“Alpha Ronan,” one of his men approached cautiously. “The car is ready.”

“Good,” Ronan said, his voice low. “She’s coming with me.”

I struggled weakly in his grip as he dragged me outside, my bare feet stumbling over rocks and dirt.

Ronan glanced at me but said nothing as he opened the door to a sleek black SUV and shoved me inside.

The door slammed shut, and the world outside disappeared as the car began to move.

My head throbbed, my face stung, and my wrists ached from the cuffs still digging into my skin.

“Where are you taking me?” I whispered.

Ronan’s eyes flicked to me in the rearview mirror.

“Home.”

The word felt like a death sentence.

I pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the window, tears silently streaming down my face.

Whatever home meant to him, it wasn’t going to mean safety for me.

***

The car screeched to a stop, and before I could even gather my thoughts, the door flew open. Ronan grabbed my arm, yanking me out with no more care than if I were a piece of luggage.

“Get up,” he growled when I stumbled, my knees scraping against gravel.

My face was still throbbing from the slap, my legs shaky from the whip, but his iron grip dragged me forward. The cold night air hit my skin, carrying the scent of pine and smoke.

We were at some massive estate—dark stone walls, towering gates, and a pack of wolves standing guard. They watched silently as Ronan hauled me past them, their glowing eyes following every painful step I took.

I wanted to scream, to fight, but the humiliation from earlier had drained me. My face was swollen, blood still crusted on my nose and lips, and my back burned with every movement.

The inside of the house was worse than I’d expected. It wasn’t luxurious or welcoming—it was cold, cavernous, and smelled faintly of wet dog and decay. Wolves crowded in the main hall, their chatter stopping the moment Ronan stepped in with me in tow.

“Listen up!” Ronan’s voice boomed, commanding instant silence. He shoved me to my knees in the middle of the room, his hand pressing down hard on my shoulder.

“This is Elena, she a human,” he announced, his tone sharp, like he wasn’t talking about a person at all. “She’s mine now.”

Laughter rippled through the crowd, low and mocking.

I glared at the floor, my fists clenching at my sides.

“She’ll do what I say, when I say it. If anyone touches her without my permission, they’ll answer to me.”

He turned his head slightly, speaking directly into my ear. “That goes for you too. Understand?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t trust my voice not to betray the rage and fear swirling inside me.

Ronan’s grip tightened painfully. “I said, do you understand?”

“Yes,” I spat, my voice trembling with anger.

“Good.” He released me, stepping back. “Now, show us all that you know your place.”

I glanced up at him, confused. “What?”

“Kneel,” he barked.

“I’m already kneeling!”

“Lower.” His voice was ice.

My stomach twisted in humiliation. Slowly, I sank down further until my forehead nearly touched the cold, filthy floor. The wolves around us erupted into howls of laughter.

“Good girl,” Ronan sneered.

I wanted to die.

But it didn’t stop there.

“Get her a mop,” Ronan called out. “She can start earning her keep.”

Someone shoved a grimy mop and bucket into my hands. I stared at it, my hands shaking.

“I’m not—”

“You are,” Ronan cut me off, his voice sharp and final. “Clean the hall. Every inch of it.”

The wolves jeered and threw scraps of food onto the floor, making the task even more degrading. My hands tightened on the mop, my jaw clenching so hard it hurt, but I swallowed my pride and got to work.

The night blurred into a nightmare of mopping, scrubbing, and being shoved around by sneering wolves. My back screamed in pain from earlier, and my knees felt raw from kneeling.

Hours later, when I was finally done, Ronan appeared again.

“Follow me,” he said curtly, turning without waiting to see if I’d comply.

I didn’t have a choice. I followed him through the winding halls of the house, my legs trembling with exhaustion.

He stopped at the base of a grand staircase, his hand gripping the railing.

“You’ll stay out of the upper floors unless I tell you otherwise,” he said. “And if you even think about running...” His eyes glinted dangerously. “Well, you won’t like what happens.”

I nodded silently, my throat too dry to speak.

But as I followed him to my assigned “room”—a cramped, windowless space that smelled of mildew—I couldn’t help noticing the faint flicker of candlelight coming from the upper floors.

Later that night, when the house was quiet, curiosity got the better of me. I crept out of my room, my bare feet silent against the cold floor.

The fourth floor was eerily silent, the air heavy and still. The light led me to a room at the very end of the hall.

Pushing the door open, I froze.

A woman lay on the bed, pale and motionless. Her long hair fanned out over the dark sheets, and her chest rose and fell so faintly I wasn’t sure if she was breathing at all.

My stomach twisted uneasily. She wasn’t dead, but she wasn’t alive either—not fully.

Before I could move, I heard footsteps behind me.

“What are you doing here?”

Ronan’s voice cut through the air like a blade.

I spun around, my heart hammering in my chest. His face was unreadable, but his eyes burned with quiet fury.

“Who... who is she?”

Ronan stepped into the room, his presence suffocating. “That’s none of your concern.”

“Why is she—”

“She’s my mate,” he snapped, his tone final. “My Luna.”

Something about the way he said it sent a chill down my spine.

“She’s... she’s not alive,” I whispered, glancing back at the unmoving woman. “What are you doing to her?”

Ronan’s jaw clenched. “She’s sick. And you’re going to help me bring her back.”

“What?” I took a step back.

He grabbed my arm, pulling me close. His voice dropped to a cold whisper.

“You’re not here to be part of this pack, Elena. You’re here because humans are useful in rituals. And in two weeks, I’m going to kill you to save her, whether you like it or not.”

His words hit me like a slap in the face.

“Two weeks,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “You’re going to kill me... in two weeks?”

Ronan smirked, leaning back against the doorframe as if we were discussing the weather. “On the blood moon. It’s the perfect time for rituals. And with the witch’s help, your sacrifice will ensure Luna’s return.”

Sacrifice. The word twisted in my chest like a knife.

“You… you can’t be serious,” I said, my voice trembling.

“Oh, I’m fucking dead serious,” he replied, his tone almost bored. “But until then, you’ll stay here. Do what I tell you. And you’ll start by looking after her.”

He jerked his head toward the woman on the bed—his Luna. Her pale face was peaceful, almost serene, but the energy in the room felt... wrong.

“You want me to take care of her?”

“You’ll do more than that,” Ronan said, his voice hardening. “You’ll bathe her, feed her, keep her clean. If I so much as smell neglect on her, I’ll make sure your death is slow.”

I swallowed hard, my mouth dry. “What if I... what if I hurt her by accident?”

Ronan’s expression darkened. He stepped closer, towering over me.

“If you try anything— anything—to harm her, I’ll fucking throw you to the rogues. Let them tear you apart piece by piece and feast on your remains. Understand?”

A shiver ran down my spine. His tone wasn’t a threat; it was a promise.

I nodded quickly, not trusting my voice to work.

“Good.” He grabbed my arm, pulling me out of the room. “You start now.”

***

The first thing I learned about taking care of Alpha Ronan’s Luna was that it wasn’t about her. It was about him.

He wanted her pristine, perfect, untouched. Every detail had to be just right—the water temperature for her baths, the way her hair was brushed, even the position of her hands on the bed. It was obsessive, and the weight of it pressed down on me with every passing second.

I carried a basin of warm water into the room, my arms shaking under its weight. The Luna lay exactly as I’d left her, unmoving, her chest rising and falling so faintly I had to lean closer to be sure she was still breathing.

I set the basin down and hesitated.

This was insane. I was supposed to be in school, worrying about exams, hanging out with friends, maybe daydreaming about my future. Not... this. Not bathing a woman who was basically a corpse while her psychotic mate planned to kill me.

My hands shook as I dipped a cloth into the water and wrung it out.

“Just get it over with,” I muttered to myself.

The cloth brushed against her skin, and I froze. Her body was cold—colder than it should’ve been—but there was a faint warmth beneath the surface, like embers buried under ash.

I worked quickly, trying not to think too much. Every movement felt surreal, like I was watching myself from outside my body.

When I finished, I stepped back, wiping my hands on my pants.

“Good enough,” Ronan’s voice said from the doorway, making me jump.

I turned to see him leaning against the frame, his arms crossed over his chest.

“She looks... decent,” he said, his eyes scanning the Luna’s form. “For now.”

I bit back the urge to snap at him. What was I supposed to do? Give her a makeover?

“Get out,” he said abruptly. “You’ve got other work to do.”

I didn’t need to be told twice.

***

The days blurred together. Ronan didn’t just assign me to the Luna; he made sure I was his personal slave too. Cleaning, cooking, running errands—every task was designed to remind me of how little I mattered.

But the worst part wasn’t the work. It was the looming shadow of the blood moon, ticking closer with every passing day.

I tried to push the thought away, but at night, alone in my cramped little room, it was all I could think about. How would it happen? Would the witch drag me to some altar and carve me open? Would Ronan watch? Would anyone care?

The days crawled by, each one heavier than the last. Ronan kept me running on scraps of food and exhaustion. My body ached from endless chores, knees bruised from scrubbing stone floors until my skin cracked.

But it wasn’t just the labor—it was the waiting. The looming dread of the Blood Moon, a countdown I couldn’t stop.

Then, something shifted.

I was in the Luna’s chambers, cleaning dust-covered shelves stacked with leather-bound books and glass vials filled with God-knows-what. Ronan had barked his usual threats before locking me in.

The shelves blurred as I worked, but one book caught my eye—a spine glowing faintly behind a curtain of cobwebs. My heart kicked against my ribs as I pulled it free. Heavy. Worn. Its crimson-etched title burned into my mind: “Blood and Moon: Rituals of Resurrection.”

My breath hitched.

The pages crackled as I flipped through them. Strange symbols filled the first few, but then, there it was. My fate. Spelled out in ink.

“Under the Blood Moon, the vessel must be prepared. Her blood, pure and untainted, will flow into the earth. Her life force will be consumed, and in return, the soul of the Luna will be restored to her body.”

I read it again. And again. My vision blurred.

Her blood. Her life. Me.

I slammed the book shut, panic clawing at my chest. “So that’s it,” I whispered. “They’re going to bleed me dry.”

A creak behind me made me flinch, nearly dropping the book.

Selene was awake.

Her pale, moonlit eyes locked on mine from the bed. She looked fragile, almost translucent under the dim light, but her gaze was sharp.

“You found it,” she said, voice soft and brittle.

I clutched the book tighter. “You’re awake.”

Her faint smile held no warmth. “For now.”

Something about her wasn’t menacing—just tragic. Not some evil queen lurking behind Ronan’s plans. Just… tired.

“You know what he’s going to do to me?” My voice cracked.

Her gaze lowered. “Yes.”

“You’re just… okay with it?”

“No.” Her eyes snapped back to mine, a flicker of fire beneath the exhaustion. “But Ronan believes my life is worth more than yours.”

The words hung in the air, suffocating.

“And you? Do you believe that?”

Selene hesitated, searching my face. “No life is more valuable than another, Elena. But I am bound to him. I can’t stop what he’s set in motion.”

Tears burned my eyes. “There has to be another way.”

“If there is,” she said, her voice almost a whisper, “it’s in those texts. But you don’t have much time.”

The door rattled, and we both froze.

“Elena!” Ronan’s bark jolted me into motion. I shoved the book back onto the shelf and scrambled to my feet.

The door swung open. Ronan’s sharp eyes scanned the room, suspicion simmering.

“What’s going on?” he growled.

“Nothing,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “Just cleaning.”

His gaze lingered, but he didn’t press. Instead, he stepped closer, towering over me.

“It’s time for your preparations,” he sneered.

***

The preparations were hell.

Ronan dragged me to a stone chamber deep beneath the packhouse. The air was damp, the walls scored with claw marks and streaked with dried blood.

“Take off your clothes,” he ordered.

I froze. “What?”

His eyes narrowed. “I said, take them off.”

“I’m not—”

He grabbed my arm, his grip crushing as he shoved me forward. “Do it, or I’ll have someone else strip you.”

Shaking, I peeled off my shirt and pants, my arms crossing over my chest. The bruises and scrapes across my skin burned in the frigid air.

Ronan tossed a thin, white gown at me. “Put this on.”

I slipped it over my head. It barely reached my knees.

“This is your uniform until the ritual,” he said coldly. “No food. Minimal water. The witch will keep you alive just enough to stay pure.”

My stomach churned, twisting in pain.

I sank to the floor, wrapping my arms around myself as silent sobs wracked my chest.

Two weeks.

Two weeks to either escape or die.

***

The days were hell. Ronan’s grip tightened as Selene’s condition worsened. I wasn’t allowed to rest, eat, or escape his wrath. Whenever Selene showed signs of pain, he came for me, his anger sharp and relentless.

“I told you to take care of her!” he roared, his hand around my throat. I could hardly breathe but didn’t dare fight back. The other slaves in the house stayed silent, watching from the shadows, too afraid to intervene.

Still, I found myself drawn to Selene. Not out of pity—but because she was the only one who treated me like a person.

One night, as I sat beside her, she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” I asked.

“For you. For what’s going to happen,” she said, her voice weak.

“This isn’t your fault,” I said, trying to keep my anger in check. “Don’t apologize for him.”

She sighed, her eyes distant. “You don’t understand. I’m the reason he’s like this. If he can’t bring me back, he’ll never forgive himself.”

“You’re still here, Selene,” I said, gripping her hand.

“For how long?” she replied softly. Her resignation stayed with me long after I left her room.

The ritual loomed closer, and I felt trapped.

The chance to escape came unexpectedly.

I was in the kitchen scrubbing pots when I overheard two pack warriors outside.

“The borders are weak,” one grumbled. “Ronan’s pulled patrols for the Blood Moon preparations.”

The words struck like lightning. Weak borders. A way out.

That night, as I brushed Selene’s hair, my hands shook.

“You’re trembling,” Selene said softly.

“I’m fine,” I muttered.

“No, you’re not,” she said, her gaze heavy in the mirror.

She was right. I wasn’t fine. But I couldn’t let her—or Ronan—know what I was planning.