Luna Reborn

CHAPTER 7

**Nadia's POV**

“Don’t tell me you’re trying to escape,” the massive wolf rumbled, shifting to block my path in one fluid, predatory motion.

My stomach dropped. “What have I gotten myself into now?” The thought raced through my mind like wildfire. “If I had just ignored that intoxicating scent and kept running straight, I could have been miles away by now, free, or at least farther from this nightmare.”

“Who are you?” I demanded, forcing my voice steady. No growl of threat came from him, no immediate lunge. Just those piercing red eyes watching me with unnerving calm. I met his gaze head-on, willing myself to project bravery. Maybe if he sensed no fear, he’d let me pass. Maybe he wasn’t one of them.

“You’d better turn back,” he said, voice low and gravelly through his wolf form. “You will never escape the Blue Moon Pack. Your speed is nothing compared to even an average warrior here.”

“Who are you to give me orders?” I shot back, heart hammering. Time was slipping away, someone would notice my empty bed soon. But the more he spoke, the clearer it became: he knew this territory, these borders, these rules. He wasn’t panicking. He wasn’t chasing. He was… advising?

I forced myself to breathe. The reality crashed in, I had no real chance. Not alone. Not like this. An idea sparked, desperate, reckless, but the only one I had left.

I lifted my chin, eyes pleading despite the defiance still burning inside. “Can you please help me escape?”

Silence stretched between us. His red gaze narrowed slightly.

“I can’t do anything for you,” he replied, tone suddenly cold as winter frost. “If you’re so stubborn you won’t heed good advice, then the road is yours. Besides, where exactly do you think you’ll go from here?”

The question hit like a blow. “Where would I go?”

Nowhere.

No pack claimed me anymore. No family waited. No home existed beyond the ashes of the Blue Moon Pack. Revenge was the only tether I had left, thin, cold, and distant. Everything else had been stripped away.

Emptiness swallowed my chest. Without another word, I turned and started back toward the pack house, legs heavy, each step a surrender.

The forest gave way to the familiar stone path. Moonlight glinted off the pillars lining the approach. I darted from one to the next, pressing my back against cool marble, listening for patrols. My breath came in shallow bursts.

I made it to the last pillar before the Alpha’s residence wing. Crouched low, I scanned the corridor ahead, guards were still actively patrolling, one wrong move and I'd be discovered.

Lost in my thoughts , a firm hand clamped down on my shoulder.

My heart nearly exploded from my chest. I spun, ready to fight or beg…

“I knew you would come back.”

The voice was warm, familiar, laced with quiet amusement. Madam Kalliope.

Relief crashed over me so hard my knees buckled. “I—I—I was just—”

Beads of sweat bloomed across my forehead. Words tangled in my throat. I opened my mouth, but nothing coherent emerged.

“Save your words, child,” she said gently, glancing around. “Tell me everything once we’re inside. For now, let’s stay out of sight. Come with me, I know a secret passageway.”

“Thank you, Moon Goddess.” She had always looked at me with that same soft warmth, like a mother regarding a wayward daughter. It reminded me painfully of my own mother’s eyes before everything burned.

Maybe this place wasn’t entirely hell after all.

Madam Kalliope led me around the back of the residence, fingers deft as she pressed a hidden stone panel. A narrow door slid open with barely a whisper. We descended a tight spiral staircase into the basement. Wooden steps creaked under our weight despite our careful steps; I winced at every sound.

At the bottom, she produced another ring of keys, selected one, and unlocked a second door. We climbed another set of stairs, this one leading straight into the kitchens.

The familiar scent of bread dough, herbs, and woodsmoke enveloped me. I let out a long, trembling breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Safe. For now.

“Thank you, Madam Kalliope,” I whispered, sincerity flooding every word.

She smiled, small and knowing, and nodded. “Now go retire to your room. We’ll talk about your little adventure tomorrow.”

I nodded mutely and slipped out of the kitchen, hurrying through the dimly lit servants’ corridors to my tiny room. Once inside, I closed the door softly and leaned against it, finally allowing my body to sag.

“Red eyes.”

I couldn’t shake him. That rich, rain-soaked-earth scent lingered in my memory like smoke. His deep, commanding voice echoed in my ears. The way power rolled off him in waves, Alpha power, unmistakable.

“Who is he?” He’d dodged the question so easily. Could he be an Alpha from another pack? Visiting? Spying? The thought sent a shiver through me, equal parts fear and something dangerously close to fascination.

I discarded it. Impossible. Dangerous.

My bruises had already healed, skin smooth again. I collapsed onto the narrow cot, staring at the ceiling. “I must see him again.”

The thought followed me into sleep.

******

The chirping of insects greeted me before dawn. The sky outside my small window was still velvet black, stars fading. I dragged myself upright, sleep clinging to my lashes.

I’d barely slept. Those red eyes haunted every dream fragment, watching, waiting, pulling.

A new day. A new chance to survive. But what kind of life waited here? No training grounds for me. No weapons. No path to grow strong enough for revenge. My chances felt thinner than ever.

I hurried through my routine: quick bath in the cold basin, lotion smoothed over skin to mask the faint scent of forest and fear, hair brushed until it gleamed. Madam Kalliope’s rule rang in my ears, “As a maid, your hair is not meant to flow past your shoulders or dangle across your face.”* I twisted it into a tight, neat bun, obedient, invisible.

Second uniform on, shoes laced, I dashed toward the kitchen.

Madam Kalliope stood at the long wooden table, issuing quiet instructions to two other maids. I waited in the doorway until she dismissed them with a nod.

“Good morning, Madam Kalliope,” I said softly.

“Oh, child, I didn’t see you there.” Her lips curved into a genuine smile. “Come, sit.” She gestured to a worn wooden chair beside her.

“We haven’t introduced ourselves properly yet,” she continued. “Why don’t you tell me your name and a little about yourself before I assign your duties today?”

I offered an awkward smile. “There isn’t really much to know about me.”

“Let’s start simple, then. Your name and pack.”

“Okay.” I swallowed. “My name is Nadia. I originally belonged to the Primordial Pack… before it was invaded and destroyed by the Blood Moon Pack. I escaped, joined a group of rogues for a while. But then your pack’s warriors came. I wasn’t lucky enough to get away a second time.”

Her eyes softened with real sorrow. “Oh, dear. I’m so sorry for the pain we caused you.”

I looked down at my hands. “You know Alpha Damien’s coronation is coming soon. Luna Morgana wants his name known far and wide before he takes the title.”

“What? That’s a dumb excuse for killing,” I blurted before I could stop myself.

Madam Kalliope’s expression didn’t change, but her voice dropped. “I know, child. But don’t let anyone else hear you say that if you want to stay out of trouble.”

She leaned closer. “Now, tell me about your adventure last night.”

Shame burned my cheeks. I bowed my head, hiding the emotion in my eyes. “I tried to escape. But midway through the forest, I realized I had nowhere to run. The warriors would’ve caught me easily.”

“I’m sorry, Madam Kalliope,” I added, finally meeting her gaze, searching for judgment.

She studied me for a long moment. “No need to apologize. I understand. I heard strange noises under my window last night, the large vase rattling. I looked down and saw you. I knew what you were attempting right away, but I didn’t raise the alarm. I was certain you’d come back. So I waited.”

She paused, as if giving me space to speak.

“Tell me why you tried to escape,” she said at last.

The question hung heavy. So many reasons swirled in my mind, revenge, freedom, fear, loneliness, but I couldn’t risk the full truth yet.

“I was scared,” I said quietly. “Running away was the only thing I could think of.”

She nodded slowly, expression unreadable. She was good at masking what she felt.

I took a breath, steeling myself. Our eyes locked.

“Can I ask a favor from you, Madam Kalliope?” I asked, voice soft but steady, pleading clear in every word.