012

Elowen woke with a sharp gasp, her body jerking upright as if something had dragged her out of darkness and thrown her back into the world too fast.

Her chest heaved as she looked around wildly, her vision struggling to adjust to the soft lighting of the room. For a brief, desperate second, she convinced herself it had all been a nightmare—the Oracle, the elders, the board, the knife hovering over her throat.

Her fingers instinctively went to her neck, pressing against her skin as if to confirm it was still intact, then her fingers tightly grabbed her necklace.

But the room was unfamiliar in a way that made her stomach drop. The high ceilings, the silk drapes, the faint scent of something sweet lingering in the air—it was all too real, too detailed to be a dream.

The memory came crashing back in fragments, each one sharper than the last, and the fragile hope she had clung to shattered completely.

“No…” she whispered, her voice barely audible as her hands trembled in her lap. “No, no, no…”

“Elowen?”

The voice snapped her out of it.

She turned quickly, her eyes landing on Lysara, who had already rushed to her side.

Relief hit so suddenly it almost hurt. “Lysara…” Elowen breathed, her voice breaking as she grabbed onto her, pulling her into a tight embrace. “You’re here… you’re actually here.”

Lysara laughed softly, though there was a hint of emotion behind it as she hugged her back just as tightly. “I’m here,” she said. “I’m okay. You brought me here.”

Elowen pulled back just enough to look at her, her hands still gripping her arms as if she was afraid she might disappear again. “Of course, I had to,” she said, her tone firm despite the lingering tremor. “I couldn’t stay here knowing you were still out there.” She paused, studying her face. “How did he find you? Were you sold, or…”

Lysara shook her head, the small smile on her lips fading slightly. “No,” she said quietly. “I was still at the Manor.”

Elowen frowned. “Still there?”

“Yeah.” Lysara gave a small shrug, though it lacked its usual lightness. “Nobody wanted me. Not with these.” She gestured faintly to the faint markings along her arms, barely visible under the soft light. “And the memory thing doesn’t help either. I don’t even know who I am, Elowen. I just… woke up in the Cellars one day, and that was it. Nothing before that.”

Elowen’s expression softened immediately. She reached for her again, squeezing her hand gently. “You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” she said firmly. “You’re here now. With me. And I’m not letting anything happen to you again. Not here, not anywhere.”

Lysara’s eyes softened, and she nodded, clearly holding onto those words. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “Really.”

Then, as if remembering something, her expression brightened just a little. “Oh—and Zevrian… he assigned me to you.”

Elowen blinked. “Assigned you?”

“As your personal maid,” Lysara added, her tone casual, though she watched Elowen carefully.

Elowen immediately shook her head. “No. Absolutely not. You’re not my servant.”

“It’s fine,” Lysara said quickly, waving it off. “Seriously, it doesn’t matter. It’s just a title. We’re together—that’s all that matters. We’ll take care of each other like we always have.”

Elowen hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line as she considered it. “I don’t like it,” she admitted.

“I know,” Lysara said gently. “But look at it this way—I get to stay with you. And…” Her eyes lit up slightly, unable to hide her excitement. “We’re living with the alpha brothers. Do you even realize what that means?”

Elowen let out a quiet scoff, though it lacked real bite. “Don’t get too excited,” she warned. “They’re not what you think. Ellion is nice though.”

Lysara’s eyes widened instantly as she placed a hand dramatically over her chest. “Oh no,” she said, feigning shock. “I told you! I said he’d be the nice one!”

Elowen rolled her eyes despite herself. “Yeah yeah.” She couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips. “You got lucky,” she muttered.

“So what about the others?” Lysara pressed, leaning in slightly, clearly invested now.

Elowen exhaled slowly, her expression shifting. “Zevrian…” she began, pausing as she searched for the right word. “He’s… controlled. Calm. But selfish in his own way.”

Lysara nodded thoughtfully. “Okay…”

“Sorrian is a liar,” Elowen continued, her tone sharpening slightly. “And a complete dick.”

Lysara winced. “Noted.”

“And Kaelen…” Elowen hesitated briefly before finishing, “is dangerous.”

Lysara’s reaction was immediate. “Wait—Kaelen?” she asked, her voice rising slightly. “The rogue alpha? The one who was exiled?”

Elowen nodded once. “He’s here.”

Lysara’s eyes widened even more. “You’re serious?”

“I am.” Elowen leaned forward slightly, her tone firm. “And you need to stay away from him. Whatever fantasy you’re building in your head—drop it.”

Lysara held her gaze for a moment before slowly nodding. “Okay,” she said, though her curiosity didn’t fully disappear. Then, a small grin crept onto her face. “But I still get to see them, right? That’s part of the job.”

Elowen sighed. “You’re impossible.”

“And you love me for it,” Lysara shot back, smiling.

Elowen shook her head, though the tension in her shoulders eased just slightly. “Just… be careful.”

“I will,” Lysara promised.

There was a brief pause before her expression shifted again, more serious this time. “Elowen…” she said softly. “Are you actually safe here?”

Elowen’s smile faded completely.

Lysara continued, her voice quieter now. “Earlier… when they tied you up. What was that about? What were they doing to you?”

Elowen looked away for a moment, her jaw tightening as the memory resurfaced. “They were going to kill me,” she said finally.

Lysara’s breath caught. “What?”

“They wanted to sacrifice me,” Elowen added, her voice steady but cold. “To save themselves.”

Lysara stared at her, disbelief written all over her face. “What? What?”

“Well,” Elowen said. “They made a deal with the Moon Goddess during the war. That’s how they won. Power in exchange for… this.” She gestured vaguely, frustration creeping into her tone. “Now they’re trying to break it. And I’m the easiest thing to offer.”

Lysara shook her head slowly. “That’s insane…”

“I’ll explain everything,” Elowen said, softening slightly. “Just… not all at once. It's…a lot.”

Before Lysara could respond, there was a knock on the door.

Both of them froze for a second before Lysara instinctively stepped back, straightening her posture.

“Come in,” Elowen said, her voice quieter now.

The door opened, and Draven stepped inside without waiting for further invitation. His presence filled the room immediately, his sharp gaze landing on Elowen as he took in the scene.

Lysara quickly lowered her head, stepping aside, and Elowen instinctively sat up straighter despite the lingering exhaustion in her body.

“I came to check on you,” Draven said, his tone direct. “After what happened.”

Elowen met his gaze, forcing her voice to remain steady. “I’m fine.”

Draven studied her for a moment, as if deciding whether he believed that or not. “Your food will be brought in shortly,” he said. “You need to eat.”

She nodded once, though her attention sharpened at his next words.

“Your training begins tomorrow.”

Elowen frowned immediately. “Training?”

Draven didn’t elaborate much. “As Luna, you’ll need to learn certain things,” he said. “Each of us will take turns teaching you.”

Her stomach tightened slightly at that, but she didn’t respond right away.

Draven glanced at her one last time before turning toward the door. “Be ready,” he added before stepping out.

The door closed behind him, leaving the room quiet again.

Elowen looked down at the dress she was wearing, her fingers brushing lightly against the fabric as if she wasn’t entirely sure it belonged to her. Then she looked up at Lysara.

Lysara offered her a small, uncertain smile.

Neither of them said anything for a moment.

But the weight of everything ahead settled between them all the same.