Semua Bab Forsaken Luna's Second Chance: Bab 21 - Bab 30

BEATRICEA week without my daughter has felt like clawing through stone with bare hands. But today, finally, I’m allowed to see her.The guards escorting me don’t speak. I don't need them to. My heart is pounding hard enough to fill the silence. It’s not until we reach the upper hall that I notice something that makes me stop for just a second: both guards are women.They’re dressed like warriors. Not decorative escorts or maids in uniform, but real, trained, ready-for-battle warriors.Silverfang never allowed this.Sure, girls could “train,” but only the basics — how to shift without losing control, how to defend just enough to not die. But they were never allowed to join warrior ranks. That was reserved for the males. Bloodlines, traditions, pack image, whatever excuse worked.But here, these women walk with authority and confidence.And it makes me wonder how many other lies I’ve been told.The moment they open the door, I forget everything else.“Mommy!” Bailey shouts, launching he

BEATRICEMy heartbeat is pounding so hard I can barely hear anything else. It’s like the sound has risen to my ears, muffling the rest of the room, the air, even his voice.I push Maxwell away. Not forcefully, but enough to put some space between us. I need air. I need the heat of his body not to be pressed against mine. “Thank you,” I murmur, avoiding his eyes. It comes out smaller than I intend, a little awkward, a little too quiet.He watches me for a second. Long enough to make my skin itch under the weight of his gaze, but he doesn’t say anything else.I clear my throat, smoothing my hair back like it helps me find balance. I force my voice to sound casual, like I’m asking the question for no particular reason. “The prisoner from earlier… the one they brought in. Do you know who he is?”Maxwell’s expression doesn’t shift. “No one important,” he says simply.Just like that. No details. No explanation. Of course. He’s too smart for that.I nod like it doesn’t matter to me, like I’

BEATRICEAnother week passes in silence.I haven’t seen Maxwell at all since that night in my room. No unexpected visits, no passing glances, not even a word through the guards. It’s like he vanished into his responsibilities, which I guess makes sense. He’s a real king.Not like Enzo, who just liked the title.The guards are different here, especially the women. They don’t treat me like glass. I’ve even started talking to one of them — Sera, a tall, sharp-eyed warrior who stands outside my door during the day. She’s not much older than me, but she has the kind of presence that makes you feel like nothing could shake her.One afternoon, while she watches me stitch leather, I glance up and ask, “Why doesn’t Maxwell have a Luna?”She pauses, tilting her head. “We never ask.”“So you don't know whether he has a mate?”“No idea. But if he has, he’s avoiding her.”I blink, surprised by the honesty.“Why?” I ask softly.She shrugs. “King Maxwell resists a lot of things. Mate bond just happen

BEATRICEMy fists clench hard, so tight that I feel my nails digging into skin. But I don’t loosen them. Because the truth is, I hate this feeling of shame and helplessness. There’s burning in my chest that has nothing to do with anger and everything to do with humiliation. I’ve felt it too many times before. It’s the same heat that used to rise when Enzo would dismiss my thoughts, shut me down, strip me of choices like I wasn’t even a person.Maxwell’s words still echo in my head.“Only the strong have the right to negotiate.”The words burn.Because I know he’s not just talking about the negotiation. He’s talking about the world. About what it takes to survive in it.I’ve been barely surviving. Running from one cage to the next, quieter each time. I’ve done what I had to do to protect my daughter, but it wasn’t enough. Not really. If I had been stronger enough to fight to stand my ground—we never would’ve had to run in the first place.For so long, I believed Enzo would be my protec

BEATRICEMy heartbeat thuds painfully in my chest. I keep my posture steady even though every instinct in my body is screaming at me to run.“I asked to wear it,” I speak up, keeping my voice even. “I didn’t sleep well last night. My face broke out in a rash. I didn’t want to distract anyone.”Maxwell says nothing, but I can feel his silent approval from where he stands beside me.Enzo doesn’t answer right away. I can feel the weight of his stare pressing against my skin like a blade. But eventually, he makes a dismissive sound and looks back toward Maxwell.“Let’s get on with it then,” he mutters.But Thalia — she doesn’t look away. She watches me with a kind of cold curiosity that prickles the back of my neck. Like she senses something. Like she knows what I am, even if she can’t prove it yet.I keep my gaze on the table as Maxwell opens the meeting.“I’ll make this simple,” Maxwell says. “Your Gamma is alive. Unharmed.”Gamma?That’s who the prisoner was? The one we passed in the ha