chapter 9

Minutes turned into hours, and hours into days in the castle.

It actually felt like I was brought here to be fed and abandoned. I was always alone in my chamber at night, and in the morning, the servants would fetch me for breakfast in a big dining room with only two enormous chairs, one at each end of the large gold dining table.

One for me, and the other for Drake.

I wondered why he went through the trouble of bringing me here if he was just going to abandon me.

It felt lonely, even though I wasn't allowed to lift a finger to work, and I was supposed to be happy to be in a place where I was respected. But I wasn't happy at all.

The silence of the castle drowned my sorrow, and every night, I would cry myself to sleep.

On the sixth day, I was getting my hair done by the servants when a thought struck me.

Since I came here, I had never tried to start a conversation with the servants.

All they did was lead me to the bathroom, the dining room, the garden, and the kitchen—even when the castle caretaker wouldn't let me help with anything.

"Only to watch and while away time," she had said to me on one of those occasions.

"Please, can you take me to the Alpha's quarters?" I signed reluctantly after watching the servants finish my hair.

The two girls looked at each other, perplexed, before shaking their heads.

"You can't?" I signed again, hoping one of them would understand me.

One of them, Alexa—introduced to me as my personal maid—was a slender, tall girl with brown eyes and wavy red hair.

I grabbed her hand. "Please, Alexa, I need to see the Alpha. Take me to him," I signed as tears rolled down my cheeks.

I was frustrated, sick, and tired of being here like a prisoner.

Lily's life was in danger, and since I arrived here, I hadn't even been given a chance to see Drake, let alone plan my next move.

"It's not in my power to do so. Please understand," she pleaded as she tried to pull her hand free, but I held on tightly.

"Just tell me where he is. I promise not to tell anyone you told me. I'll tell the castle keeper I snuck out. Please," I begged, falling to my knees.

The two girls grabbed my arms, not letting me touch the floor.

"What are you doing, Luna Ember?" Alexa whispered in shock as she pulled me toward the bed and sat me down while I bawled my eyes out.

"You call me Luna... but look how I'm being treated. I can't even see my mate. My heart aches every day."

"Okay, I'll tell you," she said, wiping the tears from my face with a blue handkerchief.

I held her hand to my chest, thanking her.

"He's in the stable," she said.

Without thinking twice, I raced out of my chamber. I wasn’t sure about my rash behavior, but I could feel adrenaline rushing through me.

What is happening to me? Why do I feel like I might die if I don't see him today?

I had passed by the stable the last time I went for a stroll in the garden, so it wasn't hard to find.

I slowed down as I got closer to the door. The sweet smell of Drake hit me, and my body warmed with excitement as I snuck in quietly.

I hadn’t seen a stable before in my life, and the stable in my pack was only accessible to Leo and his Luna.

I moved as quietly as I could, my heartbeat loud in my ears. But the horses noticed me immediately. Their ears swiveled toward me like radar dishes, their large, liquid eyes following my every move. A dapple-gray stallion at the far end let out a low snort, pawing the ground as if warning me to stay back.

I froze. Did they sense I didn’t belong? I prayed earnestly not to get caught without achieving my aim. I had to see Drake.

there's a lot of questions I would like to ask him.

why did he brought me with him if he wasn't going to accept me as his mate? why didn't he use his power to change Leo's mind?

Goddess what am I even doing here? I kept rubbing my neck anxiously in fear.

The largest of them, a sleek black mare, raised her head, her nostrils flaring as she caught my scent. For a moment, the stable was utterly still, the tension thick in the air. Then, to my relief, she lowered her head and returned to nibbling at the hay. The others followed her lead, their initial curiosity fading.

I could still feel Drake's presence, but I didn’t know where to look.

My thoughts trailed off as I wondered what Drake would say if he saw me here. Would he angrily order his beta to lock me in the dungeon—or worse?

I opened one of the doors and stepped inside. In the stall was a short, shy mare. Its eyes darted toward me as it backed away, probably scared.

"Hey, cutie," I muttered in my head as I stepped forward.

The mare looked so familiar to me—sad and lonely, because it was different.

All I felt at that moment was the urge to hug it and make it feel better. To do something no one, aside from Lily, had ever done for me.

No one had ever felt pity for me in my former pack. Only despise and hate had filled their hearts.

I wondered what I had done to make them hate me so much.

The closer I got, the more agitated the mare became.

Suddenly, as my hand neared its face, it neighed loudly, huffing into the air.

I saw my life flash before my eyes as I lost my balance and fell backward.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the painful impact of the fall. But instead, I felt something strong and firm holding me in its arms.

"What do you think you're doing?"

That voice. The voice I thought I would never hear again.

Drake!