Luna's Odyssey

Chapter 10: The Bargain

Dahlia’s POV

The first thing I felt was cold.

Water splashed across my face, jerking me awake. My eyes snapped open, stinging, to find the Luna standing above me, arms crossed, a disdainful smirk plastered across her face. The nightgown clinging to my skin had turned cold and heavy, plastered to my body by the dripping water. I shivered violently as droplets ran down my cheeks and into my eyes.

“You weren’t at the laundry room at dawn,” the Luna hissed, tilting her head, eyes narrowing. “And my clothes… still unwashed.”

My throat tightened. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

My mind replayed what Katherine had said to me when she came into my room, “don’t forget,” she added with a smirk over her shoulder, “the Luna wants you in the laundry room at dawn. Don’t embarrass yourself by oversleeping.”

So this was what she meant.

I lost consciousness before I could even wash the clothes and I had overslept.

“I-I lost track of time, ma’am,” I stammered. “I’m… sorry.”

The Luna’s lips twisted in a cruel smile, sharp and merciless. “Sorry? Words are cheap, girl. They won’t clean the clothes, and they certainly won’t fix your laziness.” Another splash of water hit me, soaking my hair and nightgown anew. I let out a soft shriek, curling into myself instinctively.

My teeth chattered, not from the cold alone, but from the fear that always accompanied the Luna’s presence. Every morning had become a test of survival.

Every command, every glance, a threat. And yet… I forced myself to sit up, hands pressed to my dripping hair, trembling but determined not to cry.

“Do you understand?” the Luna demanded, stepping closer. Her shadow loomed over me like a storm about to break.

“Yes… ma’am,” I whispered, voice barely audible.

The Luna leaned down, eyes boring into me. “Disobedience has consequences. Remember that. Never let me catch you slacking again.”

My heart pounded in my chest as I nodded, barely daring to breathe. The Luna finally straightened, dripping water onto the floor, and with a flick of her wrist, left the room. The door slammed behind her with a resounding thud, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts and icy wetness.

I lay back on the bed, shivering uncontrollably, but somewhere deep in my chest, a spark of resolve flared. No matter what, I couldn’t let myself break completely. Survival meant enduring, and enduring meant staying alive another day.

*****

By mid-morning, Daniel’s office was suffocating with authority and cunning. Every surface, mahogany desks, leather chairs, and bookshelves stacked with treaties and trophies, screamed power. Portraits of Alphas past stared down at anyone entering, judging, commanding, and warning.

Daniel leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers together as he studied the empty chair across from him.

The office smelled faintly of smoke and aged wood, the air tense with plotting.

Beta Marcus leaned against the desk, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “She’s clever, yes,” he said slowly, “but she’s fragile. That’s why she’s perfect. Asher trusts no one but he always lets his guard down around her. And we can use that.”

Daniel's eyes gleamed. “Exactly. Dahlia is our leverage. Our tool. If we guide her carefully, if we pressure her at the right moments… we can manipulate Asher without him ever knowing.”

Marcus’s smirk widened. “And if she fails?”

Daniel’s voice dropped to a cold whisper, sharp and dangerous. “Then she becomes the example. A reminder to Asher that even someone as harmless as her can be broken. That loyalty, no matter how sincere, has a price.”

Marcus’s expression darkened slightly, impressed despite himself. “I like it. Simple, effective. She’s expendable, but useful. And if she survives…” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “…then Asher might have no choice but to follow our lead.”

Daniel leaned forward, a gleam of malice in his eye. “Everything is a game. Every glance, every word, every favor, layered and calculated. She doesn’t even know she’s a piece in our hands. And she won’t until it’s far too late.”

The quiet tick of the clock filled the room, each second a reminder that plans were unfolding, and Dahlia—innocent, unaware, fragile, was the key to controlling the Alpha they could not bend otherwise.

*****

Dahlia's POV

By evening, I had barely recovered from the Luna’s attack. I had dressed, dried my hair, and tried to prepare for the next day, but the chill of fear lingered. That’s when a shadow moved against the wall, and my heart leapt.

Katherine pressed herself against the corner of the room, eyes darting to the door. “Dahlia,” she whispered, voice urgent and trembling. “You have to listen.”

My heart jumped. “Katherine? What… What are you doing here?”

Katherine’s expression hardened. “I’m warning you.” She leaned closer, voice dropping to a hush. “Leave. Now. Before my father destroys you. He’s planning something… something that will use you to control Asher.”

My stomach twisted violently. “Leave? But… where would I go? I can’t survive on my own outside this pack…”

“You’ll find a way,” Katherine said quickly. “You have to trust me. When the time comes, you cannot hesitate. You cannot look back. My father… he’s ruthless. If he sees you hesitate, you’re finished.”

My chest tightened, a storm of panic and uncertainty roiling inside me. “But… what if Asher…’

“No time!” Katherine hissed, cutting me off. “He can’t know. And neither can anyone else. Move quietly. Watch for shadows. And remember… trust no one but yourself. Not even me, fully.”

Before I could protest further, Katherine melted back into the darkness, leaving my heart hammering in terror and anticipation. Her words echoed like a drumbeat in my mind: Run before it’s too late.

My hands trembled as I glanced around the room, realizing that every second could be the one that determined my survival or my end. I crouched by the window, peeking through the narrow gap of moonlight spilling into my quarters, trying to calm my racing heart.

Then I froze.

Movement.

A dark figure stood just outside the cracked door of my room, unmoving. Heart hammering in my chest, my breath caught in my throat. I squinted, and the shadows parted slightly to reveal him—Alpha Asher.

He wasn’t supposed to be there. He wasn’t supposed to be watching.

Fear, hope, and confusion collided inside me. I barely dared to breathe, afraid a single sound would give me away. Every instinct screamed to run, to hide, but my body felt frozen, caught between survival and the impossibility of hiding from someone like him.

His sharp eyes, unreadable and dangerous, stayed fixed on me. One slight shift in posture, one twitch of muscle, and I knew he could decide my fate in an instant.

Asher stepped back into the shadows, blending seamlessly with the darkness, but my gaze remained locked on him.

And for the first time, I realized something terrifying. Running might not be enough. I had already been seen.

My pulse raced, and my mind spun with questions, fears, and desperate possibilities. How much did he know? How much had he seen? Could I trust even the smallest chance of escape?

The night seemed to hold its breath along with me, each passing second stretching endlessly, heavy with dread and anticipation. My eyes stayed glued to the door, heart hammering, every sense straining for the slightest movement or sound.