The night draped itself over the Moonblood Palace like a velvet curtain, soft and heavy, muffling the sounds of life within. Natalie moved carefully through the quiet corridors, her footsteps almost swallowed by the thick rugs lining the halls. The encounter with the servant the night before had left her restless. Questions she hadn't even realized she had clawed at her mind, pulling her toward secrets she hadn't dared to consider.
Her heart was still thudding in anticipation as she reached the designated corner near the servants' wing, where the shadows seemed to gather naturally, offering a cloak of concealment. She wasn't sure whether it was curiosity or fear that compelled her, but her instincts told her she couldn't ignore this,whatever knowledge the servant held might tip the scales of her precarious life at the palace.
A quiet rustle broke the silence, and the young servant emerged, face obscured by a hood. Their eyes, sharp and cautious, darted around the corridor before settling on her. "You came," the servant whispered, their voice barely audible over the night wind that seeped through the stone walls.
Natalie nodded, though her throat felt dry. "I need to know. You said you knew things… about the Alpha, about me. I need answers."
The servant stepped closer, glancing over their shoulder as if the walls themselves might have ears. "I know what I know. Not everything. But it's dangerous. What I tell you....once heard....cannot be unheard. You have to understand that."
Natalie swallowed. "I can handle it."
The servant's eyes softened briefly before narrowing again. "Very well. What I know about you… is little. But it's important. You're not a twin. And the people you call your parents… they are not really yours. Beyond that… the rest, you will have to uncover yourself."
A shiver ran down Natalie's spine. Her world had been subtly shifting for weeks, pieces of truth gnawing at the edges of her reality. That her family might not be her own was not entirely shocking.....she had always sensed an emptiness, a subtle disconnect,but hearing it voiced out loud made the uncertainty tangible, almost suffocating.
"What do you mean, not mine?" Natalie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"They raised you," the servant said slowly, choosing words carefully. "But you do not share their blood. Whatever legacy you carry… it is not theirs. You will need to find the rest yourself. Seek the truth where it has been hidden, and beware whom you trust along the way. There are eyes everywhere in this palace."
Natalie's mind spun, trying to connect the fragments of her identity. Not a twin. False parents. Her real past was a puzzle with pieces deliberately scattered. And now the servant had thrust a single piece into her hands, igniting more questions than answers.
Then the servant shifted the focus, leaning closer so their words could not escape the shadows. "As for the Alpha… Damien," they said, lowering the voice further, "he was born with a curse. A dangerous one. No ordinary cure can touch it. Only a woman with the Blood Moon can heal him."
Natalie's heart skipped a beat. The Alpha;the formidable figure who had watched her so closely these past days, whose suspicion had sharpened like a blade against her,was not invincible. And this curse… it explained so much. The relentless, exacting way he treated his allies, the careful distance he maintained even with those he trusted.
The servant continued, voice tense with urgency. "That is why he sought your sister's hand in marriage. She was meant to be the next one capable of breaking the curse. But he tried before,with princesses from other Packs. None lasted more than a month. The curse… it is not easily overcome. It consumes those who attempt it without the proper blood."
Natalie's stomach turned. The pieces of court intrigue she had glimpsed,the Alpha's careful alliances, the whispered rumors of failed unions,were not mere accidents. They were part of a larger, far darker design, one that had now drawn her family into its web.
"So… my sister," Natalie murmured, her mind racing, "she was just a pawn?"
"Not just a pawn," the servant corrected. "The bloodline mattered. He needed her, specifically, for the curse. And he had tried others, tested their strength. None could withstand it. The power he carries… it is ancient and unyielding."
The corridor felt colder now, the stone walls pressing in as if echoing the weight of the revelation. Natalie's mind raced. Her sister's hand had been promised under the guise of alliance, of duty, but the truth was far more personal and dangerous. If Damien's curse remained unbroken, it could destroy anyone who crossed his path unwittingly.
"What about me?" she asked finally, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and determination. "Why bring me into this? Why am I… here?"
The servant shook their head. "That I do not know. I only know that the Alpha has sought the Blood Moon for decades, and he will continue to seek it until he finds it. Perhaps your presence here… is coincidence. Perhaps it is fate. But be careful, Natalie. The closer you come to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes."
Natalie clenched her fists, trying to steady her racing thoughts. The palace no longer felt like a home,it was a labyrinth of secrets and lies, each turn more perilous than the last. And yet, she felt an unexpected spark of resolve. If the servant's words were true, if the Alpha's curse could be broken by the right person, then she had a role to play in something far greater than she had imagined.
She took a steadying breath. "I understand. I'll be careful."
The servant's hooded face revealed a fleeting expression of approval. "Good. And remember,seek the truth, but not at the cost of your life. Some things… cannot be undone once known."
Natalie nodded, her mind already plotting. She would need to tread lightly, gather her knowledge in fragments, and conceal her intentions even from those closest to her. Every corridor could harbor danger, every whisper could carry a threat. The palace itself seemed to pulse with hidden eyes, watching, judging.
"Why tell me this now?" she asked, curiosity gnawing at her fear.
"Because," the servant said, taking a step back into the shadows, "tonight, the stars align. The Alpha is restless. His suspicions are growing. And he will test you. Be ready. What you know,even in fragments may save you or condemn you."
Before leaving the corridors, Natalie ensured she had kept her promise. Using her knowledge of the palace routines and the hidden passages the servant had hinted at, she guided her safely past guards and patrols, ensuring their escape from the Black moon Pack remained unnoticed. The servant disappeared into the night, a silent nod of gratitude exchanged between them,an unspoken acknowledgment of the dangerous trust they had placed in each other.
Her mind turned to Damien, to the curse that had haunted him since birth. She imagined the faces of the princesses who had failed him, their hopes extinguished in a matter of weeks, swallowed by a fate they could not resist. And she realized, with a chill that crept down her spine, that she might be next,or perhaps the only one who could succeed.
But first, she needed answers about herself. Who she really was, where she came from, and what blood ran through her veins. If the servant's hints were correct, the journey would be treacherous, and the truths she uncovered might fracture everything she thought she knew.
Natalie took a slow breath, letting the night air fill her lungs. She felt the weight of destiny pressing down, yet a strange clarity settled over her. The pieces of her life were scattered, but for the first time, she sensed a path forming in the darkness. A dangerous path, but one she could no longer avoid.
The moonlight caught the edges of the polished floor, reflecting against the walls as if urging her forward. Natalie squared her shoulders, her resolve hardening. Tomorrow, she would navigate the court with new caution. Tonight, she would ponder the servant's words, piecing together what little she knew. And somewhere in the shadows, Damien's secret waited,a challenge, a curse, and perhaps a key to her own survival.
Because some truths, once seen, cannot be unseen.
And some secrets, once touched, cannot be untangled.