Claimed by a vampire prince

My name is Emerald. Once, I was the beloved princess of the Blue Moon Pack. Now, I am nothing. The servants looked down on me. The warriors ignored me. Even the children laughed whenever they saw me carrying heavy buckets across the courtyard. No one remembered that I was the daughter of Alpha Luke. No one cared. The first rays of dawn had barely touched the sky when I was already awake. "Emerald!" The sharp voice of my aunt echoed through the manor. I hurried from the tiny storage room that had become my bedroom after my parents died. "I'm here." She folded her arms, glaring at me with disgust. "The floors aren't clean, breakfast isn't ready, and the horses haven't been fed. Are you planning to stand there all day?" "I'm sorry." "You should be." She shoved a bucket into my hands so hard that water splashed over my dress. "Move." I lowered my head and walked away. There was no point arguing. No one would defend me. Twenty years ago, I was born into wealth, love, and respect. My father, Alpha Luke, ruled the Blue Moon Pack with strength and fairness. My mother was admired by everyone. They loved me with all their hearts. But everything changed during the bloody war between wolves and vampires. The battle took both of them from me. I was only a little girl. The day they were buried, my uncle became the new Alpha. That was also the day I stopped being treated like family. My beautiful bedroom became someone else's. My expensive dresses disappeared. My title vanished. Instead, I was given torn clothes, endless chores, and cruel words. "You're useless." "You bring bad luck." "If only you had died with your parents." Those words followed me every day. At first, I cried. Then I begged. Eventually... I became silent. The worst pain wasn't the insults. It was losing my wolf. The day my parents died, something inside me shattered. My wolf disappeared. She no longer spoke to me. No comforting voice. No warmth. No strength. Only silence. The elders whispered that I had become wolfless. Among wolves, that was the greatest shame. Without a wolf, I was weak. Without a wolf, I had no future. Without a wolf... No mate would ever choose me. "Emerald!" I flinched as another voice interrupted my thoughts. One of the maids threw a basket into my arms. "Take these vegetables to the kitchen." "Yes." By noon, my arms ached. By evening, my feet burned. Still, the work never stopped. As I scrubbed the stone floor of the dining hall, laughter echoed around me. My cousins were celebrating another successful hunt. Roasted meat filled the air. Fresh bread. Sweet fruit. The smell made my empty stomach twist painfully. I hadn't eaten since yesterday. One of my cousins noticed me staring. He smirked before throwing a chicken bone onto the floor. "Here." The others burst into laughter. "If you're so hungry, eat like the stray dog you are." Heat rushed into my cheeks. I quietly picked up the bone. Not because I wanted it. But because refusing would only earn me another beating. When everyone left, I carried the dirty dishes into the kitchen. An elderly cook looked around to make sure no one was watching. Then she slipped a small piece of bread into my hand. "Eat." My eyes widened. "But if they see—" "They won't." Tears stung my eyes. "Thank you." She smiled sadly. "You remind me of your mother." For the first time in many days... Someone had spoken kindly to me. That night, I climbed onto the roof of the servants' quarters. It was the only place where I could be alone. Above me, thousands of stars filled the sky. "I miss you," I whispered. "I miss you, Mom... Dad." The wind answered with silence. I closed my eyes. Sometimes I wondered why the Moon Goddess had abandoned me. Had I done something wrong? Was I being punished? A tear rolled down my cheek. Then another. Suddenly... A strange warmth spread through my chest. I froze. My breathing became uneven. The feeling grew stronger. My heart pounded wildly. Then... A howl. It echoed deep inside my soul. My wolf. After years of silence... She had howled. I gasped. "W-what..." A familiar voice, weak but unmistakable, whispered inside my mind. "He's here..." My entire body trembled. "My wolf?" She sounded stronger this time. "Mate..." At that exact moment, the wind changed. A scent drifted toward me. It was unlike anything I had ever smelled. Fresh pine. Rain-soaked earth. A hint of smoke. And something warm... something that wrapped around my heart like a comforting embrace. My wolf became restless. "Find him!" My pulse raced. Could it really be true? After years of believing I had lost everything... After years of being called worthless... The Moon Goddess had finally answered me. Somewhere... Very close... My mate had arrived.