MOONBOUND: THE ALPHA'S CLAIM

Chapter 4: Pain and Wedding

The dungeon was heavy with silence, broken only by faint echoes of distant celebration—the wedding of Kaelen and Serah was underway. Luna sat curled against the cold stone, the chains around her wrists clinking softly with every breath. Her heart pounded with a fragile hope, flickering like a small flame in the darkness.

Suddenly, the heavy door creaked open with quiet urgency.

A tall figure stepped inside. Luna’s breath caught as her eyes adjusted to the dim light, tracing the sharp lines of his strong jaw, the dark tousled hair that framed a face etched with quiet determination. His steel-gray eyes met hers—steady, fierce, yet kind.

Without a word, he moved toward her, carrying a small bundle. His presence filled the small space with a warmth Luna hadn’t felt in ages.

“Luna,” he whispered urgently, kneeling beside her. “The ceremony has started. Everyone is distracted. This is our chance.”

Her gaze lingered on his strong shoulders and the calm confidence in his stance. Something stirred deep within her—a pull she hadn’t expected—an unspoken connection in the quiet between them.

He produced a set of keys, working swiftly to free her from the chains that bit into her skin.

“Eat this,” he said softly, handing her a piece of bread and a flask of water. “You’ll need your strength.”

Luna took the food with trembling hands, her eyes never leaving his.

“I’m ready,” she said, voice steady despite the whirlwind inside her.

He nodded. “We have little time. When I give the signal, we move. Stay quiet. Stay close.”

The chains fell away with a soft clink, and Luna rubbed her wrists, savoring the sudden rush of freedom. She looked up at Riven, her eyes searching the calm strength in his face.

“What’s your name?” she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

He paused, surprised by the question, then smiled gently. “Riven.”

“Riven,” she repeated, tasting the name like a secret promise. “I’m Luna.”

He nodded, eyes steady. “We don’t have much time, but… you’re stronger than you look.”

Luna let out a humorless laugh. “Stronger than I feel most days.”

She looked away, voice growing softer. “If I get out of here, I don’t want to look back. I want to disappear—far away, where no one knows my name or what happened.”

Riven’s gaze softened, understanding deepening in his eyes. “We’ll get you there. Wherever ‘there’ is.”

Luna met his eyes, searching for something she hadn’t dared hope for. “Can I trust you?”

His voice was steady, unwavering. “You don't have to. I just need to get you outside and not in this hell hole, rotting. ”

A fragile silence passed between them, heavy with unspoken promises.

Then he glanced toward the door. “It’s time.”

Riven moved swiftly, guiding Luna through the shadowed corridors with practiced ease. The sounds of the wedding celebration grew fainter behind them, replaced by the echo of their footsteps and the steady thrum of Luna’s racing heart.

“Stay close,” Riven whispered, his hand brushing briefly against hers—a silent reassurance.

Luna’s breath caught, the warmth of his touch stirring something fierce and fragile inside her.

They slipped past guards distracted by the festivities, weaving through hidden passages known only to a few. Every corner held the risk of discovery, but Luna’s determination burned brighter than fear.

As they neared the exit, Riven paused, eyes scanning the corridor ahead. “Almost there. Ready?”

Luna nodded, swallowing hard. “More than ever.”

With a final glance back toward the darkness she was leaving behind, Luna stepped forward—toward freedom, truth, and a future she would fight to claim.

The night air was cool and crisp as Luna and Riven slipped quietly through the shadows just beyond the outer walls of the pack’s gathering ground. Through a narrow gap between ancient oaks, Luna caught her first glimpse of the grand celebration—the wedding she had been locked away from.

Torchlight flickered against towering banners emblazoned with the Alpha’s sigil, while the murmurs and laughter of the pack drifted faintly on the breeze. The scent of burning wood and sweet incense mingled with the sharp tang of anticipation.

There, at the center of the celebration, stood Kaelen and Serah.

Kaelen looked every inch the Alpha—regal in his dark ceremonial cloak, eyes scanning the crowd with tense intensity. Serah shimmered in a white gown, her smile radiant but veiling a deeper ambition.

Kaelen’s voice broke the quiet between them. “Do you want to stay here and prove to them your scent?”

Luna’s lips curled into a sarcastic smirk. “I don’t need to prove what’s mine to anyone.”

Her eyes burned with defiance as she watched the two bound by vows she hadn’t been given a chance to challenge.

Riven’s voice was low beside her. "They don't deserve you."

Luna’s gaze hardened. "I know."

For the first time in what felt like forever, she wasn’t just a prisoner watching from afar.