Chapter 7

Aira’s POV

"Please, just let me go," I begged, my voice cracking under the weight of desperation. I could barely hear myself over the pounding of my heart. I directed my words toward the guards outside the door, hoping—praying—they might have a shred of mercy.

Deep down, I knew better. They wouldn’t listen. They hadn’t listened before, so why would now be any different?

They had dragged me back here, hauling me to Alexander’s territory like some criminal. But this wasn’t just any part of his place. No, they’d locked me inside his room, as if that somehow made it better—or worse.

It had been days since that night. The memory still haunted me. Days had passed since our confrontation when Alexander told me he wouldn’t let me go. He hadn’t hesitated, hadn’t flinched when he said it. His words had been firm, final, and impossible to ignore. He claimed he wanted me by his side, but how could he say that when he was preparing to marry someone else?

The thought alone crushed me. My chest felt heavy, as if a weight I couldn’t remove was pressing down on it. My heart ached in a way that felt almost physical, like it might shatter at any moment. How could he do this to me?

My fists clenched at my sides as I tried to steady myself. Anger and heartbreak swirled inside me, creating a storm I couldn’t contain. "Where is Alexander?" I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

But my frustration got the better of me, and the words burst out louder. "Where is Alexander? Please, I need to talk to him! Bring him here if you don’t want me to walk out of this room!" My voice echoed through the walls, but the only response I got was silence.

After a while, a loud thud slammed against the door, followed by voices. “Stop causing trouble,” one of the guards barked. “You’re not going anywhere. Alpha Alexander won’t see you. He’s busy preparing for Princess Cassandra’s arrival!”

Princess Cassandra.

The name sent a chill down my spine. It was like a slap in the face, a painful reminder of why I was here—why I was being ignored. That was why Alexander hadn’t come to see me. That was why he hadn’t shown his face for days. He was busy with her, the woman everyone seemed to believe was his true Luna.

The realization tore through me like claws scraping against my chest. Was I even his fated mate? Or was this all some cruel joke—a lie I’d been foolish enough to believe?

Tears blurred my vision, and my legs gave out beneath me. I crumpled to the floor, the cold surface doing little to numb the pain inside me. Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried to keep from falling apart completely.

Outside the room, I could hear the commotion. It wasn’t chaotic; it was energetic, lively. Voices rang out, cheerful and excited, giving orders to prepare for the event.

"Set the stage," someone said.

"Clean the area. Make sure everything’s perfect."

Others were talking about food and decorations, their tones light and happy.

The sounds only made things worse. It was as if the entire pack was celebrating her arrival while I sat here, trapped and forgotten.

I heard the guards talking again.

“Princess Cassandra has arrived. We need to greet her and show her the respect she deserves.”

And just like that, the last thread of hope inside me snapped.

I was furious. Furious at Alexander for abandoning me. Furious at myself for ever believing things could be different. He hadn’t checked on me. He hadn’t visited. He hadn’t even bothered to ask how I was doing. The last time we spoke, he used me, and now the respect everyone had for Cassandra—their so-called real Luna—was painfully obvious.

And me? I was nothing. Just a prisoner locked away against my will. I’d left my family for this. I’d sacrificed everything because I thought life here would be better. But I was wrong. So, so wrong.

I couldn’t take it anymore. My legs felt like they were going to give out completely. I stumbled to the bed, collapsing onto the mattress as exhaustion and misery overtook me. If they wanted me to rot in this room, fine. Let them.

I don’t know how much time passed, but eventually, a knock at the door startled me. I stayed where I was, too tired to care.

The door creaked open, and a servant entered, carrying a tray of food.

When her eyes landed on me, she froze. For a moment, she just stared, but then her lips curled into a smirk, and she let out a mocking laugh.

"You deserve this," she sneered, her voice dripping with malice. "You deserve to be locked up. Now that the real Luna has arrived, you don’t stand a chance. She knows her worth, and when she finds out who you really are, I’m sure she’ll make sure you’re tortured. Maybe even worse."

Her words hit me like a slap. Fear coiled tightly around me, squeezing the air from my lungs. How much more could I endure? They’d been tormenting me—mocking me, starving me—for days now.

Some days, they gave me food once, if at all. Other days, nothing. I’d started to believe that neglect might actually kill me.

The servant placed the tray on the table and turned to leave, but desperation overtook me. I shot forward and grabbed her arm, my grip tight despite my trembling hands.

"Please," I said, my voice breaking. "I’m begging you. You have to help me find a way to get out of here."

She yanked her arm free, her expression twisted with disgust. "And why would I do that?!" she snapped.

I swallowed hard, trying to calm the panic rising in my chest. "Because letting me go would solve a problem for the new Luna," I said, my voice steadier now. "She’d be grateful for what you did. You’d be in her good graces, and that’s something you wouldn’t want to miss, right?"

The servant froze, her eyes narrowing as she studied me. For a moment, I thought she might hit me, but then something shifted in her expression. She was thinking about it.

After what felt like an eternity, she sighed heavily. "Fine," she muttered, her tone reluctant.

I blinked, barely believing what I was hearing.

"Three days from now," she continued, "on the day of the wedding, there will be a ceremony. With so many people attending, it’ll be easier to create a distraction. I’ll make sure everyone’s attention is elsewhere, and you can use the commotion to escape. But once you’re out, don’t you ever come back."

Her words sent a flicker of hope through me, faint but enough to reignite a small spark of determination.

Three days. I just had to survive three more days.