Shadows Of Revenge

Chapter 3

The room was too quiet.

Elira sat on the edge of her thin mattress, replaying the Luna Ceremony in her head. The whispers. The stares. The way Evelyn had smiled like she owned the whole palace. Her chest still felt tight from it.

Then came the knock. Three sharp raps.

She frowned. None of her family ever came to the servant quarters. Curiosity pulled her to the door.

When she opened it, cold air hit her face. Standing there was a boy she recognized. One of the palace omegas. They used to scrub floors together.

"What do you want?" Elira asked, her voice steady even though her stomach twisted.

"Evelyn is my mate and future Luna," he said. His jaw was set. "And I would do everything in my power to make her happy."

He stepped inside before she could answer. The door clicked shut behind him.

The scent of him was wrong. Sweat and cheap soap and something metallic, like fear. He looked her up and down slowly, and Elira’s skin crawled.

Her throat went dry. She didn’t know how to fight. But the thought that cut deepest wasn’t the fear. It was this: _Evelyn sent him._ Her own mate. To do this.

Elira knew Evelyn was cruel. She just hadn’t known she was this cruel.

Before she could move, his hands were on her. He slammed her back against the cold stone wall. Her skull knocked and stars burst behind her eyes. A rough hand clamped over her mouth, smothering her breath.

Her heart slammed against her ribs. Panic tasted like copper.

Think. Fight.

Teeth sank into the flesh of his forearm. Blood, hot and salty, filled her mouth. He howled and jerked back, and that was her chance.

She bolted. Bare feet slapped against the floor. Her fingers brushed the door handle —

A fist in her hair yanked her back. Pain exploded across her cheek.

"You b***h," he spat.

The world spun. She hit the bed hard. Fabric tore. Cold air hit her skin.

Her mind raced. She couldn’t call her wolf. Not yet. She wasn’t 18. The quarters were empty. No one would hear her scream.

So she didn’t scream.

She aimed and drove her knee up as hard as she could. He doubled over with a choked groan and collapsed to the side.

Elira didn’t wait. She scrambled up, heart hammering, and lunged for the door.

But voices echoed down the hall. Footsteps. Shouting.

The door to her room crashed open before she could reach it.