Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 95

Emily’s POV

The rogue’s fingers dug into my arm as they hauled me back through the maze of hallways.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Declan’s eyes. That last look before the doors clicked shut hadn’t been cold at all.

And that was the problem.

“Well, there you are.”

Cindy caught up to us, matching the guards’ pace.

“You managed to turn this entire castle upside down,” she said. “Do you have any idea how many rogues were out looking for you?”

“Glad I could keep everyone busy,” I muttered.

One of the rogue guards snorted, but Cindy silenced him with a sharp look. “You’re lucky Declan found you first, Emily.”

Lucky.

We turned into a wider hallway.

The air here was different—hot, thick, and smelling of sweat and cheap liquor. Noise bled through the stone walls. I heard loud, jagged laughter and the sound of bodies slamming against wood.

The massive iron doors were wide open. Naked women moved in and out, their skin flushed and slick with sweat. They carried trays of food and enough alcohol to drown a pack.

I stopped moving. My heart was thumping in my ears.

Most of the girls were completely bare, their bodies covered in bruises and red handprints. Others wore scraps of silk that hid nothing.

Men walked past them shirtless, their muscles gleaming under the red torchlight. They laughed like predators, dragging women behind them by their hair or hips like they were nothing but trophies.

“What is that?” I whispered, my eyes wide.

Inside the hall, it was total chaos.

I saw a man lift a girl onto a table, her legs locking around his waist while he bit her neck.

Everywhere I looked, bodies were pressed together against the walls, on the floor, over the furniture.

The sound of skin hitting skin and deep, animal moans filled the air. It was filthy. It was primal.

Cindy’s face went flat. “Don’t look,” she hissed, her voice low. “Just keep moving.”

The air felt heavy, tasting of musk and sin. It felt like walking through a den of monsters who had finally lost their minds.

“What are they doing?” I managed to choke out.

“They’re being rogues,” Cindy snapped, looking straight ahead. “No rules. No mates.”

Suddenly, a body slammed into me, nearly sending me to the floor.

“You!”

I stumbled, blinking in shock. It was Tessa. Her face was flushed, her eyes wet and glassy.

“This is all your fault!” she screamed.

“I—what?”

“I thought you were my friend!”

The hallway seemed to shrink around us as people stopped to watch.

“A friend?” She let out a bitter, jagged laugh. “You idiot. I’m the daughter of the Rogue King.”

“I remember that,” I spat, my voice low and sharp. “In fact, that’s exactly what you told me right before a rogue snatched me.”

The girl’s eyes flared, but she didn’t back down. “You know, Emily, there’s one thing I just don’t understand.”

I stood my ground, waiting for whatever ‘news of the day’ she was about to throw at me.

“What is so special about you?” she demanded, stepping right into my space. “Why does every man in this place lose his mind over you?”

Before I could breathe, she shoved me. Hard.

I stumbled back, but Cindy stepped in, putting herself between us. “Careful,” she warned.

Cindy wrapped her arms around herself, pulling them tight against her ribs.

“You should be grateful you weren’t included.”

The way she said it made the air in the room feel thin.

“This is because of me, isn’t it?”

Cindy finally looked at me.

“You drove him insane tonight,” she said softly.

A chill crawled down my spine.

“He wants you,” she whispered. “But he can’t touch you yet.”

Cindy turned her head toward the window, listening to the distant roar of the party echoing through the stones.

“So instead,” she said, her voice hollow, “the other women are helping him burn his needs.”

She moved toward the door.

“Try to rest,” she said, looking at the floor. “They’ll come for you soon.”

Then she was gone. The door shut with a heavy click.

I pulled my knees to my chest and closed my eyes tight.

Nathan…

A sharp pain rose in my throat. Nathan, please. Please get me out of here.

I pressed my forehead against my knees.

I needed his arms around me. His voice. His scent. The safety I never realized was a luxury until it was ripped away.

I wished he could hear me.