Semua Bab A Luna And A Whore : Bab 11 - Bab 20

The night leaned in close.A hush had fallen over the parlor like silk dropped from a height. Firelight breathed golden onto the walls, licking the velvet drapes, stretching the shadows tall and watching. Jasmine stood beneath the chandelier, her back bare, spine gleaming like a blade, corset laced cruel and high.Elora’s voice trailed off behind her, murmuring instructions to one of the girls. Distant laughter spilled from the upstairs landing.....a perfume of mirth Jasmine couldn’t feel. Not tonight.Tonight, her mouth tasted of ash and wine and something else.The man had arrived just after moonrise, escorted without introduction, but Elora’s glance had lingered longer than usual....just a flick of the eyes, barely a nod. Enough to mean danger, or delight. Often both.He waited in the Velvet Room.Jasmine walked with the slow confidence of someone who owned every eye that dared touch her. But inside, there was something keening. Her thoughts flared and curled, restless as the smoke

The House of Solace had a rhythm of its own, a pulse that could be felt in every creak of the floorboards, every murmur from behind the closed doors. It hummed through the walls, vibrating in Jasmine’s chest. She leaned against the railing of the staircase, watching the women below. Their movements were fluid, practiced, as though they had learned to become shadows themselves.....slipping through the house, indistinct yet unforgettable.The air was thick with perfume, with the faintest trace of musk and desire. The scent clung to the walls, seeped into the very fabric of the House, wrapping itself around every surface, every object, every person. It was a heady cocktail, a mixture of power and temptation. Jasmine breathed it in, letting it settle in her lungs as if the air itself was intoxicating. This was her domain. Or so she thought.The women of the House moved with a grace that came only from the understanding of their power. There was a beauty in their movements, a fluidity that

The house was quiet as Jasmine stepped into her chamber, the weight of the day still lingering in the air. She undressed with slow, deliberate movements, the flickering candlelight casting shadows across her pale skin. The silk sheets beckoned, but something was off.... she could feel it in the pit of her stomach, the sensation that tonight wouldn't be like the others.Her fingers traced the edge of the window frame, the cool night breeze teasing the curtains. Outside, the moon hung low, veiled behind a haze of clouds, its presence both soothing and ominous.The sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway. She didn't need to turn; she knew who it was. Roger. The Alpha. His scent—earthy, musky, dangerous... carried on the air before he even stepped into the room.He didn’t knock. The door creaked open, and there he stood in the doorway, a shadow against the dim light. The flicker of his gaze roamed over her, appraising, like he always did. But this time, there was something different, s

The House of Solace always smelled faintly of women and wine, velvet and spice, but tonight the garden carried something different on its breath.She noticed it as she passed the tall windows on her way back from the bathhouse, towel twisted above her chest, skin still damp and slick with rose oil. The scent floated in through the slight crack in the pane……earth, wild fur, crushed heather……something animal. Not unfamiliar. Just forgotten.Jasmine paused, one bare foot over the threshold of her room, and turned.The gardens stretched beyond the balcony—a riot of night-blooming flowers tangled with creeping vines and the silver wash of moonlight. It was too quiet. No laughter drifting up from the lower halls, no familiar hush of lovers beneath canopies. Only the breeze that moved like a breath……low, deliberate, almost coaxing.Her hand slid from the doorframe, her towel left where it fell.She didn’t dress. Didn’t bother to pretend. The night air kissed her like a secret as she stepped

The morning bled slow and honeyed through the tall windows, smearing gold across the velvet drapes. The House of Solace did not stir as it usually did. The hallways held their breath. Somewhere beneath the perfume and silken air lingered the stale ghost of something howled and half-remembered.Jasmine stood before the mirror in her room, her fingers resting lightly on the carved wooden edge of the vanity, as if it might steady the tremble beneath her ribs. Her hair spilled around her shoulders like shadows unspooled. She was already dressed in travel clothes... not a gown or a robe, not anything diaphanous. A deep green cloak. High boots. Laced leather that clung to the shape of her thighs. Something she hadn’t worn since before Elora brought her here. Something from before.The mirror held her gaze. Not a girl. Not even a whore, not anymore. There was something behind her own eyes now. Something older. Wilder. She blinked once, slowly, and reached for the brooch Elora had once pinned