From the moment dawn broke over Eclipse Crown, the entire castle had been thrown into chaos.
Servants hurried through the halls carrying crates, banners, flowers and ceremonial fabrics while guards doubled their patrols around the walls.
Every corridor echoed with footsteps, orders and preparations as Packs from distant territories continued arriving throughout the day.
The Sovereign Moon Ceremony wasn’t merely Eclipse Crown’s celebration. Supreme Alphas from neighboring territories had travelled for weeks to attend this, bringing their Betas, heirs, nobles and warriors with them. Tonight, beneath the Full Moon, banners would be raised, alliances would be renewed, new mate bonds would be acknowledged before the Goddess, trade agreements would be signed, and feasts would last until dawn.
For most people, it was the most important night of the year. For Della, it felt like the beginning of a disaster.
By midday, she had already been assigned so many different tasks and insulted more times than she could count.
First, Garrett had forced her to haul water barrels across half the castle grounds despite her ankle still aching whenever she put too much weight on it. After that, she had been ordered into one of the outer storage buildings to sort through broken furniture and damaged supplies before being dragged away yet again and handed a brush almost as large as she was.
Now she was on her knees scrubbing stone floors and walls.
Della dipped the brush into the bucket beside her and scrubbed harder. What pained her concerning all this way that the floor was already spotless.
The servants knew it, the guards knew it.
Even she knew it, but that wasn’t the point.
The point was to keep her busy, to watch her suffer, to remind her exactly where she stood.
The servants would snicker and whisper anytime they walked past her, and she mostly heard the words ’Rotblood’ and ’Serves her right,’ as they walked by.
By late afternoon her shoulders felt like they were on fire, her palms were raw and her back ached from bending over stone all day. Yet somehow the work still continued.
Whenever she finished one section or thought she would finally get some rest, somebody would remember another filthy corner that apparently required immediate attention.
By the time evening arrived, Della was beginning to suspect they were inventing work specifically for her.
As she scrubbed another corner, she found herself looking around subconsciously. She hadn’t seen Malachi all day. She knew he would be quite busy with everything happening today.
Not that she cared...at least that was what she kept telling herself.
The mate bond occasionally flickered with distant emotions she couldn’t fully understand, but she shoved them away every time they appeared.
She had more important things to worry about.
Like the banner.
Like Beatrice.
Like the terrible feeling sitting inside her stomach.
And most importantly, like escape.
When the final task was finally completed and the castle began preparing for the ceremony itself, Della slipped away before somebody could discover another section that desperately needed scrubbing.
The moment she reached her room, she shut the door behind her and leaned against it. A tired breath escaped her lips as she looked around the small room.
Tonight.
It had to be tonight that she would try again.
The Sovereign Moon Ceremony be damned!
Outside her window she could already hear music beginning to play somewhere in the distance while guests filled the castle and servants rushed to complete the final preparations.
Tonight was the perfect distraction, not just for Malachi but for everyone else. It was a great opportunity. Everyone important would be attending the ceremony, and Malachi would have so much on his plate.
And while they celebrated, she would be gone.
The plan was wonderyful, which was why she didn’t trust it. The bad feeling that had been growing for a few days now kept increasing, and her heart beat was speeding up the closer it was to the beginning of the celebration.
Plus, the banner issue still bothered her.
The memory of Beatrice’s threat still haunted her, and Malachi’s warning echoed inside her head even now.
’Stay where I can see you,’
The arrogant bastard had said it like he owned the ground she walked on, and how was she supposed to stay where he could see her when they wouldn’t even let her get close to him? She was pretty sure she would be growled at by many visitors the moment she stepped into their midst.
People like her were better off sleeping in their rooms whenever something like this was going on outside.
Della moved toward her bed and pulled out the small bundle she had secretly prepared over the last few days. It wasn’t much, just a waterskin, a few stolen food scraps and strips of cloth she could use for bandages if her ankle gave out again.
It was just barely enough for the journey back to IronRidge. Enough to finally escape this nightmare and go back to Lian. She had been away from that boy, for over a week now and she could only pray to the Moon Goddess that he would still be alive by now.
Outside, bells suddenly rang throughout the castle and Della almost jumped by the suddeness of it.
The ceremony was beginning.
Her heart was pounding faster.
The bells continued ringing throughout Eclipse Crown, their deep sound rolling across the castle grounds as servants rushed toward the ceremonial square and guests poured from every corridor.
Della waited a short while pressing her head against the door till she heard nothing anymore. Once she was very sure her corridor was clear, she slipped out and shut the door behind her.
This time, she was even more careful than she was the last time. She paused every few steps to listen, checked to make sure every corner was empty and even studied hallways before she crossed them.
The castle was crowded tonight, which made things easier for her, because of the countless distractions. But then again, it was also hard because there were people everywhere.
Nobles moved about draped in expensive fabrics filled the halls, warriors from distant Packs walked in groups while servants hurried around carrying trays of food and wine.
Twice down had to duck behind decorative pillars to avoid passing guards, and once she was forced to squeeze herself into an empty storage alcove while three visiting Alphas walked past discussing trade agreements.
Her ankle ached constantly beneath her weight, but she ignored it. Freedom was waiting outside those walls, and so was Lian hence nothing else mattered.
Della reached one of the larger corridors overlooking the main ceremonial grounds and carefully peeked over the stone railing. The sight had her sucking in a deep breath, lost in it for a second.
Hundreds of lanterns illuminated the castle below, and Gigantic Banners from each territory rested against the walls. Music echoed from every direction, and tables stretched across the grounds loaded with enough food to feed entire villages.
And beyond all of it stood the enormous ceremonial platform where the Sovereign Moon Ceremony would soon reach its most important stage. Every Supreme Alpha appeared to be gathered there.
Including Malachi.
Even from this distance she immediately spotted him.
Of course she did. The mate bond practically dragged her attention toward him.
He stood among the other Supremes dressed entirely in black, his posture radiating authority in a way that made everyone around him seem smaller. As always, his aura was different from the rest.
For a moment she found herself staring, then she mentally slapped herself.
Focus.
Escape first, and don’t regret a thing!
"Is someone there?" A masculine deep voice called from the darkness around her, and Della almost gasped in shock.
Instead, she pressed her hand over her mouth and began moving away from the railing as silently as she could.
"You, with the white hair that has red streaks and the little sack around your shoulders,"
Shit...shit! Shit!
She froze for a second.
From the darkness, she could now feel his gaze scrutinizing her, "You seem like a servant," He said, "Are you supposed to be here?!"
"Are you?!" She whispered back, still slowly backing away, "I mean..., it’s...you...I just...I would never," She didn’t even know what to say. She didn’t even know who the hell was talking to her!!
The figure in the dark kept staring at her as she kept stuttering out words that didn’t make any sense while trying to run away from him.
Then, she suddenly turned around and sprinted away like her life depended on it. The sight was funny, and a cackleescaped him.
Weird, wolfless Servant.
Della held her heaving chest as she ran. The voice didn’t sound familiar so hopefully, it wasn’t someone she knew. Maybe he was a part of one of the visiting nobles.
Della kept moving, and was almost at the western side of the castle when disaster nearly struck.
Voices drifted around the corner ahead, one she most definitely recognised this time and her stomach dropped.
It was Selene and Beatrice.
Della instantly stepped backward, and hid behind the nearest pillar.
"She’s been scrubbing the whole castle since morning," Beatrice was saying, "My lady, I bet she’s exhausted now and is dozing off in her room,"
"It’s annoying that Malachi gave her a room in the first place," Selene replied, her beautiful eyes looking merciless, "I would have made her sleep in the sewers where she belongs!"
"We should focus on the event today. Isn’t it time we go grab her from her room? We can’t let her miss the surprise now, can we?"
Della’s heart jumped.
Oh no!!
She needed to keep moving!
Panicked, she took a step forward and that very second, Selene whirled around too. Their eyes almost met.
Della quickly threw herself behind a nearby marble statue seconds before Selene’s gaze swept across the corridor.
Her heart beat sped up even faster, and she dared not to breathe. She couldn’t even blink.
The silence that carried on was very alarming, increasing her panic.
Please keep walking.
Please.
For several seconds nothing happened. Then, Della heard footsteps and Beatrice spoke, "Lady Selene, what do you—"
"Wait!" Selene said sharply, and Della’s heart stopped., "I thought I saw someone,"
Beatrice sounded bored, "A servant?"
"No."
Selene’s voice lowered as she replied, "I could have sworn it was her."
Della closed her eyes.
Wonderful.
Just wonderful.
Of all the people in this kingdom!!!
Footsteps approached where she hid, and she squeezed herself tighter against the statue.
The steps were slow and careful, one of deep suspicions. Selene was coming closer, covering the distance between them.
Della glanced around desperately, and her heart sank as she discovered there was nowhere left to go without being seen. The statue was the only cover available.
A few more steps and Selene would see her.
Then suddenly a group of visiting nobles entered the hallway from another direction, and the corridor became crowded. They began exchanging pleasantries with Selene, while Beatrice started to introduce herself as Leopold’s wife.
The distraction lasted only seconds, but it was enough for Della to slip away. Thank Heavens!
She hurried through the nearest side passage and didn’t stop until she reached another staircase. Unfortunately, her relief lasted less than a minute.
Because she heard Selene again.
Much closer this time.
"Find her!"
Della felt her blood run cold, then she looked back through the stair railings. Selene stood below speaking to two guards, and her expression was sharp.
"I know what I saw," Selene continued. "If it wasn’t Della, then it was somebody hiding their face. Either way, I want the castle searched. Search her room, and see if she’s there, first,"
One of the guards nodded, "Should we inform the others?"
"Immediately."
Oh, no.
No.
No.
No.
This was exactly what she didn’t need!
The guards split apart and hurried off in opposite directions. She knew within minutes, more guards would be watching. There would be more patrols, and more searchful eyes.
Which means, they would eventually find her.
Della backed away from the staircase, her mind racing furiously. Her original escape route was gone now so she slipped through yet another corridor, keeping close to the shadows while voices and footsteps echoed throughout the castle.
The search was spreading faster than she had expected, and every few minutes she spotted guards moving through the halls, speaking quietly among themselves while their eyes swept over every servant that walked by, and every dark corner.
Selene had truly meant it when she ordered them to look for her.
Della gritted her teeth and continued moving.
She was very close now. The western servant gates were only a few corridors away. Beyond them were the outer gates, and beyond those gates were the walls.
And then... freedom.
The thought gave her enough strength to keep limping forward despite the pain shooting through her ankle.
Then something caught her eye and she paused. Nothing in her current situation would have made her stop, but the strip of black fabric she had seen looked... very familiar.
It was lying partially hidden beneath a storage table positioned near one of the ceremonial preparation rooms. As she limped closer to it, that familiar feeling that something was wrong settled inside her stomach.
The fabric matched the Eclipse Crown banner.
Why would a piece of the banner be here? The ceremony hadn’t even started properly yet.
She crouched carefully and picked it up. The moment her fingers brushed the cloth, she saw the clean cut around it and realized it had been... deliberately cut off.
Her eyes widened, and she studied the material again. This was definitely part of the banner.
Then she noticed something else. There were tiny silver stains along the edge, and by now, she recognised what it was from a mile away.
Moonfire ash.
It was barely visible, but it was definitely there.
The banner had already been stitched incorrectly, but somebody had then secretly damaged it further. And whoever had done it had used Moonfire.
Suddenly Beatrice’s words echoed through her mind.
"Ihaven’t brought you down completely yet."
Cold dread slid down her spine. This was not going to end well tonight. Would Beatrice really go as far as sabotaging the banner just to get rid of her?!
"There she is!!" A guard yelled from behind, and Della whirled around in panic.
Three guards stood at the end of the corridor, with one of them already pointing at her.
Shit!!
The chase doesn’t last long because her ankle is still injured, and she could only drag her leg down the corridor as quickly as she could.
But eventually she was cornered and the guards locked their large arms around hers and began dragging her back down the path she had come from.
Della could only scream and pound against her grip, but it never loosened even the tiniest fraction. And minutes later, Selene and Beatrice arrived.
Beatrice practically clapped as she stopped in front of Della, whom was now forced on both knees.
"Where did you find her?" Selene asked.
"She was by the corridor that led to the Western gates,"
"Western gate?" Selene looked down at Della, stopping on the little sack around her shoulders, "You ungrateful little wench. How dare you try to run away?"
Della didn’t even bother to hide her emotions. She was glaring furiously at both of them, "Shouldn’t you be happy that I’m running away? That way, you get to have Malachi all to your wolfish desires!"
Selene’s eyes glinted with danger, and it happened so fast that Della didn’t even know when Selene’s arm moved. She only felt the sharp sting on her cheeks, and her whole face was whipped so hard she tasted so much blood in her mouth.
"I will have him," She spat, "Whether you run away or not, you traitorous wench!"
Beatrice then crouched in front of her, and a smile slowly spread across her face, "You never learn."
Della jerked against the guards, but Beatrice slapped her again.
"I said," Beatrice repeated softly, "You never learn."
"Honestly, at this point I almost admire her determination," Selene laughed this time, then a kick landed directly against Della’s injured ankle.
Pain exploded through her body, and she couldn’t stop the cry that escaped her.
She heard Beatrice and Selene laugh again, "What happened to that sharp mouth of yours?"
Another kick landed, then another...and another.
Each one carefully aimed, made her cry out so hard till she couldn’t stand on her own anymore. Till she couldn’t control the tears that ran down her face.
Then they dragged her to the ceremony grounds and she slumped down to the floor the moment the guards released her, her head resting on the stone wall.
With Beatrice and Selene standing behind her, they all watched the ceremony from the corner.
The grounds were so crowded, and she couldn’t see what was happening on the platform. A few people’s voices echoed around the place, but the pain from her leg was too distracting for her to listen.
She made out something like:
Mate bond is formed...
Tied for eternity...
Peace...
And so on.
"Don’t worry, Della," Beatrice whispered into her ear, "The surprise is almost ready."
Each and everyone present took their seat, and silence enveloped the whole field. The supremes stepped forward one by one, holding their banners high.
This was usually the final act before the feast commenced for the rest of the night and it represented the sacred symbol of each pack’s strength, legitimacy, protection, and favor under the Moon Goddess.
It declared that the rules governing wolves remain stable, the packs stand united, their bloodlines and authority are uncontested, and most importantly, each territory remains under the Goddess’s blessing.
Della managed to make out Malachi holding the Pack’s banner, standing amongst other supremes. He looked so powerful, so determined. Everything looked perfect, but she knew it would all go bad in a moment.
She could see the section she had warned Cornelia about, the reinforcement line, and the exact stress point. And of course, the missing piece of fabric no one else seemed to have noticed that was so essential for the banner’s strength.
And just as every other Sovereign Moon Ceremony that has ever been held anywhere, a powerful gust of wind that is said to have been sent by the Moon Goddess to make each banner flap comes.
"No...," She cried achingly, one hand stretched out toward Malachi as though she could pull him away from there.
As though she could stop this horrible disaster from happening, from befalling the entire Pack. One she knew would somehow, be blamed on her once again.
And if it did happen, she doubted Malachi would spare her this time. The wrath of every Alpha, beta and other noble wolves present there would be upon her.
The Price for carrying rot in her veins.
She’s never prayed to the Moon Goddess this hard before, but she already knew how fabrics worked.
And this one... wasn’t going to survive unless a miracle held it together in place. Unfortunately for her, miracles don’t happen to Rot-bloods.
A sharp ripping sound cuts through the night, and the enormous black banner that represented Eclipse pack, that Malachi was holding, tore directly through the center and straight down the crest.
The insignia of the Eclipse Crown drawn on it twists in the wind, and half of the banner came crashing down before hundreds of stunned guests.
Heavens!
She was, without a doubt, about to become the official sacrifice for whatever madness was about to unfold.