Chapter 39
I struggle to breathe, choking on the tears I refuse to let fall as Deckard’s words echo in my mind.
Dane has succeeded in painting me as the villain, and Deckard is no better. They’re both despicable, two sides o
of the same coin
swear Dane will pay for every one of them. Maybe not today, maybe not
All the les, the baseless accusations–Eve endured them silently, but I swear tomorrow, but justice will come for him.
Right not, I hate everything. I harbor a burning haired for Deckard that feels as if it might consume me. I’d rather die than trust him again.
This life, this nightmare he’s forced upon me, is not what I want. But I know running away is futile. Last time, I underestimated just how powerful Deckard truly is, but now I understand. The conversation I overheard between Dane and his bria confirmed it–Deckard’s reach extends farther than I could have ever imagined.
There’s no escaping him.
So I’ve made my choice. If he wants me to play the role of his ceremonial Luna, then that’s exactly what I’ll do. But I won’t just play along. (Il–own the role Ill be the Luna he doesn’t deserve, the Luna who will haunt his every step
If I can’t escape this life, I’ll make sure it’s one neither of us will forget.
This is my life now, and I won’t let anyone chase me out of it—not Mary, and certainly not some petty servants who are beneath me.
If I am to become the Luna, then the
they will work for me, and I’ll wield that power however I see fit.
I do not trust anyone. Not Deckard, not the servants, not Bria, and absolutely not Mary. They’re all my enemies now.
I wipe the tears from my face, weeling myself against the whirlwind of emotions. Just then, a knock sounds at the door. It’s Bria.
“Amica, welcome back,” she says, her inne overly sweet “I was worried we’d never see you again. I thought you’d agreed to stay, so tell me why did you run away?”
For a moment, I stay quiet, letting her words hang in the air. My mind drifts to the ceremonial drink the servants gave me. It came from Bria. She, 100, tried to sabotage me, yet here she is, pretending to care, acting as if she’s on my side.
With a sharp, sarcastic tone, I reply, “Oh, I think it might’ve had something to do with a certain ceremonial drink–one you ordered the servants to
Her face flickers with something gunreadable–guilt? confusion! 1 can’t tell, but I’m watching her closely now, every word out of her mouth a potential weapon.
“I don’t know what you heard, amica, but I never ordered the servants to serve you anything” she says. “The ceremonial drink is only served to you by the priest, and it was never served because the ceremony never happened”
At this point, I don’t even know what to believe. I stick to my decision not to trust anyone, so it doesn’t matter if what she’s saying is true or not,
“Hmm, interesting-“I uy
“Look, amica, my only mission here is to make sure you marry our Alpha. I would never do anything to sabotage that,” she insists.
“And why are you on my side? Why do you want that to happen so badly! You don’t even know me, so why do you support me?” I ask, unable to hold back the curiosity that has been nagging at me.
on your side!” she replies, her voice sharp and her expression unyielding. Her serious tone throws me off, leaving i Thore
“Who said I am on yo
confused than ever.
“Lonly came here to tell you that the bonding ceremony is tomorrow night,” she continues, her words clipped and direct. “The Alpha has commanded it. There’s no time to waste anymore. This time, everything will be more secure, and there will be tight security everywhere. You will not eat until the ceremony is over, and even if you do, I am to serve you myself. I will take you to the altar personally. We cannot afford to get it (wrong this time,”
She delivers hier message with an air of finality before I can muster a response, she turns sharply and strides out of the room, leaving behind a silence thick with tension.
My mind races. Wow! Deckard isn‘ playing around. He’s not giving me room to breathe or even think. I just got here, and now the bonding
Chapter 19
ertemony is happening in less than 24 hours.
And Elder What is ster all about? I knew it. I knew she had her own interations.
like everyone else bere.
The next morning. I’m jolted awake by a knock at my door. It creaks open slowly, i
“Good morning. Future Luna Amica,” they say in unison, their voters soft and deferential.
dowly, and two servant step in thei
two servants step in, their heads bowed low
ΓΙ
It takes me a moment to shake off the huur of sleep, Just eventually, I force myself to acknowledge their greeting
“Morning.” I mumble.
“We will be attending to you today and preparing you for the bonding ceremony this evening,” “Fint, we’ll take you for a spa sesakit”
“one of them announces, be
her tone overly cheerful.
“Pack.” I mutter der my breath.
The first bonding ceremony preparation had sparked an excitement in ime I didn’t want to admit, a feeling I’d buried under layers of skepticism and doubt. But this time! It feels like just another task 1 have no desire to take part in–yet one I have no choice but to endure.
“I had a spa session three days ago,” I say, trying to suppress my annoyance.
“Well, we were told that you’ve been under a lot of stress, so you need your holly glowing and relaxed,” one of them responds, her voice chipper and
rehearsed
1 sigh, kusemwang any argument I make will be pointless, But then something clicks–I’ve never seen these servants before, they look new.
work here in the castle, or were you hired specifically for this? Lask, narrowing my eyes slightly trying to clear my confusion.
“We are new hires,” one of them answer. “We were hired yesterday, and job is to take care of all the needs of the Luma.”
“It’s the fastest hire we’ve ever experienced the other chimes in, a bright smile on her face. “My name is Christy, she adds, stepping forward slightly
“Arud mine is Eatmsa,” the first one says with a slight bor. “We are honored to serve you, Lunať
Their eagerness feels a little over the top, but I keep my thoughts to myself. This whole situation is spinning so fast, and now even the people serving me feel like strangers.
I’m surprised to leam these are my new servants. Where are the old ones? The thought nags at me, but I don’t bother asking further questions. What’s the point? Everything here feels Beeting and out of my control.
Resigned, I go through the motions of preparing for the ceremony, just as I’m supposed to. True to her word, Bria serves in drinks and food herself, but I don’t touch any of it. I’ve already decided to fast until the ceremony is over, determined to wait umil De kit at the table and eat what everyone else is living.
The preparations move forward swiftly. A new set of dresses is brought out, each one more summing than the last. The one chosen for me is exquisite–far more beauntul than anything I’ve ever worn before.
The makeup is applied with expert care. It’s light but flawless, enhancing my features in a way that feels almost ethereal. Even the faint red scars on my face are delicately concealed, leaving me looking like someone out of a dream–like an angel.
But I don’t let myself linger on the reflection in the mirror. I’m not here to admire myself. I just want to get this over with.
