Sun's Chosen, Moon's Captive

Chapter 3

Amber woke up to the smell of coffee, which was strange considering she was being held captive—who would have thought prisoners would get coffee? She looked around and realised she had fallen asleep on the floor. Shivering, she got up and noticed a cup of coffee, a bowl of porridge, and some warm blankets inside her cell.

She was grateful, but anxious that this had something to do with the test Zane had mentioned last night. Either way, she was thirsty and hungry, so she eagerly picked up the coffee and porridge.

After finishing the porridge, she decided to look through the booklet again to see if she could find any information about the test.

As she starts flipping through the rules and the schedules that she has already seen, looking for anything that could tell her abouts what's going to happen to her. until she stopped on a page that looked older than the rest. The edges were ripped, the ink faded, but it still sent a shiver down her spine.

Only some of the text was readable to amber not only was the page torn and the ink smudge but the lightening on the cell was awful.

But she kept reading

From the Records of the Bloodmoon Clan.

"…long before the packs were formed… the Sun Wolves and Moon Wolves fought for centuries… the ground soaked in blood…”

Then came the night of the first blood moon. The sky turned the colour of fresh blood, the air heavy and cold. A pack of Moon Wolves chased an enemy into the mountain caves… but none of them came back the same.

The elders say something lives in those caves. Something older than the packs. A hunger you can’t fight. The wolves who went in were changed. Their hearts stopped, but they still walked. Their eyes burned red, their fangs sharper than any claw. That’s how the first Bloodmoon vampires were made.

They kept their wolf speed and strength, but everything else belonged to the darkness. They didn’t just feed to live—they fed to grow stronger. Over the years, they built their own laws and their own court deep underground.

“…the Bloodmoon Clan kneels to no pack, no coven, no kingdom… when the moon bleeds red, they take what they want—wolves, humans… doesn’t matter. The ones they take are either turned, broken, or never seen again.”

Amber’s stomach tightened as she stared at the page. If this “test” had anything to do with them, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

Before she could read more, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor.

Amber quickly closed the book and wrapped up in her blanket. Shivering not only from the cold but the fact she was undeniably terrified.

The footsteps had gotten louder until they stopped outside of amber cell. At this point amber couldnt see who or what it was as she had her eyes closed not wanting to know what was going to happen.

It was Zane, the tall pale guard who gave her the meal from before.

"Amber,” he said, his voice low but carrying in the silence. “It’s time.”

Amber opened her eyes and clenched the blanket. Time for what?

He didn’t answer—just unlocked the door and let it swing open with a long, slow creak.

And then, without waiting for her to move, Zane stepped inside.

Ambers heart pounded. Every instinct told her not to move even though she was shaking with fear. She held her position as Zane got closer to the bed.

You can either walk or I can drag you, it's your choice. Zane said

She wanted to say something but no words would come out of her mouth. So she slowly stood up from the bed. She winced as her bare feet touch the cold stone floor.

As she stepped out of the cell and into the corridor. She glanced over at Amie cells. She was hiding in the shadows with her knee tucked up to her chest staring at Amber with tears running down her cheeks. This made Amber more scared then she already was.

Zane wrapped his hand around amber arm. Not to rough but enough to remind her who is in charge.

They walked past cell after cell, each one holding a woman who stared out with hollow eyes. Some were wolves, some she couldn’t even guess. All silent.

The further they went, the colder the air became. Amber’s breath misted in front of her, and the sound of dripping water echoed through the stone halls.

The guard knocked twice. The sound was deep and metallic, carrying far beyond the door.

From inside, a voice answered—a slow, deliberate tone that made the hairs on Amber’s neck stand on end.

“Bring her in.”

Zane pushed the door open, and a wave of warm, coppery air hit her. It smelled faintly of blood.

Amber’s stomach twisted, but she forced her feet to move. Whatever “the test” was… she was about to find out.

Amber stepped into the chamber, her chest tight and her breath shallow. The room was larger than she expected, the walls lit with flickering torches that made the shadows twist and crawl across the stone. The air was thick, metallic, heavy with the smell of blood.

At the far end of the room, three vampires sat on tall stone chairs carved into the wall itself. They didn’t look like guards. They looked like judges.

The one in the middle leaned forward, his pale hands resting against the arms of his chair. His eyes glowed faintly red, locking onto Amber with a stare so sharp she felt it cut straight through her.

“Amber of the Sun Shadow pack,” he said, his voice deep and cold.

Her stomach dropped. They knew who she was.

“You are here for The Choosing. Every wolf taken by our clan is given purpose. Some serve. Some feed us. And some…” His lips twisted into a cruel smile. “…fail.”

Amber swallowed hard. “And if I don’t want any of that?”

A laugh echoed through the chamber, harsh and cruel. The woman on the left rose from her chair, her dark hair falling around her face like a veil. Her smile revealed sharp, gleaming fangs.

“What you want doesn’t matter,” she said, circling Amber slowly, her eyes raking over her like a predator deciding how best to devour its meal. “You will be given a role. That is the test.”

Amber’s heart was thundering. Slave. Feeder. Or dead. Those were the choices.

The third vampire, a tall man on the right with long silver hair and eyes as pale as ice, finally spoke. His voice was calm, almost soothing, but it carried a deadly weight.

“Show us your will, little wolf. How you answer now will decide if you live… or if your blood stains this floor before dawn.”

Amber’s fists tightened at her sides. Her pulse was roaring in her ears. She didn’t know if there was a right answer—but she knew one thing.

There was no way out.

Do I need to repeat myself? Shouted the female vampire. She was running out of patience with Amber. What are you going to choose?

You have three paths, little wolf. Serve us. Feed us. Or die.”

Her breath caught. Serve. Feed. Die. None of them sounded like living.

She clenched her fists at her sides, nails biting into her palms. Images flashed in her mind — Amie’s bruised face, her mum calling her “little wolf,” the memory of the sun she hadn’t seen in weeks.

Her voice shook, but she forced the words out anyway.

“I won’t be your slave. I won’t let you drain me until there’s nothing left. And if dying is what’s left—then fine. Do it. But I won’t give you what you want.”

For a moment, the chamber went silent. Even the fire seemed to stop crackling.

Then, the three vampires laughed. It wasn’t kind. It was the kind of laugh that crawled down her spine and left her cold.

“She has spirit,” one muttered.

“Spirit breaks,” another said, his smile curling cruelly.

The third tilted his head, studying her like she was some puzzle that didn’t quite fit. “Let’s see how long it lasts.”

Before she could say anything else, a guard grabbed her arm and yanked her back toward the corridor. Her chest heaved, but she kept her head high, even as her legs shook.

They hadn’t killed her. Not yet. But Amber knew this wasn’t over. They weren’t finished with her.

And neither was she.