Chapter 3
The Moon Club's grand opening night glittered with false promises. Crystal chandeliers cast fractured light across polished floors while pack members dressed in their finest filled the space with excited chatter. I stood behind the bar, hands trembling slightly as I arranged glasses in neat rows. Four months had passed since the blood oath ceremony, and each day had brought new humiliations.
"Another round for the Alpha's table!" shouted the head server, sliding an order slip toward me.
I nodded silently, my fingers working quickly to fill five glasses with the amber liquid Ethan preferred. The tray felt impossibly heavy as I lifted it, my muscles still aching from scrubbing the pack house floors earlier that day.
The path to Ethan's table seemed endless. Pack members stepped deliberately into my way, their shoulders bumping mine, their whispers following like shadows.
"Look at her now..."
"Can't believe she had the nerve to show up here..."
"Alpha should have banished her..."
I kept my eyes fixed on the tray, concentrating on keeping the liquid from spilling. Three steps from Ethan's table, a foot extended into my path. I stumbled, desperately trying to regain my balance, but it was too late. The glasses toppled, amber liquid cascading across the pristine floor and splashing onto Victoria's white dress.
The silence that followed lasted only a heartbeat before laughter erupted around me. Victoria's shriek cut through the noise as she jumped to her feet, her face contorted with rage.
"You clumsy bitch!" she hissed. "You did that on purpose!"
I dropped to my knees, frantically gathering the broken glass. "I'm sorry, I tripped—"
"Enough." Ethan's voice silenced the room. He stood slowly, his eyes cold as they met mine. "This is how you serve your Alpha? With deliberate disrespect?"
"No, I—"
His growl cut me off, low and threatening. The sound reverberated through the club, and within seconds, the entire room echoed it. Dozens of throats rumbled with disapproval, the collective sound pressing against me like a physical weight.
"Perhaps serving drinks is too complicated for you," Ethan said, his voice deceptively soft. "Maybe we should find something more... suitable for your talents."
Victoria's lips curved into a cruel smile as she dabbed at her dress with a napkin. "She was a dancer once, wasn't she? Perhaps she should entertain us properly."
My blood ran cold. Dancing had been my passion, my escape—before everything fell apart. Now the thought of performing for their amusement made my stomach turn.
"An excellent suggestion," Ethan agreed, his eyes never leaving mine. "Take her to prepare."
Two Deltas gripped my arms, hauling me to my feet and dragging me toward the back rooms. I caught a glimpse of Victoria whispering in Ethan's ear, her hand possessively stroking his arm, before the doors swung shut behind us.
The costume they forced me into was barely more than scraps of fabric—a mockery of the elegant dresses I once wore when I danced for joy. The top exposed more than it covered, while the skirt was split high up both thighs. My hair was pulled back severely, makeup applied with heavy hands.
"The Alpha wants you to remember your place," one of the female Deltas sneered as she fastened a collar around my neck—not tight enough to choke, but impossible to ignore. "You're not a Luna. You're entertainment."
When they pushed me back into the main room, the lights had dimmed. A spotlight illuminated the center of the floor, now cleared of tables. The music that began was a twisted version of the classical pieces I had loved—the same melodies but with a heavy, sensual beat that left no doubt about what kind of performance was expected.
"Dance," Ethan commanded from his seat, Victoria perched smugly beside him.
My feet moved mechanically, muscle memory carrying me through the steps. But where my ballet had once been about grace and expression, they wanted something else entirely. Each time I attempted a pirouette or arabesque, jeers forced me to transform the movement into something provocative.
"More!" someone shouted.
"Show us what you're good for!" called another.
Tears burned behind my eyes as I twisted my body into shapes that degraded everything I had once held sacred. My wolf, Lyra, howled in anguish within me, the sound echoing only in my mind as I continued the humiliating performance.
Through the blur of tears, I noticed a figure at the back of the room—tall, imposing, watching with an intensity that felt different from the leering gazes surrounding me. His face remained partially shadowed, but something about his stillness caught my attention.
The distraction cost me my balance. My ankle twisted painfully as I attempted a turn, sending me crashing to the floor. The music screeched to a halt as laughter erupted around me. I curled inward, shame washing over me in suffocating waves.
"Pathetic," Victoria's voice cut through the noise. "She can't even do this right."
As I struggled to rise, I caught another glimpse of the stranger. He had stepped forward slightly, his face now illuminated by the edge of the spotlight. His expression wasn't mocking or cruel—it was fierce, almost protective. Something stirred in my memory, but before I could place him, Victoria's allies surrounded me, hauling me to my feet.
"Take her to the VIP lounge," Victoria ordered sharply. "The Alpha has special guests who require... personal attention."
As they dragged me away, I felt the stranger's eyes following me. For the first time in months, something besides despair flickered in my chest—a dangerous, fragile thing I couldn't afford to name.