Chapter 8: From Luna to Slave

Evelyn’s POV

The air was thick with tension as I stood in the center of the great hall once again. But this time, I wasn’t standing as Luna.

I was standing as nothing.

I had spent three days in the dungeon, each hour stretching into eternity. The cold stone walls, the chains, the silence—it had all become my world. A world where I was invisible, where I didn’t matter.

I found myself back in the same hallway where Kieran had taken away my title. The same individuals who used to bow their heads in awe of me now treated me as though I were dirt under their boots.

With a stone-carved face, Kieran sat on his throne.

With her lips curled in satisfaction, Serena stood next to him.

There was Beta Cedric, too, but his face was unreadable.

The council members were whispering to one another as they lined the hall's sides.

I was aware of what was going to happen.

Kieran's voice broke the silence. "Evelyn Grayson."

Even though my fingers were shaking at my sides, I made myself speak steadily. "Yes, Alpha."

Something, almost human, flickered in his eyes for a moment.

Then it vanished.

He went on, "The council has spoken." "You used to be my partner. once Luna. You don't have a title now, though. No standing. No rights.

My chest was thumping with my heart.

I was too naïve to wish for freedom. However, I had pleaded for exile.

Somewhere far, far away from here, for a chance to start over.

However, Kieran's expression made it clear to me that hope was misguided.

He had more punishment in store for me.

"You'll stay in this pack," Kieran declared. "But you are no longer one of us as of today."

Through the crowd came a murmur.

My throat tightened with breath.

No.

No, he wouldn't.

"You will serve this pack," Kieran added in an emotionless voice. "Until further notice, you will work as a servant."

My knees almost buckled.

With a gentle, ecstatic gasp, Serena covered her chest with her hand. "Oh," she said sweetly, "Alpha." "That is... benevolent."

Forgiving?

I felt a hot, oppressive rage burning inside of me.

Even worse than exile was this.

He kept me here to break me, to humiliate me, to remind me daily that I was nothing.

Kieran's mouth clenched. "You'll start right away."

One of the elder council members, a woman, stepped forward from the crowd. "Alpha, if I may," she said cautiously. It might be risky to assign her to the lower servants. She might still be loyal to people in positions of authority.

I took a deep breath.

What she was implying was worse.

Kieran rubbed his temples and let out a sharp exhale. He gave me a quick glance and then nodded.

He declared, "She will work in the servant quarters." "Among the lowest ranks."

My vision became hazy.

the lowest levels.

cooking. Cleaning. transporting bulky objects.

similar to a slave.

I balled my fists up. I would not weep. Not in this place. Not in their presence.

"Grab her," Kieran said.

Two of the guards moved forward. Grabbing my wrist, one of them pulled me in the direction of the door.

I didn't fight back.

However, as I was pulled away, my eyes finally met Kieran's.

There was nothing in his eyes.

Not a thing.

The Quarters of the Servant

The smell of smoke, sweat, and damp wood filled the servant quarters. The other employees turned to stare at me as soon as I entered.

They looked anything from shocked to amused to downright hostile.

A young woman, perhaps a few years my junior, folded her arms. She scoffed and said, "Well, well." "Our new princess appears to have arrived."

The tiny room echoed with laughter.

I refused to show my fear by lowering my head.

An older woman named Martha, who was in charge of the servants, came forward. She had sharp eyes, gray-streaked hair, and a frown that never went away.

She gave me a long, hard look and then laughed. "Did they send you here?"

I remained silent.

She gave a tongue-click. "Girl, there's no point in standing around looking lovely. Start working.

They pushed a bucket into my hands.

"The floors should come first."

The bucket of soapy water caught my attention. The fireplace's soot and grime had covered the wooden floors, making them filthy.

I sensed that they were watching me to see if I would object.

waiting to see if I would defend myself.

I dipped the rag into the water and sank slowly to my knees.

I started cleaning after that.

A Few Days Later

I had blistered and raw hands.

Days went by in a haze of fatigue. I cleaned floors. cleaned the dishes. carried bulky grain sacks.

I felt pain in every muscle.

The humiliation, however, was worse than the pain.

The murmurs.

The laughter.

The pack's treatment of me was as though I had never been Luna and had never even been important.

Once, just to brag, Serena came to visit.

She watched me wash dishes while standing in the doorway of the kitchen with her arms folded.

"Evelyn, you look great in this role," she said kindly. "In any case, you were never born to be Luna."

I kept my eyes off of her. I continued to scrub.

She grinned broadly. She went on, "Kieran doesn't even inquire about you." "You seem to have never existed."

A stab of pain went through my chest.

I wouldn't let her see it, though.

Ignoring my silence, she sighed and eventually walked away.

She was gone, but her words continued to reverberate in my mind.

Kieran doesn't inquire about you at all.

Was he truly unconcerned?

Did he not care about me?

The Night That Made All the Difference

It was late.

The others were sound asleep in the servant quarters. I was so tired that I lay on my little lumpy cot and stared at the ceiling.

Then—

A jarring creak.

My senses were on high alert, and I sat up instantly.

There was a person present.

A shadow shifted close to the room's entrance.

My heart was racing.

A rough hand clamped over my mouth before I could say anything.

I fought, my heart thumping with terror.

In my ear, I heard a voice hiss.

"If you want to live, keep quiet."

I felt a wave of cold dread.

They pulled me from my bed and carried me to the back door.

I kicked in an attempt to escape, but my captor was powerful.

They pushed me out into the chilly night air.

There were unsettling shadows in the courtyard due to the high moon.

Then—

They were visible to me.

Three numbers. hooded. Not familiar.

Among them, one moved forward.

His tone was low and full of laughter. "Well, well. The fallen Luna.”

My blood ran cold.

Who were they?

And why did I have the sickening feeling that whatever was about to happen—

Would be worse than anything I had endured before?