The Wolf Within Her

Chapter 9- Blood And Stares

The next morning felt heavier than any I had spent at the BlackFang Pack so far. Maybe it was the weight of being announced publicly as Mario’s Luna. Maybe it was the knowledge that everyone was now supposed to see me as his mate, whether they wanted to or not.

I adjusted the flower-patterned dress the maid had carefully arranged for me under Mario’s orders, smoothing the fabric over my shoulders as I tried to steady my nerves. I walked down the stairs slowly, taking in the hall, the towering walls, and the faces of the pack members who were milling about, pretending to go about their morning routines but clearly waiting for me to stumble.

Even if I couldn’t escape this place yet, I decided, I might as well get familiar with my surroundings. If I were going to live here, I needed to know where I could move safely, where I could hide, and where I should never be alone.

I came to a stop halfway down the stairs.

Lucy.

Our eyes met across the room, sharp and unrelenting. I tried to look away, tried to keep moving as if she didn’t exist. But that only seemed to provoke her.

Before I could take another step, her hand shot out and grabbed my arm with the strength of a vice. Her claws dug into my skin without hesitation, piercing it lightly but sharply, drawing pain and a little blood. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself not to make a sound.

“Who do you think you are?” she hissed, her voice low but dangerous, full of venom. “Do you already think you’re now high and mighty because Mario announced you as his Luna?”

I tried to pull back gently, but she didn’t let go. Her claws left shallow marks on my arm as she continued, her eyes blazing.

“So long as he hasn’t fully claimed you as his mate—by marking you—you’re nothing but a wolfless girl,” she spat, her teeth glinting. “Another weak prey waiting for the real wolves to tear you apart.”

She shoved me aside with a sharp shove of her shoulder, and I stumbled a step back, clutching my arm where her claws had torn my skin. I could feel the sting of blood trickling down, and my hand flew to it instinctively, trying to hold it back, trying not to draw attention to myself.

Lucy turned and walked past me, every movement full of confidence, as if she owned the entire hall. I watched her go, trying to make sense of why she hated me so much.

If she and Mario were inseparable since childhood, as she claimed, I shouldn’t have been a threat at all. I hadn’t done anything to her. And yet… the rage in her eyes told me otherwise.

I moved carefully back into my room, each step measured, trying to hide the blood from the maid or any passing eyes. My hands were shaking slightly as I pressed one against the claw marks and the other trying to slow the bleeding.

I tore a piece of fabric from my dress—the only thing close at hand—and wrapped it around the wound, knotting it as best as I could. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do. The pain throbbed slightly as the blood soaked into the cloth, reminding me of just how vulnerable I really was.

I sank onto the edge of my bed, staring at the wrapped wound. My mind was spinning, trying to figure out my next move. How could I survive here? How could I find a way to escape? Or even just make myself strong enough to endure the pack’s constant scrutiny?

And for the first time, I realized something terrifying: being Mario’s Luna didn’t make me safe. It didn’t protect me from Lucy, from Matteo, or from anyone else who might see me as nothing more than prey.

I clenched my fist around the fabric, my nails digging into the soft material. I didn’t have a plan yet, but one thing was certain—I couldn’t stay weak. Not if I wanted to survive here.