THE LOST LUNA OF MIDNIGHT ECLIPSE PACK

ed. His presence alone was enough to make the bravest man tremble. He stood on a makeshift platform in the village sq

lled was met with a choked sob or a desperate gasp from the crowd. They were chosen seemingly

cold. "Lilybeth, daughte

, terrified whimper. Martha cried out, stumbling forward before Thomas caught her. Lil

t moment, the protective instinct surged, raw and undeniable. The emptiness inside her felt momentarily filled with a fier

rough, before her foster parents c

r. Lord Rathos's icy gaze settled on her, and she felt a shiver of primal fear, a vest

ce," she said, her vo

er name, reaching for her. Li

d, his expression unreadab

g the tremble in her knees. "Their daughter. I

Substitution was not common, but not unh

a strange, unsettling sensation, as if he was looking through the human facade, searching

ery well. A volunteer. You will

r not to go. Martha was weeping openly

ister into a fierce hug. "Be brave. I'll be alrig

ns. The air around them felt colder, sharper. Their scent, even in human form, was different from the wild

n humans. As she passed Lord Rathos, his eyes lingered on her for a fraction longer, a flicker of

oped her sister could understand. She hugged Martha and Thomas tight, whispering her thanks for their love a

ful eyes of the Lycan guards. The road to Lycan-wood was long and silent,

at lay ahead. But another part, the part that remembered the screams and the silence, felt a

ike a fortress. High walls, imposing gates, and guards patrolling the ramparts. As they were led through the gates, Elara felt a palpable shift in the atmosphere. T

fearful tones. Elara stood slightly apart, observing her surroundings. The buildings were ancient, built with a craft

Lord Rathos, but he carried an air of authority. His eyes, w

ou have been chosen to serve. Your old lives are behind you. Here, you will lea

tending to the grounds, and other tasks required to maintain the vast complex. It sou

n. A cot, a thin blanket, a small chest for meager belongings. It was a far cry from the simpl

, hauled laundry, and worked in the large, bustling kitchens. The physical labor was exhaust

n form. They were disciplined, hierarchical, and their interactions with the humans were t

t for

ommon to his kind. He had dark, unruly hair and eyes that shifted between a deep hazel and a striking gold, depen

me was

sary, his voice lower, less commanding than the others. He didn't bark orders, but g

h. It didn't feel predatory, not like the Lycans of her nightmares, but it was... curious. And beneath

her barracks when she felt a presence behind her. She tensed, her hand

la

er heart hammering. She was alone,

pping into a slight curtsey,

need for that here. You are the gi

irmed, keeping

is gaze was direct, those striking eyes studying her face. "That was

complex mix of love, grief, and a strange se

tive. "You do your work well. You

t it wasn't an insult eith

my best," s

ll fixed on her. She felt that same unsettlin

," he said finally, his voic

e kept her emotions carefully hidden, buried

Lord Lucian," she replied,

tense focus of his gaze. "Rest now,

her heart still pounding. He saw something in her, something she trie

mply to observe, sometimes to ask a seemingly innocuous question about her tasks or her life before Lycan-wood. He never asked about he

telligence in his eyes, a certain weariness that hinted at a burden he carried. He didn't partic

began to mingle with something else a hesitant curio

or she had never been allowed into before. The rooms were luxurious, filled with dark wood furn