Donna's POV
Steam still clung to my skin as I stepped out of the bath, wrapping a soft linen around myself. The warmth had soothed my muscles, but not my thoughts.
They swirled restlessly, fragments of voices, flashes of chains, the weight of eyes that weren't there anymore.
I rubbed my arms absently, grounding myself in the faint scent of herbs drifting through the room. It was strange how clean everything smelled here. It didn't belong to me.
"Luna!" Clara's soft voice drew my attention. She was already arranging a tray on the table by the window with a bowl of steaming soup, slices of bread, and fresh fruit glistening under the candlelight.
She smiled nervously when she saw me. "I brought your food. The Lady Queen said you must eat."
I shook my head quickly. "I'm not hungry."
Her face fell, panic flickering across her features. "Please, Luna. You must eat something. If you don't, Lady Leona will be angry and if she's angry, she'll send me back to the pack kitchen."
I frowned. "And that's bad?"
Clara shuddered visibly. "The kitchen is chaotic. The cooks shout all the time. The head chef throws things." Her small voice trembled as she glanced toward the door, then back to me.
"If it's just one spoon, please? Pretend, at least. But it's better if you take more than one. It will help you recover." She pleaded.
I hesitated. The thought of eating made my stomach twist yet her worry was too genuine to ignore. Slowly, I nodded and moved toward the table, lowering myself into the chair.
The bowl of soup steamed gently, the smell of garlic and bone broth drifting up. I hadn't realized how empty I was until the first spoon entered my mouth.
Warmth spread instantly through me, and before I knew it, I was eating, slow at first, then faster, until the spoon scraped the bottom of the bowl.
Clara giggled softly. "See? I told you you'd be hungry."
I sighed, setting the spoon down. "You were right."
She beamed, clearly relieved. For the first time since I'd woken up, I let myself study her properly. She is young, bright-eyed, with freckles scattered like starlight across her cheeks.
She couldn't have been much older than eighteen, yet she moved with the grace of someone used to serving people who mattered.
"Clara," I said quietly, "where exactly am I?"
Her head tilted. "You don't know?"
"I heard someone say Shadowfang earlier," I replied. "But I don't understand what that means. Is it a kingdom? A pack?"
Her face brightened with pride. "Shadowfang is one of the oldest wolf kingdoms in the north. Our territory stretches from the Frostline mountains to the edge of the Black Creek. We're strong, the strongest, some say. Our Alpha made it so."
"Your Alpha?" I asked, fingers tightening around the edge of the table. "Dane?"
She nodded quickly. "Yes. Alpha Dane." Her tone held both awe and a trace of fear. "He's ruled for almost a decade now."
I hesitated, lowering my voice. "You said he hasn't had a bride for so long, why?"
The question made her still. She fiddled with the hem of her apron, gaze flickering toward the door as if afraid someone might hear.
"I shouldn't say," she whispered.
"Please."
Clara bit her lip, then leaned closer, her voice dropping even lower. "His Luna died. Years ago. The whole pack knows… but no one talks about it."
A chill ran through me. "Died? How?"
Her eyes darted toward the window. "It was… mysterious."
"Mysterious?" I pressed.
She nodded faintly. "One night she was alive and the next morning, gone. They found her near the western cliff. No blood or racks, just her body, like she'd fallen asleep and never woke again."
I froze. "And what did he do?"
Clara's eyes filled with something close to fear. "He lost himself, Luna. He went mad. They said he tore through entire enemy camps, burned villages, and slaughtered any pack that dared cross the border. Shadowfang became a graveyard for a while. Even the moon seemed afraid to rise."
My throat felt dry. I could almost picture it, the same man whose voice had made an auction room tremble, now drenched in blood and grief.
"What happened after?" I asked softly.
"Things… changed," she said. "Lady Leona took control for a while. She kept him from destroying everything. Slowly, the wars stopped, the pack rebuilt. But no one ever replaced her. Not until"
Her words faltered, and she glanced at me nervously.
"Not until me," I finished for her, voice quiet.
Clara nodded, cheeks coloring. "Yes. The first time anyone's seen him bring someone home. That's why everyone's whispering. They think you're the new Luna."
A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "I'm not Luna. I was… bought."
Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Bought?"
"Never mind." I looked away, the memory of chains flashing like a scar behind my eyes.
"Tell me something else instead. What really happened to her, the previous Luna. Do people think she was murdered?"
Clara hesitated, chewing on her lip. "You should eat more first," she said finally. "It's not good to talk about such things on an empty stomach."
I arched an eyebrow. "That sounds like something Lady Leona would say."
She smiled shyly. "She always says that nothing terrible should be discussed hungry. Food gives courage."
Despite myself, I took another bite of bread. The crust was warm, the butter soft and sweet. I hadn't realized how hollow I felt until now.
When I finished, Clara nodded approvingly. "Good. Now I can talk without guilt."
"So?" I prompted.
She lowered her voice again. "No one knows what really happened. The healers said her heart just… stopped. No poison. No wounds. But some believe she was cursed or that she angered the Goddess somehow." She paused.
"There were rumors of forbidden rituals, of a prophecy that died with her. After that, Alpha Dane changed. He stopped trusting everyone. Even his own wolves feared to speak his name for a time."
I shivered. "And now he's brought me here."
Clara reached out as if to comfort me, then pulled her hand back nervously. "Maybe it's a sign that things will change again. Maybe you were sent to heal him."
I gave a humorless smile. "Or to break him further."
She blinked, clearly unsure what to say.
Silence settled between us, heavy and fragile. I found myself staring at the window, at the fading light spilling over the trees beyond the wall. Somewhere out there, wolves howled in the distance. I wondered if he was among them.
Clara fidgeted, then cleared her throat. "Luna… how did you meet the Alpha? I mean, if you don't mind telling me."
The question made my stomach twist. I wasn't sure I could answer it truthfully yet. How could I explain being dragged to an auction stage, chains biting into my wrists, while fate tied me to the man who bought me like property?
"I…" I started, but before I could find words, the door creaked open.
Both of us froze.
Clara's eyes widened, her posture snapping upright like a soldier caught in disobed
ience. I turned toward the doorway, my pulse racing.
The air suddenly became colder, heavier.
And there he was….my mate.