a chipped mirror, and a single window that overlooked the alley where moonlight sometimes slipped through the cracks in the buildings. But right now it felt like the only safe place left in the world.

I sank onto the edge of the mattress, knees drawn up, arms wrapped tight around them. My chest ached like someone had reached in and squeezed.

Crystal? I whispered the name in my mind, reaching for the soft presence that had always lived inside me.

A gentle warmth stirred, like moonlight pooling in my chest. "I’m here, Nova. Her voice was quiet, steady, the way it always was when everything else felt broken."

He’s gone. He really left. The words tasted bitter. I gave him everything, Crystal. Everything. I sold my life here so he could stand in that sacred circle and become what he always dreamed of being. I danced for leering strangers, smiled when I wanted to cry, kept my legs closed because I thought… I thought it mattered to him. That my purity would mean something when he came back.

Crystal’s presence brushed against me, soft as fur against skin. "You did it for love. For the bond you felt. That’s not weakness."

It feels like weakness now. He didn’t even mark me. All those years, all those promises whispered under the full moon, he never once sank his teeth into my neck. Never once claimed me the way a true mate should. And tonight he looked at me like I was… damaged goods. Like the place where I’d survived made me less.

A low, mournful whine echoed in my head. "He was never worthy of you, Nova. The bond you felt was real, but it wasn’t mutual. Not the way it should have been."

I pressed my forehead to my knees. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not for him. Not anymore.

I thought when he walked through that door tonight, he’d see me. Really see me. The girl who waited. The girl who believed. Instead he pulled out gold like it could erase the years I spent holding my breath.

"He wanted a concubine. A pretty thing to keep in the shadows of his new life. Not a partner. Not a Luna. Just… convenient."

Crystal stayed silent for a long moment, then whispered, You are more than convenient. You are whole. And you are free of him now.

Free. The word felt hollow and terrifying at the same time.

I lifted my head, staring at the cracked mirror across the room. My reflection looked small, pale, eyes too big and too tired. But there was something else there too. A spark. Small. Angry. Alive.

I can’t stay like this, Crystal. I can’t keep waiting for someone else to decide my worth.

"What will you do?"

I don’t know yet. But I’m done dancing for scraps.

A soft knock came at the door.

“Nova?” Madam Vesper’s voice, gentle but firm.

I wiped my face even though no tears had fallen, then stood and opened the door.

She stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, closing the door quietly behind her. Her crimson robe brushed the floorboards. She studied me for a long second, amber eyes seeing too much.

“You sent him away,” I said.

“I sent his gold away,” she corrected. “You sent him away with your silence.”

I managed a weak smile. “It felt good. For about ten seconds.”

She crossed to the window, gazing out at the alley. “It should feel good for longer than that. You deserve more than ten seconds of satisfaction, child.”

I wrapped my arms around myself again. “I need to work. Really work. Not just dance.”

Vesper turned slowly, brow furrowing. “What are you saying?”

“The exclusive VIP list. The private rooms. I want to serve them.”

Her expression shifted with surprise, then something sharper. Worry.

“Nova…”

“I know what it means,” I said quickly. “I’m not a child. I’ve lived here long enough to understand. But I can’t keep pretending I’m above it. Not if I want to earn my way out. Not if I want control over my own life for once.”

She stepped closer, voice dropping low. “Those men on the VIP list are not like the ones who watch you dance from the floor. They pay for discretion. For privacy. For… whatever they desire. And one of them in particular…” She hesitated, choosing her words with care.

“He is not someone to cross lightly. He is powerful. Dangerous. The kind of man who can ruin lives without ever raising his voice.”

“Then let it be him,” I said, surprising even myself with how steady my voice sounded. “If he’s the most dangerous, he’s probably the one who pays the most. I need to start somewhere.”

Vesper reached out and took both my hands in hers. Her palms were warm, steady.

“Listen to me, Nova. You are not merchandise. Not to me. Not to anyone who truly sees you. If you walk into that room, you are choosing a path that cannot be unchosen. And the man I’m thinking of… he does not play games he cannot win.”

I met her gaze. “I’m not playing games. I’m surviving.”

She searched my face for a long moment, then sighed. the sound of someone who had seen too many girls make this choice and never quite come back the same.

“Sleep on it,” she said finally. “One night. Promise me that much.”

I nodded, even though my mind was already racing ahead.

She squeezed my hands once, then let go and moved toward the door.

“Madam?” I called softly.

She paused, hand on the knob.

“Thank you. For tonight. For everything.”

Vesper gave me a small, sad smile. “You thank me by staying whole, Nova. Whatever you decide.”

The door closed behind her with a soft click.

I stood there in the quiet, heart pounding, the weight of tomorrow already pressing down.

Crystal stirred again, voice gentle but certain.

"Whatever comes next… we face it together."

I nodded to my reflection in the mirror.

Together.

And for the first time in years, the word didn’t feel like a plea.

It felt like a promise.