The Unbound Luna

Yuna didn't sleep well that night.

After losing her pup, sleep never came easily anymore. She drifted in that hazy space between dreaming and waking when a sudden, bone-deep chill wrapped around her wrist.

Her eyes snapped open. Amy stood by the bed, red-rimmed eyes glistening, fastening a cold iron cuff around her wrist.

Yuna froze for a moment, then took in Amy's trembling hands.

"Amy?"

At the sound of her name, Amy seemed to break completely. Tears spilled down her face all at once.

"Luna, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She dropped to her knees beside the bed, her voice shaking so badly the words nearly fell apart. "Alpha has my little brother. If I don't cuff you tonight and take you to the basement, he'll send my brother to the border camp."

Yuna lowered her gaze to the iron cuff locked around her wrist. A heavy weight pressed down on her chest.

The first thing she felt was not anger, but a numb, almost absurd disbelief.

Just to vent Vera's anger, Damon had pushed things so far that even Amy had been driven to this.

Amy's face was soaked with tears, and she barely dared meet Yuna's eyes. "I don't want to do this. I really don't. Luna, please hate me if you must, but I can't abandon my brother..."

Yuna was quiet for a moment before she spoke softly.

"I don't blame you."

Amy froze, then the tears fell even harder.

Just then, the door opened.

Damon walked in, his black boots striking the floor with slow, heavy steps. His presence carried a cold weight with it.

He had clearly already heard that Amy succeeded. His gaze went first to the iron cuff around Yuna's wrist before finally lifting to her face.

"Since you're awake, stop playing the victim," he said flatly. "Vera waited for you all night. She's been crying this whole time. It's time you were punished for your absence."

Yuna looked up at him. The last trace of emotion in her eyes was gone.

Amy was still kneeling beside the bed, trembling. Yuna didn't want her caught in the middle any longer, so she slowly sat up and climbed out of bed, the cuffs still locked around her wrists.

"There's no need for anyone to drag me there," she said softly, her voice eerily calm. "It's just the basement. I can walk there myself."

She lifted her cuffed wrists and walked straight for the door.

Damon stood by the doorway. He didn't reach out to steady her, and he didn't stop her. He only watched with cold eyes as she walked toward the end of the corridor.

The heavy iron door slowly shut behind her, and a wave of cold, damp air rushed up to meet her.

The basement had no windows. High up on one wall, a narrow vent was the only opening. Even the moonlight couldn't reach inside. The darkness pressed in from every side, like the inside of a coffin.

Yuna was locked in there for the entire night.

Her body was still weak, and old pains in her back and abdomen flared. However, the physical pain was nothing compared to the unbearable quiet.

Wolves had sharp hearing. Even through thick walls and floors, she could hear every sound above her.

She heard footsteps passing back and forth above her. Servants moving through the halls, preparing the guest rooms. Then Damon's voice came clearly through the floor as he gave the orders himself.

"Get the room on the east side ready. It's closer to mine. It'll be more convenient for Vera to stay there."

Yuna leaned back against the cold wall and slowly closed her eyes.

She knew exactly what that meant.

Damon had brought Vera into the main house.

The home that had once belonged to just the two of them had finally welcomed its new mistress.