“My baby, my poor child!”

Every, Polly’s mother, exclaimed as she hugged her so tight, Adelaide feared she would have a nosebleed.

Her hands hung in the air for a few seconds before she wrapped them around Every.

Every was crying now, as she pushed Adelaide’s wet hair out of her face. “My little girl, I thought I would lose you.”

She cried, hugging her daughter again.

Adelaide had barely entered her room when the door burst open and Polly’s mom pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

Her maids, Veronica and Russo, followed next, as they stood by her side, tears falling from their eyes. They wanted to hug her too, but she was in her mother’s arms, so they waited for their turn.

“What happened? How did you survive? And what did I hear about you being the Alpha’s Luna? Is that true?”

Adelaide’s lips stretched as she listened to Every ask a thousand questions at the same time. Taking a closer look at her face, she noticed that she looked bereft of sleep. Her eyes were sunken and dark, and she looked like she had not eaten since the last time she saw her.

“The moon spirit doesn’t kill the innocent, it seems, and… about the Alpha’s mate,''Adelaide slowed, ''Strangely, I was marked by the moon spirit.”

Showing explained, showing her mom the sign on her arm.

Every’s eyes widened in shock, and she screamed, taking a closer look at the crescent mark on her daughter’s arm.

“So it is true! Polly! You're the Luna, oh my god.''Every exclaimed, her hands trembling , ''Finally, you get all you want, my daughter. Finally, you don’t have to chase after him. The shame has been wiped off your face. He’s yours now, he’s yours to have!”

Every exclaimed excitedly, her eyes gleaming like the stars, but the look on her daughter’s face quickly dwindled her excitement.

Her eyes moved from her daughter to the maids by the side who were avoiding looking her in the eyes, and then back to her daughter.

She chuckled slightly.

“Is there a problem?” she asked, and Adelaide released herself from Every’s grip and walked to her floor-to-ceiling mirror in her room. Caressing her damp hair, which was almost dry now, she breathed,

“Polly…” she called her new name, a small smile stretched her chin. She chuckled,

“Pollynia Lackris,” she called again, this time laughing hysterically.

The sun was setting now, and its golden hue shimmered a bright glow on her soft features.

Every and the girls stared at her, puzzled, wondering if she had lost her mind.

This was her life now.

She wasn’t Adelaide anymore. She was Pollynia Lackris, Princess of the Bloodmoon Pack.

Whatever brought her here, whatever did this to her, was for a reason, and that she was going to find out.

Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply, then she turned to her mother.

“Mother,” she called, tasting the name on her tongue. “The old Polly died in that stream, Mother. The Polly that pined over Alpha Rael, that couldn’t think for herself, the Polly that cowered when anyone spoke to her, that Polly? She’s gone, and she’s not coming back.”

“This Polly, however,”

She paused, doing a 360 as she smiled at her reflection in the mirror.

“Wants nothing to do with the Alpha. Not now and not ever. I rejected the mate bond. I don’t know why the moon spirit marked me, but I don’t care to know. The Alpha would sort himself out.”

Every could not believe her eyes nor her ears. Her lips trembled as she watched her daughter spill words she had waited to hear for so long.

For over a decade, she had begged Polly to let go of this unrequited affection she had for the Alpha, but she had refused. She would cry all day, lock herself up in her room with no food, and swore to kill herself if they prohibited her from going to see him.

When he could not find a mate, she had knelt under the rain begging to be chosen as his mate, but the Alpha had said that he would marry anyone but her. She had pleaded and pleaded, but he did not budge.

Who would have thought that she would, on her own accord, reject him now that she had him in her palms?

Every stared at her daughter momentarily in shock. She was joking right?

“Polly, you don’t mean what you just said. Don’t worry, you don’t need to do anything more. You don’t have to fight again. He’s yours now.”

Not now she was his fated mate. She should have been over him before now. The advantages were greater now. There was no way she would let her reject the Alpha.

Polly stared at her mother blankly. It seemed she wasn’t understanding what she was saying.

“Mother,” she breathed out as she placed her hands on her mother’s shoulders.

“I don’t like the Alpha anymore. In fact, I am utterly disgusted by him. I look back at what I’d done to gain his affection, and I want to slap myself in the face a thousand times. I’ve let you and Father down, but I’ve decided to change. I’m no longer that person. I don’t want him anymore. Besides, he was going to reject the bond anyway. He doesn’t want me too.”

“Polly! Do you know what being a Luna means? You’ll be the second most powerful person in the Bloodmoon Pack. We, your parents, would be the most respected members of the council. Your child will be the next Alpha. It’s not only about getting married to the Alpha, it’s what comes with it.”

Polly understood where her mother was coming from, but she had just got here, and she wasn’t sure of when she was going back, or if she was going back in fact. She wasn’t about to spend the rest of her life mired in pack politics and living with a man who detested the very air she breathed.

“The Alpha has not found a mate in five mating seasons. Do you think he’ll reject you when the moon spirit marked you herself? All you need to do is accept this, and you would be the Luna…”

“Mother, I am not interested. I know what this means for you, but I don’t want to do it.”

Polly replied, her eyes tearing now.

Her mother made to speak again, but she cut her off,

“Mother, '' she breathed, eyes shut, ''I just returned from a near-death sentence. I want to rest. We can talk about this some other time. For now, I want to be left alone.”

Polly spoke matter-of-factly, and Every swallowed the words that clamped up her throat.

“Alright, get some rest and think about this carefully.'' she nodded; ''We’ll talk tomorrow.”

She said and hugged Polly for the last time before walking out the door.

“My lady!!!”

Russo and Veronica exclaimed once the duchess was out the door, instantly pulling Polly into a bone-crushing hug.

Polly staggered but caught herself before she fell.

“We thought you would die! Thank you for being alive.”

Veronica cried as she hugged Polly tightly, not wanting to let go. Polly laughed.

“I’m not dying any time soon. You can be rest assured now,” she said, patting their backs.

After the events of that day, Polly was sure that whatever brought her here did not intend to kill her—well, at least not now.

“How was the trial? Was it excruciating? I heard it is very painful. Were you scared?”

Polly opened her lips to reply, but she was interrupted by a knock on the door. She swallowed her words and signaled to Veronica, who went to get the door.

A short guard, who looked like he was about 18 at most, stood on the other side of the door. Veronica recognized his uniform as that of those who served in the Alpha’s court. She moved to the side as the Princess approached the doors.

“Princess Pollynia,”

He greeted, his head bowed,

“The Alpha wants to see you.”