The moonborn Queen

Chapter 3

“I was nothing to them, yet something deep inside me knew I was meant for more than chains and cruelty.”

The courtyard felt colder than usual that morning, as if the wind itself carried whispers of punishment. I crouched at the edge, scrubbing the same worn stones, my hands numb from labor and cold. Even the other Gammas, huddled in their shadows, avoided my gaze.

Kael’s shadow fell over me. “Trembling again, little sister? Did the Alpha’s eyes haunt your dreams last night?”

I bit back a growl, swallowing the sting of shame. I was nothing. A Gamma. A shadow beneath the boots of the powerful. I had no right to flare my wolf, to let instincts rise. Not here. Not now.

The Alpha heir, Valen Blackwood, arrived with his usual predatory grace. Even at a distance, he commanded attention—his golden eyes scanning the courtyard, noting every imperfection. My chest tightened, a strange flutter that had nothing to do with fear. My wolf shivered beneath my skin, sensing him… feeling him.

Kael noticed my reaction and sneered. “See? You’re weak. You can’t even hide your fear from him.”

I clenched my fists beneath my skirts, forcing myself to remain small, obedient, and invisible. Still, beneath my ribs, my wolf stirred, reacting to Valen’s presence in ways I couldn’t control. It was dangerous, intoxicating, and terrifying all at once.

The other Gammas kneeled as he walked past, whispering among themselves about what punishment might come next. I kept my gaze low, pretending to scrub, my heart hammering so loudly I feared it would betray me.

“Nightbane.” His voice cut through the murmurs like a blade. “Step forward.”

My legs trembled as I obeyed, moving slowly, deliberately, aware of every eye on me. The older Gammas averted their gaze; Kael’s smirk never left his face.

“You tremble at nothing,” Valen said softly, almost mockingly, though his eyes lingered on me with a sharpness that made my skin crawl. “Do you feel that, Gamma? Do you know what it means to be… beneath me?”

“Yes, Alpha,” I whispered, forcing the words through a lump of shame in my throat.

His lips curved faintly, a predator’s smile. “Good. Remember that. Obedience is your only protection.”

I bowed lower, suppressing the growl that rumbled through my chest. My wolf, restless and impatient, twisted inside me, sensing something—someone—beyond the courtyard walls. A scent faint yet undeniable, powerful and unfamiliar, cut through the air. It was not Kael, not Valen, not anyone I knew.

Something warm, commanding, and pure. My wolf leapt in recognition before my mind could process it, ears pricked, muscles tense. I froze, heart pounding. The scent teased my blood, stirred my instincts, and whispered a promise I could not yet understand.

Kael noticed my sudden pause. “What’s the matter?” he sneered. “Scared of the wind? Or are you dreaming of your useless little mate fantasy again?”

I shook my head violently, denying it even to myself. Dreams were dangerous here. Hopes were dangerous. But the scent lingered, insistent and irresistible, a thread of destiny I could not ignore.

Valen’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he sensed the shift in me. His presence pressed down like a weight, yet it could not drown the pull of that unknown scent. I clenched my fists, focusing on the cold stone beneath my palms, willing my wolf to obey, to stay hidden.

The inspection ended, the courtyard emptied, and the chill in the air remained. I sank to my knees, letting the tension drain from my body. My wolf whimpered low in my chest, unsatisfied, hungry. The scent had vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving only the memory of something… more.

A spark had ignited. Something beyond the cruelty, beyond Kael’s mockery, beyond Valen’s dangerous gaze. A hope, fragile but real, whispered in the depths of my soul:

One day, someone would see me. Someone would claim me.

And until that day… I endured.