BOUND BY THE BLOODMOON

THE LUNA OF NIGHTFANG Elara's POV The Nightfang council chamber was always colder than the rest of the estate, though I had never understood why. Maybe it was the stone walls or the high windows that let in almost no sunlight, or perhaps the elders simply preferred their meetings to feel as uncomfortable as possible. Whatever the reason. I had learned to ignore it over the years, just as I had learned to sit beside Kael at the long silver table with my hands resting neatly over one another while Elder Rowan went through the latest border report. As Luna, I knew what was expected of me. Keep my expression calm, listen carefully, observe everything, and speak only when necessary. “Three rogue sightings within the eastern territory this month,” Elder Rowan said, turning a page. “Two patrols were forced to retreat after being surrounded.” Several elders murmured among themselves, but Kael remained focused on the report. “Has the eastern patrol route been changed?” “No, Alpha.” “Then change it.” The elder nodded and made a note. I glanced down at the papers in front of me, scanning the dates, locations, and names of the patrol members involved. Everything looked normal at first, almost too normal, until my eyes stopped on a single date. September 17. Something about it immediately caught my attention. I had seen that date before, years ago, written in the old records concerning my parents. My fingers tightened slightly against the table as I looked over the report again, trying to remember exactly where I'd seen it. The incident listed here had supposedly happened eleven years after my parents' deaths, but according to an older document I'd read months ago, the eastern border had experienced increased rogue activity around the same period my parents were killed. The dates didn't completely fit. I resisted the urge to reach for the old records immediately. Maybe I was remembering them incorrectly. Maybe the document had been copied wrong at some point, but I wasn't willing to dismiss the feeling in my chest just yet. Whatever the explanation was, I needed to look at the original record again before drawing any conclusions. The meeting continued for another twenty minutes, though I barely heard most of it. By the time the elders began gathering their papers, I had already memorized the date and the details surrounding it. Kael was still beside me when I separated the documents I wanted to look through later. “You're staying?” I glanced at the small stack in front of me. “For a few seconds.” He looked at the papers and then back at me. “Need help?” “No.” The answer came out too quickly, and I immediately softened my tone. “I'm just interested in the historical records.” Kael didn't question me, which somehow made me more uneasy. “If you need anything, I'll have the archivist bring it to you.” My stomach tightened. “No. That's not necessary.” He studied me for a second, as if he could tell there was more behind my answer, but he only nodded. “All right.” I waited until the door closed behind him before looking back at the papers. I didn't need anyone bringing records to me, especially not Kael. Whatever was hidden in those documents, I wanted to find it myself. The corridor outside the council chamber was already crowded when I finally stepped out. I had barely taken ten steps before I heard my name, followed by a quiet laugh. “She’s really Luna, though?” “I mean, technically.” “She doesn't even have a wolf.” I slowed without stopping, pretending I hadn't heard them. It wasn't the first time I'd heard that conversation, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. A Luna without a wolf was an embarrassment to some people, while others treated me like a strange exception that should never have been allowed to exist in the first place. Kieran's voice joined in a moment later. “Maybe the pack ran out of better options.” A few people laughed, and this time I turned around. Kieran was leaning against one of the pillars, looking far too pleased with himself. I walked back toward him and kept my voice calm. “Careful. You're starting to confuse your opinion with pack law.” His smile faded slightly. “What?” “The Luna doesn't need a wolf to hold authority.” Kieran scoffed. “Of course she does. A Luna is supposed to protect the pack.” “That's the Alpha's responsibility,” I replied, and several conversations around us immediately died down. I held his gaze. “The Luna's authority comes from the pack's recognition and the Alpha's bond. There's nothing in the law stating that she must possess a wolf.” Kieran stared at me, apparently caught off guard by the answer. Someone behind him coughed to hide a laugh, and his face darkened as he tried to recover his composure. Before he could come up with another response, Damon appeared behind him. “Enough.” His attention moved from Kieran to me, and for a moment I thought he was going to defend what I'd said. Instead, he gave Kieran a hard look before adding, “A Luna should be able to defend herself.” It wasn't exactly a defense. Damon walked away before either of us could respond, leaving an uncomfortable silence behind him. I glanced down the corridor and noticed Kael standing on the other side, leaning against the wall with an unreadable expression. His eyes moved from Kieran to Damon, and when Damon noticed him, he stopped. For a brief moment, the two men simply looked at each other. The tension between them wasn't loud enough to be called anger. It was quieter than that, almost like an understanding neither of them wanted anyone else to notice. Nobody spoke, but everyone nearby seemed to feel it. Kael was the first to look away, silently ending whatever conversation had passed between them. I said nothing either, but I didn't forget what I'd seen. That evening, I found Kael waiting outside my room with a small wooden cage in his hands. Curiosity made me stop, and when I asked what it was, he simply held it out to me. Inside was a tiny brown songbird, hopping nervously from one perch to another. I stared at it before looking back at him. “You remembered?” Kael only shrugged, but the gesture reminded me of something I'd almost forgotten: how much I used to love birds when I was younger. I hadn't realized he remembered that about me. I reached out and touched the cage gently, and the little bird tilted its head toward me as though studying me in return. “Why did you get it?” Kael looked at me for a moment before answering. “You looked lonely.” My fingers stopped against the cage. I didn't know what to say to that, so I looked down at the bird instead. There was something strangely disarming about how simply he'd said it, without trying to make the gesture seem important or expecting anything from me. “Thank you.” He nodded once and left. Hours later, when the Nightfang estate had finally fallen silent, I waited until the guards changed shifts before slipping out of my room and making my way toward the archives beneath the western wing. I'd been there before, but never this late, and the old wooden door creaked loudly when I pushed it open. I froze immediately, holding my breath and listening for footsteps on the other side, but the corridor remained silent. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. Rows of shelves disappeared into the darkness, packed tightly with old records and forgotten documents. I lit a small lamp and began searching, knowing exactly what I wanted to find. My parents were all I cared about. Their names appeared in several records, but every document told the same story: they had been killed by rogues, the investigation had been closed, and there were no surviving suspects or further inquiries. It was simple. I pulled file after file from the shelves, searching for anything that could give me another lead, but every record ended the same way. The original investigation report should have been there. Every death involving a senior pack member was supposed to have one, so I checked the neighboring files as well, hoping it had been placed in the wrong section. Nothing. I moved to the index and searched for the file number but it still existed. The report itself was gone and not misplaced. My pulse quickened as I searched the records around it, hoping to find a transfer note or some explanation for its removal. Instead, my fingers brushed against something hidden behind an older file. I pulled out a thin ledger and wiped the dust from its cover before opening it. My eyes widened as I found a reference to a restricted archive. Restricted Archive — Sublevel beneath Nightfang Estate. I read the entry again, then checked the date beneath it. It had been created only weeks before my parents died. I stared at the page, slowly piecing the information together. My parents' original investigation report was missing, and someone had created a restricted archive beneath the estate shortly before their deaths. For years, I'd believed someone had lied about what happened to my parents, but now I wasn't so sure. Maybe the truth hadn't only been hidden from me. Maybe it had been hidden from the entire pack.