The Enslaved Luna

Chapter 8

After the group all changed into less assuming clothes, they made their way towards a ship that would carry them to the north. Lily found through snippets of talk that the tall warrior with dreads was called Mashutu and the shorter, fair-haired one with a toothy grin was named Seamus. Lily kept stealing looks at Javid, who she had never seen his full face before. She could tell he was clearly a northerner with his blondish-red hair and green eyes that looked a little sad. They made it onto a cargo ship and Javid was able to secure Inez and her a small room, where Lily promptly got sea sickness for three days while Inez nursed her back to health.

On the fourth day, Lily was able to keep some soup down and sat in bed looking frail. She asked Inez to fetch Javid for her as she had questions to put forth to him. He arrived and barely acknowledged her.

Lily wiped her brow. “What’s your real name?”

The tip of his lips curled up ever so slightly. “Oh, the Princess is quite astute, I see.”

“Why are you calling me a princess?”

He smiled. “Because I know who you are. You are Princess Lily Sang from the Eastern kingdom. Why else would I kidnap you?”

“Careful, now,” Jade said, “we can’t trust him as he hasn’t even taken off our silver collar yet.”

Lily was fuming, but calmed herself down. “How did you find out who I am?”

He leaned against the frame of the door, crouching as he was too tall for the room. “Do you remember the man who danced with you and got thrown by your mate?”

“Yes.”

“That was Seamus.”

“No, it wasn’t. He looked different.”

He smiled. “Imagine him with a wig and a fake nose. He had a tip you were at the Sand Dune pack and found you and sent me in.”

Lily crossed her arms. “What’s your real name?”

“Nelvin.” He made a fake bow. “At your service, Princess.”

“Why were you looking for me?”

“As you know, there’s a war coming up and the Northern kingdom agreed to join the fight with the Eastern kingdom if there was a marriage and your father agreed.”

Lily was more confused then ever. “What does that have to do with me? I have 3 sisters who are heirs to the throne. I’m just a bastard.”

Nelvin bowed his head, realizing that Lily didn’t know what he was about to tell her. “I’m sorry to say this, but all your sisters are dead.”

Lily stopped breathing for a moment. She didn’t like her two older sisters, but she didn’t want them dead. And especially not Ambrosia. Not her little sister who was now 16. “What happened to them?”

Nelvin paused. “They were killed in an ambush. I’m sorry. That’s why your father asked the Northern kingdom to look for you. You are the last surviving, royal member who can join the two nations.”

Lily shook her head. “That can’t be possible. There’s no way they’re dead. How do I know you’re not lying?

Nelvin took out the amber-colored ring she had known forever from his pocket and gave it to her. “This is your father’s ring. He said to give it to you to know that this is his wish.”

Lily took the ring and wiped away a tear. “It’s my duty then as the last daughter.”

Nelvin eyed her warily. “What about your mate? You didn’t even reject him.”

“What of him?” Lily snapped at him.

“You didn’t love him all those nights you spent with him?”

“He is my mate, but I know he wouldn’t accept my rejection. Only death will separate us and I plan to live.”

Nelvin smirked. “What a feisty princess.”

***

Early in the morning, Lily was awaken by a knock and Nelvin walked in with bolt cutters. Inez briefly woke up, but went back to sleep. Lily sat up in bed, still groggy. “Is that for me?”

Nelvin nodded. “I think you’re finally well enough to get yours off.”

Lily shook her head. “Not here. I want to do it on the deck.”

Nelvin opened the door. “Suit yourself.”

Lily followed him onto the deck and the sun was barely above the horizon with the coldness of the night still nipping at her. The sky was washed in shades of burnt orange and a hazy yellow. Lily touched her collar and Jade purred in her mind.

“We’re finally going to be free,” Jade said and Lily smiled.

“Get down on your knees,” Nelvin said.

“Why?” Lily asked.

Nelvin’s tone changed slightly to patronizing. “It’s easier for me, Princess.”

Lily begrudgingly did as he asked and he cut the silver from her neck. Lily touched her neck and smiled. They were free. Lily howled into the sky and ended up on the deck, laughing. Nelvin sat down next to her, perplexed at her reaction. “You are happy.”

Lily looked at him with derision. “You thought I wanted to be his slave?”

“N-no,” he stammered, “I thought your mate bond would be stronger. I saw how you looked at him.”

Lily wanted to change the subject. “How did you get into the pack anyways? Why didn’t they smell that you were a rogue?”

Nelvin drew his knees up to his chest as he sat next to her. “Mashutu is good at making potions and oils to mask smells and other things. I killed the eunuch whose place I took. It was easy enough to blend in when they don’t have to link with the rest of the pack and cover their faces. The eunuchs lived comfortably, but I couldn’t live a life where I had to do that. Your mate was a monster.”

“I know. And it still hurts me to be away from him. My soul calls out to him and wants to be back there. Being close to him made me feel complete, but I hated him.”

Nelvin snickered. “You hated being a Luna and all the perks that went with it?”

Lily shot him a look of death. “What are you trying to say?”

Nelvin shrugged. “How hard could it have been? I mean, you went from being a princess to a Luna. Lots of girls would kill for that.”

Lily stood up with her fists balled. She could feel Jade prowling about, but knew she was still too weak to come out. “Omar may have been a monster, but it’s men like you that enable him to be one.”

The ship dropped anchor in a small town and Lily could not wait to get some fresh air and let Jade run around, let alone being trapped on a ship with Nelvin. It wasn’t home, but it reminded her of her home with tall, Evergreen trees, rocky terrains, and flowing rivers. It even smelled like home and it make her homesick. The group entered a log tavern that was mostly empty and ordered fish and chips. Lily was finally feeling better as she beamed at Inez. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

Inez smiled brightly. “Of course. You’re my Luna.”

Lily paused. “I’m not your Luna. I’m your friend, Inez.”

“You’ll always be my Luna,” she said.

Seamus poured each of them a beer. “How are you two taking in the North?”

Inez shrugged. “It’s cold.” Seamus and Nelvin looked at each other and laughed.

“This isn’t even the real North yet. Our winters are brutal,” Nelvin said, “I don’t know how you two will acclimate.”

Lily picked at her food. “I’m sure it will easy enough just as when you had to pretend you didn’t have balls. Can’t be that hard.”

Nelvin looked at her as Seamus slapped him on the shoulder laughing while Mashutu chuckled. “I like this one,” Mashutu said.

“How did the three of you meet?” Lily asked.

They immediately fell silent until Nelvin replied, “Seamus and I used to be from the same pack and he left when I did. Bad decision on his part. We met Mashutu in a bar fight and he didn’t seem to mind us lot.”

“You bring in money and you’re honest,” Mashutu said.

Lily smiled. “Why are you all rogues? Why not join a pack?”

Seamus relaxed into his chair. “Why not, lass? We’re free to do as we please and that pleases us. How do you think you’ll like your new husband? I hear he’s only 20. A pup. I don’t know if he’s even bedded a girl.”

Lily kept her cool at their ribbing. “Then it should be easy to control him and if I don’t like him,” She picked up her butter knife. “I can make a few plans, too.”

Seamus whistled as Mashutu chuckled. “I don’t know how you can go along with us knowing you are to be married to someone you don’t know simply for a political arrangement. If I were you, I would’ve shifted and ran at the first chance I got.”

“We still can,” Jade said and Lily smiled.

Lily took a sip of water. “It’s not about me anymore. When I was the bastard child, I never had to worry about marriages like this because no one would want me. I didn’t realize that being a bastard was a gift. Now, I have to do what my sisters would’ve done and I understand why my father made all the decisions he did before. He had a kingdom to take care of, not just a family.”

Inez almost choked on her food. “You’re a princess? I thought Nelvin was just being a jerk calling you that all this time.”

Lily laughed. “I did forget to tell you that.”

Nelvin snorted. “You also forgot to tell her about how you never had to work a day in your life. That you could get anything that you wanted. Cry me a river, Princess.”

Lily got up with her fists balled once again. She wanted to punch him. She wanted to punch that stupid grin right off his face, but instead, she ran outside. She heard someone follow her and she whipped around, expecting to see Inez, but it was Mashutu. “What do YOU want?”

Mashutu kept his distance from her. “Nelvin can be a bit rough around the edges, but he means well.”

Lily groaned. “He means well when he belittles me? Tells me that being sold into slavery wasn’t that bad? That a lot of girls would want that?”

Mashutu dropped his head. “I’m sorry. He is a good man, that I know. You just need to give him a chance, trust me.”

Lily glared at him. “What do you know about being mistreated and sold like a piece of meat?”

Mashutu kicked the dirt before him. “I was a slave. I have the marks on my back to prove it. My wolf healing couldn’t keep up with how many times they whipped me for being disobedient. When Seamus and Nelvin found me in that bar, I was trying to buy food because I hadn’t ate in days, but the barkeep didn’t like those from the south and refused to serve me. They made sure I ate that day. Nelvin can be crude, but he’s an honest man.”

The men went into town to purchase supplies and restock and Lily and Inez decided to swim in a secluded pond they found. Lily undressed and walked into the pond, finding the water slightly warm and relaxed for the first time in a long time. She was free of the harem and Omar, but the mate bond was still there. She could still feel him. She knew he would stop at nothing to get her back because she was his possession and that’s all he saw her as. Her mind recalled their passionate nights together and she hated to admit that she had enjoyed them, but she didn’t want to do them with him again. Mate or no mate, she hated him.

Lily waded through the water. “How are you, Inez?”

Inez wiped her eyes. “I’m glad I went with you.”

“Are you? Now, I’ve roped you into this debacle. You don’t have to go with me into the Northern kingdom. You can return to your family.”

Inez smiled. “I know, but I trust in the Goddess and I think she wants me to be with you.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “The Moon Goddess? I haven’t prayed to her since I was a child. How can the Moon Goddess be a woman and let all us be treated like this?”

Inez continued smiling. “There’s always a reason.”

Lily moaned. “Don’t say that.”

A branch broke in the distance and Lily and Inez both froze. Lily couldn’t see anyone, but knew they were being watched. “Come out, your pervert!” A tall man stepped out behind one of the trees and Lily saw who it was while Inez cried out. “Nelvin? Why are you spying on us?”

Nelvin lowered his head. “I wasn’t! I was looking for you two.”

“Turn around!” Lily ordered, “Inez, get dressed and leave. I’ll make sure he doesn’t see you.”

Inez cautiously got out. “Thank you, Luna.” Inez put on her clothes and left.

“I swear I’m not a pervert. You can come out whenever you’re ready. We’re waiting by the other side of the woods. It’s going to be a long walk to get where we’re going.”

“I think you knew what you were doing when you came here,” Lily said, “turn around.”

Nelvin slowly turned around and gasped as Lily walked out of the pond naked, dripping with water. She was beautiful and he couldn’t stop staring. He watched as her naked form walked towards him. She placed her hand on his chest. “I’m going to warn you just this once: don’t mess with me or Inez. If I ever find out that you or one of your boys did anything to Inez, I will make sure that none of you have balls left, got it?”

Nelvin gulped. “Yes, Princess.”