Can You Be My Luna

Chapter 16 THE UNKNOWN

I woke slowly, as if my body didn’t want to return to consciousness.

The first thing I noticed was warmth. Not the burning heat of pain or fever—but something gentle, steady, wrapping around me like an invisible blanket. My fingers twitched against fabric far softer than anything I had ever touched before.

I forced my eyes open. Light greeted me, filtering through tall windows draped in rich red curtains. The ceiling above me was high, carved with delicate patterns that seemed to tell stories I couldn’t understand. For a moment, I forgot to breathe.

This wasn’t my servant room. My heart skipped painfully as memory rushed back—running, falling, the cold rocks, the darkness swallowing me whole. Panic surged through my chest, and I tried to sit up, and pain exploded through my body.

A sharp gasp escaped me as my limbs refused to cooperate. My vision blurred, and I collapsed back into the bed, trembling.

“Easy,” a soft voice said.

I turned my head slightly and froze.

Two young women stood several steps away from the bed. They wore matching dresses in deep crimson, the fabric elegant and flowing.

“She’s awake,” one of them said quietly, her eyes widening.

The other straightened immediately. “I’ll inform the Queen.”

Before I could speak, she turned and left the room, her footsteps light but urgent.

My pulse raced. Queen?

The remaining maid moved closer, her expression calm but alert, as if she had been trained for moments like this.

“Please,” I whispered, my throat dry and raw. “Where am I?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she reached for a small glass on the table beside my bed and helped me lift it. “Drink slowly,” she instructed. “It will help.”

I obeyed, though every instinct screamed at me to demand answers. The liquid was warm, herbal, soothing as it slid down my throat.

“Thank you,” I said weakly. “But… where am I?”

She gently set the glass down and looked at me for a moment, as if measuring her words. Then she asked, “What is your name?”

Confusion twisted inside me.

“Silver,” I replied after a pause. “My name is Silver.”

Something flickered in her eyes. She nodded slowly as if committing it to memory.

“You should rest, Silver,” she said. “Your body has endured a great deal.”

“What happened to me?” I asked. “How did I get here?”

Again, she avoided the question.

“The Queen will explain everything,” she said. “She will want to speak with you herself.”

My fingers curled into the sheets. “I don’t understand.”

Her lips pressed together briefly. “You were found,” she said carefully. “That is all I can tell you for now.”

Found by who?

Fear crept up my spine. “Am I a prisoner?”

Her brows furrowed. “No,” she said quickly. “You are a guest.”

The word sounded too gentle to trust.

“A guest in a place like this?” I whispered. “That doesn’t make sense.”

She glanced toward the door, then back at me. “Try not to think too much right now. Your strength will return soon.”

I swallowed. “Please. Just tell me where I am.”

This time, she hesitated.

Then she met my eyes directly.

“You are in the palace of the Red Pack.”

The words hit me like a blow. I had heard stories, tales passed down in fear and curiosity. Packs that ruled lands unseen, powerful, and untouchable.

“But… I’m human,” I said quietly, more to myself than to her.

She said nothing. That silence frightened me more than any answer could have.

“Why would I be here?” I asked, my voice trembling now.

Before she could respond, the door opened.

The maid who had left earlier returned, bowing her head slightly. “The Queen is on her way.”

My breath caught.

I tried once more to sit up, but my body protested fiercely.

“Don’t,” the maid said gently, placing a hand near my shoulder without touching. “Please. She will not expect you to rise.”

“Is she angry?” I asked. “Did I do something wrong?”

She looked genuinely surprised. “No,” she said. “If anything… you have drawn great interest.”

The door opened again, slower this time.

The air in the room seemed to shift, grow heavier and charged with something I couldn’t name. I felt it press against my skin, making my heart pound harder.

Footsteps approached calm and deliberate. The maids stepped back immediately, bowing their heads.

I stared at the doorway, with fear and curiosity tangled tightly in my chest.