Amelia.

“You fool,” Selena spat, her emerald eyes glinting with cruel amusement as she threw the soup on Amelia. “It tasted bland! Do you really want me to eat this? You really want to kill me, don't you?“

Amelia's face twisted with rage as the hot soup splatter all over her body, blisters forming on her skin but thanks to her wolf healing properties, it closed up without leaving a scar.

She dare not talk. That had become her reality — silence, pain, and loneliness in the past three months since Selena moved in.

Amelia has lost her place in her own pack. She was only the Luna in name, and that is because Damian needed her knowledge and deep insights to still gain control and respect over the Bloodmoon Pack and other packs in the kingdom.

Although the people still acknowledged her as Luna and pitied her for the ordeal she went through in the hands of the man who had once worshipped the very ground she stepped on.

She has become a slave of her own throne. No one can rescue her. No one stopped the abuse. Selena did all that. She made sure to cut off all help from Amelia.

The last time Aria tried to help her by letting her rest while she did Amelia's chores, Aria was whipped and then thrown into the dungeon without meal or water for five days.

Even the Elders couldn't, but then she wouldn't blame them because she brought it on herself. Damian had manipulated them to his side. With the help of Alpha Drake's influence he had enforced a iron grip on the pack.

“Cat cut your tongue,” she sneered. “Don't you know how to apologise?“

Amelia sighed, forcing her wolf to stay calm.

'Eva, stay calm,' she said to her wolf. If she loses control, and attack Selena, Damian would definitely kill them.

Amelia swallowed the bile rising in her throat. “Sorry, Selena,” she said simply, moving to collect the plates scattered all over the place.

“Selena?“ She repeated like the word was an abomination. “Call me, Luna,” Selena demanded.

Selena has been obsessed with the title and yet that was the only thing Damian hasn't given her yet.

Amelia didn't say anything. She'd rather die than call her that.

“Call me Luna, you fool!“ She shrieked.

Amelia opened her mouth but before she could say a word, the door to the chamber flung open.

Selena face shifted immediately from fury to fragility. She collapsed on the floor with a dramatic gasp, rubbing the spilled soup all over her dress.

Damian stormed into room, his intimidating aura made the air in the room crackled. He crouched lower beside Selena and scoop her in his arms like she was something delicate and precious.

“What the hell is happening here!“ He thundered, his eyes blazing with anger.

“I just tried to apologise to her for everything but she threw the soup, all over me,” she said, making an innocent face and sniffing while dabbing on an imaginary tears.

“Liar,” Amelia snapped. “You were the one who threw the soup on me.“

“Enough!“ he growled. “Selena has been nothing but nice to you, yet you try to hurt her everytime.“

Amelia scoffed. Nice? The words tasted bitter on her lips. “Are you that naive to believe she has been nice or you just choose to turn a blind eye to everything that she's been doing.“

“Watch your tongue. I won't have you disrespect me.“ He took Selena and put her on the bed and pulled the duvet over her.

Amelia's heart twisted at the sight. This is the same way he had cared for her before this vile woman came and ruined everything.

Selena smirk triumphantly in a way only Amelia can see.

“I'm tired of your jealousy.“ He turned back at Amelia. “It's high time I reject you and make Selena the Luna.“

Amelia heart raced with quiet joy. Finally she would be free from the pains.

Selena has always made sure to hurt her physically, and emotionally. Every night she'd seduce Damian to have sex with her knowing how much trauma Amelia went through.

Amelia doesn't even stay in her room anymore. Every night she went to the physician's ward who were always on standby to administer pain killers to her.

And maybe she could finally leave without his usual threats of killing the pack members if she attempts to run away.

“But you remain here in the Bloodmoon Pack. I need you here,” he added.

“Need me?“ She repeated, tears blurring her vision as she wondered what use she was to him. “Please Damian… let me leave.“

“No! Don't push it, Amelia,” he snapped.

Before he could talk, she quickly asked the question that has been lingering in her mind in the past three months. “Have you ever loved me, Damian?“

His jaw tightened as he looked at her with an unreadable expression. “Maybe,” he simply said.

The silence lingered for a while.

“I, Alpha Damian Stormrider, reject you, Amelia Cadman as my mate and Luna.“

Her chest tightened, tears threatening to spill but she steadied herself.

“I, Amelia Cadman, accept your rejection,” she said.

And just like that, the bond broke and the rejection pain tore through her chest. She stumbled backward and hit the floor sharply while clutching her heart.

Damian stood watching her without any remorse or pity.

“Pathetic, isn't she?“ Selena taunted, her face twisted in disgust.

Then the door burst open and Derick, the Beta stormed in. His gaze lingered briefly on Amelia.

“Alpha… I heard the Alpha king of the Northern province clan is on his way here.“

The Alpha King of the Northern Province Clan rules over all the packs in the North and serves as the Alpha of the Hollowfang Pack—the capital and heart of the Northern Province.

“What?“ Damian panicked. “What is he doing here?“ he asked.

Derick didn't respond.

Selena stood up and walked up to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulders. “What do we do now?“

“I need to go and receive him,” he answered, his gaze lingering on Amelia, “With my Luna.“

“Well,” Selena said, her voice brimming with pride as she throw her head back. “That would be me. I will quickly go and freshen up “

“No,” he snapped, facing her. Then his voice became gentle. “Unfortunately, that would be Amelia. I have heard about how ruthless he is and I don't want to piss him off. Since I haven't properly announce you to the pack yet, I can't have you play the Luna role.“

Selena's face twisted with a mix of disappointment and disbelief. What the hell is so special about Amelia?

Amelia who was still in pains couldn't hear him.

Then he turned to Derick.

“Have her cleaned up and presentable.“

________

Amelia stared at her reflection in the mirror, and her mouth hung open. It's been months since she had looked this beautiful.

She was clad in a crimson dress that hung to her body like a second skin. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves with a simple makeup to accentuate her natural beauty.

A sad smile tugged at her lips as she made her way out of her former room.

Walking down the stairs with the dress flowing behind her, she stopped at a corner before the entrance to the grand hall to steady herself, while trying to stop the trembling of her hands as she remembered Damian's warning earlier.

'I will kill the pack members if the Alpha dare find out that I rejected you as my luna.'

She sighed. She had to do this—for her pack members, at least she owed them that much as their….

“You look beautiful.“ A male voice made her flinch.

She turned slowly. The man before her wasn’t Damian… but something about his eyes felt just as familiar.

Her breath hitched. No... It can't be...