In an instant, cold sweat soaked my back.
The old wound from the carriage accident flared violently. The leg that had once been shattered by moon-forged steel throbbed with every heartbeat. I had no choice but to ask for a chamber to rest.
What the banquet stewards gave me was a narrow storage chamber—cold, unlit, sealed off from the main halls.
The moment I stepped inside, a sharp click sounded behind me.
The door locked.
Outside, Corinne’s voice rang out, sharp with triumph.
“Emric has always belonged to me. You pitiful woman who chased him for decades—so what if you were bonded to him? His heart was never yours.”
“You saw it tonight, didn’t you?” she continued mockingly. “I sat beside him in the front seat of the wolf-carriage. This moon-silk gown? Your daughter chose it for me. This limited starsteel timepiece? Your son bought it. They all adore me—not you.”
My leg screamed in agony. Sweat poured down my face as I pounded on the door, my voice breaking.
“Take him. Take all of them! Just let me go to the healer’s hall. I’m begging you!”
“Dream on,” she said coldly. “I won’t let you ruin my night. Stay here and learn where you belong.”
A placard was hung on the handle—Do Not Enter · Under Moon Ward Maintenance. Her heels clicked away, fading into silence.
I collapsed onto the frozen floor, strength drained. Reaching for my communicator, my heart sank.
No power.
“Help me!”
I slammed my fists against the sealed door until my voice gave out. The chamber was too far from the main halls, the night too quiet. No one came.
At last, the pain swallowed me whole and darkness took me.
***
Two hours later, when the banquet ended, Emric still hadn’t seen me. Irritation creased his brow as he scanned the hall.
“Didn’t I tell her to behave and stay put? Where did she wander off to now?”
Corinne held his arm, guilt carefully painted on her face.
“Did she leave because you called me your Luna? If I’d known she’d be upset, I would have explained.”
Emric snorted. “Everyone tonight was pack nobility. With how she looked, she would’ve embarrassed me. Corinne, I’m glad you were there. You saved my dignity.”
“Amarise always exaggerates. Let her sulk. Let’s go back.”
Corinne cast a smug glance toward the storage corridor, silent victory curling her lips.
And I remained locked in that dark chamber, completely forgotten.
Not one person in that family remembered me.
***
The next morning, when Nolan needed to be taken to the academy, my son finally noticed my absence.
“Why isn’t she here yet? Do you know what time it is?!”
When my communicator went unanswered, he didn’t try again. He simply waved it off and told the nanny to handle it.
I was eventually released by a citadel attendant.
After recharging my communicator, there were no messages from Emric—no concern, no questions.
What greeted me instead was a blazing headline across the crystal screen:
[The reclusive Luna of Blackspire revealed to be a master sculptor. A perfect match—an Alpha of power and a woman of rare elegance.]
Weak and hollow, I stared at it and smiled bitterly.
Then my communicator rang.
For one fleeting second, I thought it might be Emric.
But the name flashing on the screen was Zevran.
The moment I answered, his voice came through, tense with worry.
“Amarise, I called you all night. What happened? Are you alright now?”
