I stood in the middle of the room, not moving, not breathing.

It was big. Bigger than any room I’d ever been in. The bed looked like something out of a royal palace—dark silk sheets, tall posts, a velvet blanket so soft it didn’t feel real. A fire crackled in the stone fireplace, warm and gold, but it didn’t chase the chill from my skin.

The windows were tall, with sheer curtains that swayed slightly… but I could see the truth. Iron bars, painted black to blend in.

The doors to the balcony had a lock I didn’t recognize. Something digital. Fancy. Rich.

There were tiny cameras in the corners of the ceiling.

I wasn’t free here.

This wasn’t a bedroom.

It was a cage.

I walked slowly to the mirror at the vanity and stared at myself.

My hair was messy. My skin pale, almost too pale. I looked like someone who had lost everything and didn’t know if she’d get it back. The thin scars on my wrists still burned. The kind you hide under sleeves so people don’t ask questions.

I looked like a prisoner.

Not a Luna.

Never a Luna.

I turned my back on the mirror. I didn’t want to see her anymore.

I missed it. I missed the pack—the way my father’s voice used to boom across the clearing, how the pack’s chatter would fill the air, their support like a blanket around me. I missed the woods, where I could run without fear, without feeling like something was hunting me. I used to be part of something, and now… now I was nothing.

I took a slow breath and let it out, trying to steady myself. I wasn’t supposed to be weak. I wasn’t supposed to feel afraid. But God, I was terrified.

I wasn’t used to being alone. I had spent my life surrounded by people, by wolves I knew, by faces I recognized. But now? Now, I was here with no one familiar, no one I could trust. It felt like being dropped into a pit with no way out. I didn’t belong here, and I was beginning to wonder if I ever would.

A knock made me jump.

I didn’t even get to answer before the door opened.

A woman walked in, tall and sharp-looking. She had jet-black hair in a tight bun and wore all black. No smile. No warmth.

She gave a small bow. “Luna.”

My jaw clenched. “Don’t call me that.”

She raised her head. “Alpha’s orders. I’m Mira. I’ll be assisting you while you’re here.”

“More like watching me,” I muttered.

She didn’t deny it.

Two men followed her, both wolves, pushing a silver cart full of food. Meat. Bread. Wine. Fresh fruit. It looked perfect.

Too perfect.

I didn’t move.

“You should eat,” Mira said. “You’ll need strength. The Alpha starts the process tomorrow.”

My heart kicked. “What process?”

She didn’t answer.

Of course not.

She gave a short nod and left, the guards close behind. The lock clicked again the second the door shut.

I didn’t eat.

I didn’t sleep.

I sat on the edge of the bed, back straight, eyes locked on the door. My bones ached, but I didn’t lie down. I didn’t want to give this place the satisfaction.

I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even blink.

“You’re here because I need a Luna,” he continued. “And you were available.”

I raised my chin. “So I’m convenient?”

“A strategic acquisition,” he corrected, like he was talking about mergers and hostile takeovers. “A female with the right bloodline. The right face. The right temper.”

I stepped closer, once. Just enough to make him notice. “Then don’t confuse my presence with obedience.”

His lips twitched, not quite a smile. More like… approval. “I don’t want obedience. I want results.”

I turned away from him, letting my eyes sweep over the room’s ridiculous luxury. Velvet drapes. Gilded furniture. A space meant to impress, not to comfort.

“You could’ve chosen someone easier,” I said. “Softer.”

“I don’t trust soft,” he replied.

“And I don’t trust you.”

That made him smile—actually smile. But it wasn’t warm. It was ice against bare skin. “Perfect.”

He walked to the door without another word, but paused right at the edge, glancing over his shoulder.

“There’s a closet full of clothes,” he said. “Wear black tomorrow. We have a meeting with the council.”

I arched a brow. “Do I get a say in that?”

“No,” he said flatly. “But you do get a throne.”

And then the door clicked shut behind him, sealing me in like a queen in a cage.