Serena’s POV
The archive room smelled of damp parchment and ancient dust. A sanctuary of forgotten secrets that felt more welcoming than any room in the pack house.
I stood before Master Aris, the pack’s elderly archivist whose eyes were as clouded as old glass. He was the only one who remembered the law before the Thornbloods turned it into a weapon.
"You are certain, Master Aris?" I asked, my voice echoing slightly in the cramped, windowless chamber. "There are no lingering bindings or any invisible shackles?"
Aris shuffled through a stack of yellowed ledgers, his withered fingers trembling. "The law is as clear as the Moon Goddess’s reflection, child. A Luna’s bond is forged in the Marking ritual. It is a spiritual and legal contract. Without the mark, you are merely a resident. Yo
