Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 5

Emily’s POV

The cell felt freezing the second Nathan left.

Mate. The word didn’t feel real. My first mate had destroyed me. Now the Moon Goddess was giving me a second chance with a future Alpha King. The Moon Goddess clearly had a twisted sense of humor.

Suddenly, a loud argument echoed down the corridor.

“Alpha Nathan said no visitors,” a guard grumbled.

“Remember exactly who you’re talking to,” a sharp female voice shot back. “I’m the Luna Queen of this territory. Step aside.”

The dungeon door swung open. Doctor Reed stepped inside, followed by a beautiful older woman with silver hair. Her grey eyes landed on me and softened instantly.

“What’s your name, child?” she asked, stepping closer.

“Emily,” I whispered.

“I’m Meredyth. The Luna Queen.”

Panic hit me. I tried to sit up straight, ignoring the sharp pain in my ribs. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble—”

Meredyth cut me off gently, her eyes scanning my face, the scars on my arms, and the dark bruises around my throat. The gentleness vanished from her face, replaced by freezing anger. “Who did this to you?”

I froze. My survival instincts screamed at me to keep quiet.

“She’s starving,” Doctor Reed said, wrapping clean gauze around my ribs. “And some of these scars are years old.”

Meredyth’s eyes turned to ice. “And my son still thinks she’s a rogue spy?”

Reed sighed. “He’s trying hard to believe it.”

Meredyth looked at me, her eyes filling with tears. “Oh, child. We are getting you out of this hole right now.”

Her eyes glazed over for a brief mind-link, then she snapped back. “Let’s go.”

At the exit, a guard blocked our way. “Alpha’s orders, Luna. The prisoner stays.”

“I already spoke to Nathan,” Meredyth said coldly. “Mind-link him. Now.”

The guard paused, his eyes glazing over as he connected to Nathan’s mind. A second later, he turned pale and stepped back, bowing his head. “My apologies, Luna. You can take her out for some air.”

The walk from the dungeons on the edge of the territory was a blur. Meredyth kept a protective hand on my arm as we made our way toward the main packhouse.

Even from the back entrance, the structure was breathtaking. Towering four stories high, the colossal wooden and stone building loomed over us, its massive glass windows reflecting the sky. This was the heart of the Blackwood Pack.

The moment she pushed the kitchen door open, a wave of warmth hit my shivering body. The room smelled like fresh bread and melting butter. It was the exact opposite of the cruel kitchen I had escaped from.

An older woman looked up from her baking. The moment she saw my bruised face, she dropped her towel. “Oh, Moon Goddess…” She rushed over, her face full of worry. “You poor thing.”

Across the room, the kitchen girls stopped chopping. They all stared at me, their eyes wide with shock.

“This is Emily,” Meredyth said. “She needs a warm meal and a lot of rest.”

Dorothy’s eyes moved slowly across my bruises, the cuts on my throat, and my bandaged ribs. Then, she grabbed a plate and started piling food onto it. “Sit down, sweet girl. Let's get some food into you. A good meal cures a lot of things.”

Meredyth touched my shoulder. “I need to attend a meeting, but you’re safe here. Beta Blake will come later and show you to your room.”

I stared at her. “My… room?”

Dorothy went completely still. “What kind of monsters were you living with?”

Hours passed after Meredyth left. By afternoon, more pack members drifted into the kitchen between duties. Every single person stared at my bandages and tangled white-blonde hair. Whispers spread across the room.

I shrank smaller with every passing minute. Eventually, I grabbed my empty dishes just to escape the staring. I hurried toward the large sink without looking up—and slammed directly into someone.

The huge pot in the girl’s hands tipped. Hot stew splashed across the stone floor with a loud, heavy crash.

My body instantly locked up. I flinched, closing my eyes as I waited for the screaming and punishment.

“Oh my Goddess!” a horrified voice gasped.

Soft hands carefully took mine. I opened my eyes to see a girl with bright blue eyes and light ash-blonde hair tied into two braids. She stared at me in absolute shock. “Did the pot burn you? Are you okay?”

I blinked, paralyzed. Why wasn’t she screaming at me?

“I swear Dorothy’s going to murder me this time,” she groaned dramatically, quickly picking up the empty pot.

From the stove, Dorothy pointed a wooden spoon at her. “You’re still breathing, aren’t you?”

“That doesn’t sound very reassuring!” the girl shot back.

A tiny, involuntary laugh escaped my lips.

The girl’s face lit up immediately. “There it is! She does know how to smile. I’m Poppy, by the way.”

“You’re also late,” another girl said, walking in with baskets of vegetables. She had deep, dark brown curly hair and warm honey eyes that stopped dead on me. “Oh. You’re the rogue girl.”

The kitchen went awkwardly quiet.

Poppy threw her hands up, her ash-blonde hair tossing. “Jessie! Look at her, she’s been through enough. Use your brain.”

Jessie shifted the basket, looking genuinely guilty. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. Truly.”

Dorothy clapped her hands loudly. “Enough talking. Emily, sweetheart, come here. Do you know how to chop vegetables?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then help us, please. We will be grateful.”

We worked for a while, and I slowly began to relax. Eventually, as the afternoon started to fade into evening, Poppy looked at my damp hair with a warm smile.

“Okay,” Poppy said softly. “Let’s get you out of those wet clothes and into a hot shower.”

“Yeah,” Jessie added gently. “You deserve some rest after the day you’ve had.”

Dorothy pointed her spoon at me. “They’re right, sweetheart. Go.”

Poppy opened the door to the massive dining hall and held it for me.

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