Chapter 3
With that, she turned and walked away.
The iron door slammed shut again.
Once more, I was left alone in the dungeon.
I stared at the ruined food scattered across the dirty floor, stomped to bits by Madeline.
Slowly, I closed my eyes.
Memories surged back, out of control.
It was ten years ago when I first met Logan.
I was only ten then.
My father took me to the Silvercrest Pack's coming-of-age ceremony.
"Aurora, go play with the kids over there." My father pointed to a few children in the distance.
I nodded and ran over.
But as I reached the edge of the woods, I heard someone crying.
I followed the sound and saw a little boy crouched on the ground.
He was holding an injured wolf pup in his arms.
"What's wrong?" I asked, crouching down beside him.
"She's hurt." He looked up at me, his eyes red and swollen from crying. "I want to help her, but I don't know what to do."
"I can try," I said, reaching out to take the little wolf pup from him.
Back then, I had no idea my blood had healing powers.
I just acted on instinct.
I bit down on my finger until a bead of blood welled up.
Then I let the blood drip onto the pup's wound.
And then, something miraculous happened.
The wound healed right before our eyes.
The little wolf pup opened its eyes and let out a little yelp.
"Wow!" the boy gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You're amazing! What's your name?"
I smiled and said, "Aurora Blackwood. And you?"
"I'm Logan Blackwood." He wiped away his tears. "We're friends now."
From that day on, Logan and I were inseparable.
He'd take me on adventures in the woods.
He'd teach me how to track prey.
And whenever I fell, he'd always be there to help me up.
When we turned fifteen, Logan awakened his Alpha bloodline.
He became the most talented heir the pack had ever seen.
That was when I realized that whenever Logan was hurt or on the verge of losing control, if I was by his side, he'd instantly settle down.
"Aurora," Logan called out to me one night. "Do you think we could be Fated Partners?"
I felt my cheeks heat up.
"I... I don't know," I stammered.
"I think we are." He met my gaze, completely serious. "Because you're the only one who can calm my wolf. When I become Alpha, I'll mark you as mine."
Back then, I really believed we'd always be together.
Until three years ago, Madeline came into the picture.
She became my stepsister.
After my mom passed away, my dad married her mom.
The very first time we met, Madeline put on her sweetest act.
"Aurora, hope you'll look out for me," she flashed me a sweet smile.
But there was something off about the way she looked at me.
Soon, things started to get weird.
Logan began to pull away from me.
The warmth in his eyes faded, replaced by cold indifference.
Sometimes, there was even a hint of disgust.
"Did you do something lately?" Logan demanded one day. "Why do I get so irritated whenever I catch your scent?"
"I didn't—" I tried to explain, but Logan cut me off.
"Enough," Logan snapped. "Just stay away from me."
Meanwhile, Logan and Madeline were getting closer and closer.
"Logan, I made these cookies. Try one," Madeline would say.
"Logan, the moon's so round tonight. Let's go watch it together," she'd suggest.
"Logan, I'm scared. Can you stay with me?" she'd whisper.
Every time I saw them together, it felt like someone was twisting a knife in my heart.
Until that night six months ago, I overheard Madeline talking to a strange woman.
"Witch, how long will the spell last?" Madeline asked.
"Relax. As long as you renew your payment every month," the witch replied. "The Fated Partner scent you ripped from her will stay yours.
"And to Logan, she'll become the person he despises most."
That was the moment everything clicked.
She was behind it all.
I stormed in, desperate to expose her.
But her guards jumped me and knocked me out.
When I came to, I found myself locked in the dungeon.
Logan stood outside my cell, his expression unreadable.
"Aurora, I can't believe you," Logan said. "You tried to hurt Madeline?
"She's my Fated Partner. Do you understand?
"From now on, you're just a servant of the Silvercrest Pack. Forever."
From that day on, my life was turned upside down.
I went from being the future Luna to nothing but a servant.
I was reduced to nothing but a servant.
Every day, I was stuck doing the dirtiest, most exhausting chores.
And I had to put up with everyone's mockery and bullying.
Meanwhile, Madeline became the untouchable Luna.
Looking back now, it was just laughable.
I opened my eyes.
On the dungeon wall, someone had scratched tally marks with their nails.
Each mark counted another day spent down here.
I reached out and carved a fresh line into the stone.
Two days remained until Blood Moon Night.
*****
On the morning of the third day, the iron door swung open again.
This time, it was Lucas, the Beta.
"Aurora, the Alpha wants me to take you out," Lucas said, his voice tinged with unease. "Blood Moon Night is coming up. You need to get ready."
I struggled to my feet.
The wounds on my back had scabbed over.
But the silver poison was still coursing through me, making me feel like a ghost of myself.
Lucas reached out to steady me.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine," I said.
I shook off his hand.
I didn't need anyone's sympathy.
I emerged from the dungeon.
The blinding sunlight made me squint.
"Aurora," Lucas suddenly called out to me. "Blood Moon Night is dangerous. Be careful."
"Blood Moon Night is dangerous. Be careful."
I turned to look at him.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Lucas hesitated, his voice trailing off. "I heard the Alpha's been getting more and more unstable lately.
"Madeline's scent just isn't enough to calm him down anymore.
"So on Blood Moon Night, he's going to use your blood to force his wolf back under control."
My heart sank.
Using blood to keep it under control meant draining me dry.
"It's the Alpha's command, my hands are tied," Lucas sighed, sounding defeated. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize," I said calmly. "It's not your fault."
With that, I turned and walked away.