Luna Reborn

CHAPTER 5

**Nadia’s POV**

“Long live Alpha Damien!” the warriors chorused, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Alpha?” I stared at the young man in disbelief. “Are they blind?” His aura was thin, barely stronger than some of the warriors standing around him. His demeanor felt soft, almost hesitant. Something was seriously wrong here.

“Who is the white-haired girl?” Luna Morgana asked, her voice cool and sharp.

Beta Cedric gestured toward me. “A captive from the rogue pack we took. We thought she’d make a suitable gift for Alpha Damien.”

Luna Morgana’s gaze slid over me with clear disdain. “I don’t see what use we’d have for her here.”

The warrior set me down gently. My legs, numb from hours of being carried, gave out immediately. I crumpled to the polished floor and quickly bowed my head, avoiding every pair of eyes fixed on me.

“She’s pretty,” Alpha Damien said softly, almost timidly, as though seeking approval. “I like her. We could always use an extra hand around the pack.”

“Damn this creep,” I thought, stomach twisting. If Luna Morgana had decided I was useless, she might have let me go—or at least not cared what happened next. Now he’d just made things worse.

“Kalliope!” Luna Morgana called.

A woman hurried in, early fifties, average height, her glossy black hair neatly pinned in a bun. Her sky-blue eyes caught the light and softened when they landed on me. Blue eyes were rare among werewolves, especially women, since they rarely hunted or fought. Curiosity flickered through me, what kind of life had given her eyes like that?

“Kalliope,” Luna Morgana said, still looking down at me like I was dirt on her floor, “do we have room for one more maid?”

“We certainly do, Luna,” Kalliope replied warmly.

“Good. Take this… thing out of my sight. Get her a maid’s uniform.” She turned to Beta Cedric. “Cedric, come with me. I want a full report on the raid.”

With that, she swept out of the room, Cedric trailing behind her.

Kalliope crouched slightly and offered me a gentle smile. “Come on, child. Let me get you something warm to eat.”

Her kindness was so unexpected that I couldn’t help smiling back. My stomach growled loudly, blueberries from the forest had been my only food since yesterday, and dinner had ended in flames.

She led me to the kitchen and set a steaming bowl of soup in front of me. The rich aroma hit me like a wave. I dove in, barely pausing to breathe.

I couldn’t remember the last time food tasted this good. Back with the rogues, a bowl like this would have been watered down and split thirty ways. Here, it was thick, hearty, and full of flavor.

I choked suddenly, coughing hard.

“Slow down, sweetheart,” Kalliope said, patting my back. “There’s plenty more. No one goes hungry here.”

I nodded, cheeks warm, and kept eating, more carefully this time. I needed strength. Tonight, I will escape.

When the bowl was empty, I felt full for the first time in what felt like forever. I thanked Kalliope quietly. She showed me to a small but clean room, nothing like the cramped corner I’d had with the rogues, and helped me prepare a bath.

The bathroom filled with steam as hot water poured into the tub. I peeled off my torn, filthy dress, wincing at how stiff my muscles were. The bruises from last night had already faded, skin smooth again. Another gift from the Moon Goddess, faster healing than most werewolves.

I sank into the water, letting the heat sting and soothe at the same time. It stripped away layers of dirt, sweat, and grief. When I stepped out, a fresh maid’s uniform waited on the bed, simple, clean, courtesy of Kalliope.

I dressed quickly. The sun was already dipping low.

By moonlight, I’d be gone.

**Roshan’s POV**

I sat alone on the ridge, staring up at the moon. The rest of the world faded away. My mind drifted back to yesterday morning when Lan, my wolf had suddenly stirred inside me.

“Mate?”

I’d lived among the Crescent pack for four years now, since I was twenty-two. In all that time, Lan had never once sensed her. I’d almost convinced myself she didn’t exist.

I’d paused mid-training to watch the warriors return from their raid. And there she was, the white-haired captive they’d dragged in.

“There! There she is!” Lan had howled in my head. “Go to her! Help her!”

*Help?* I’d scoffed inwardly. *That weak little thing couldn’t even defend herself, let alone her pack. A mate like that would only get in the way. Exposing myself for her would ruin everything I’ve planned.*

She’d lifted her head then, as if she felt my stare. Our eyes locked.

Emerald green. Impossible. No werewolf had eyes that color, not the women, anyway. And her hair… silver-white, like moonlight spun into silk.

I’d turned away, forcing myself back to training. I refused to let some captured girl derail me.

But tonight, lying here in wolf form under the same moon, I couldn’t shake her from my thoughts. The way her white hair had caught the light, how it framed her pale skin. Those emerald eyes, so full of grief, so alive with quiet pain.

I shook my head sharply, trying to clear the image.

I came here on nights like this to plan, to sharpen my revenge, not to waste time thinking about a fragile prisoner who’d been unlucky enough to be taken by cowards pretending to be warriors.

A rustle in the bushes snapped me alert. No wind tonight. Someone was moving through the undergrowth.

My red eyes, gifts of my curse pierced the darkness. A slender figure pushed through the thick foliage, careful but determined.

Moonlight spilled across her face.

It was her.

The white-haired girl.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

She was escaping.