The Luna They Buried

The first thing Seraphina felt was cold. Not an ordinary winter cold. This was the kind that crawled into bone marrow and nested there like a living thing. The kind that turned blood sluggish and breath painful. The kind that whispered death softly into the ear until even fighting became exhausting. Iron chains scraped behind her as guards dragged her through the palace courtyard. The crowd roared. “Traitor!” “Monster!” “She killed the royal heir!” “Execution! Execution!” Seraphina kept her head lowered, silver hair hanging in frozen strands over her face. Snow clung to her torn white dress, now stained crimson at the hem where blood dripped steadily down her legs. Her child. Even now, the loss twisted inside her like a knife. The palace she once called home towered above her in glittering gold and white marble, untouched by the storm swallowing the kingdom tonight. Warm lights glowed from the royal windows. Music still echoed faintly from the banquet hall. They were celebrating. Celebrating while she bled. A bitter laugh nearly escaped her lips. Seven years. Seven years spent loving Alpha King Lucien Draven with blind devotion. She crossed battlefields for him. Destroyed rival packs for him. Silenced nobles who mocked his weakness. She buried parts of herself so he could shine brighter. And in the end? He gave her chains. The guards shoved her forward. Seraphina stumbled hard onto her knees. Pain exploded through her body. The crowd erupted with cruel delight. At the top of the execution platform sat the man who ruined her. Lucien Draven. Golden-eyed. Perfectly dressed in black royal armor. Beautiful in the devastating way cruel men often were. Once upon a time, those eyes softened when they looked at her. Now they held nothing. Beside him sat Evelina Thorne wrapped in white furs, one delicate hand resting possessively on Lucien’s arm. The kingdom adored her. Sweet Evelina. Gentle Evelina. The woman who supposedly comforted the grieving king after Seraphina murdered their unborn heir. Seraphina almost admired the performance. Almost. Evelina met her gaze across the courtyard and smiled. Tiny. Victorious. No one else noticed. But Seraphina did. Because she finally understood. The poisoned tea. The false witnesses. The missing royal physician. The blood on the nursery floor. Evelina planned everything. And Lucien, Her chest tightened painfully. Lucien believed it. No. Worse. He wanted to believe it. The executioner yanked Seraphina upright by her chains. “Bow before your King,” he snarled. Seraphina lifted her eyes slowly toward Lucien. Snow swirled violently between them. For one reckless second, she searched his face for hesitation. Regret. Anything. Instead, Lucien spoke coldly before the entire kingdom. “Seraphina Vale,” he declared, voice echoing through the storm, “you stand accused of treason, murder of the royal heir, and conspiracy against the crown.” The crowd screamed for blood. “You were given the honor of becoming Luna of this kingdom,” Lucien continued. “Yet you repaid that honor with jealousy, violence, and madness.” Each word struck harder than the winter wind. Because once upon a time… This man held her like she was precious. Seraphina remembered sleeping against his chest after battles. Remembered the way he kissed her forehead before war councils. Remembered believing she was loved. How pathetic. Lucien rose from his throne. The entire courtyard fell silent instantly. “As Alpha King,” he said, “I sentence you to death beneath the Ice Pit.” Gasps spread through the crowd. Even now, fear flickered across some faces. The Ice Pit was ancient. Forbidden. A frozen abyss beneath the palace where traitors were abandoned for the gods to judge. No one survived it. Evelina leaned closer to Lucien as if frightened. Seraphina saw satisfaction burning behind her innocent expression. Something inside Seraphina finally broke. Not loudly. Not dramatically. Quietly. Like the final thread snapping. The executioner shoved her toward the edge of the platform where darkness yawned beneath iron gates covered in frost. Cold air screamed upward from the abyss. Lucien descended the throne steps slowly until he stood directly before her. Close enough to touch. Close enough to remember. For the first time all night, emotion flickered in his eyes. Not love. Not grief. Conflict. “You could have lived peacefully,” he said quietly enough that only she could hear. “If you had accepted your place.” Seraphina stared at him. Then laughed. The sound startled even herself, cracked and hollow and filled with unbearable pain. “My place?” she whispered. Lucien’s jaw tightened. Snow collected in Seraphina’s lashes as she looked at the man she once would have died for. “No, Your Majesty,” she said softly. “My mistake… was believing I ever had one beside you.” Something flashed across his face. Pain. Regret. Too late. The iron gates opened behind her with a deafening groan. Darkness waited below. Evelina suddenly spoke sweetly from the throne. “Lucien,” she murmured, “don’t get too close. She may still try to hurt you.” Seraphina slowly turned toward her. Their eyes met. And in that moment, Evelina mouthed silently: I won. Rage unlike anything Seraphina had ever known exploded through her veins. Her wolf howled violently inside her soul. Not from fear. From betrayal. The chains around her wrists snapped. Gasps erupted everywhere. Power surged wildly beneath her skin, silver light flickering across her fingertips. Lucien’s eyes widened. “Seraphina” Too late. One guard lunged forward. Seraphina drove her elbow into his throat and ripped the dagger from his belt in one smooth motion. Chaos erupted. Soldiers shouted. Wolves snarled. But Seraphina didn’t attack Lucien. Didn’t attack the guards. She looked only at Evelina. For the first time, fear appeared on the woman’s beautiful face. Good. Seraphina smiled. Then threw the dagger. Lucien moved instantly. The blade buried itself deep in his shoulder instead. Blood splattered across the snow. The entire courtyard froze. Seraphina stared in shock. Lucien dropped to one knee, gripping the dagger protruding from his body. Yet his eyes remained locked on hers. Not angry. Devastated. Guards slammed into Seraphina before she could move again. This time silver chains wrapped around her throat and wrists, burning her skin with enchanted poison. Lucien rose slowly despite the blood soaking his armor. “Throw her in,” he ordered hoarsely. The guards obeyed immediately. For one final second, Seraphina looked at the sky above the kingdom she once loved. Snow fell endlessly from black heavens. Then the guards shoved her backward into the darkness. She fell. Cold wind tore her scream away. Down. Down. Down. Until ice swallowed everything.