Elara sat on the edge of the vast balcony, her eyes fixed on the crimson horizon where the sun melted into the forest line. The world beyond the pack's high walls stretched endlessly, full of promise and peril, yet to her, it had always felt out of reach. The wind whispered against her hair, carrying the scents of pine and damp earth, and for a fleeting moment, she allowed herself to imagine freedom. Then the sound of footsteps approaching snapped her back into place. She rose quickly, adjusting the hem of her gown, straightening her shoulders, and masking her thoughts with the calm obedience expected of her.
She was Luna of the Crescent Fang Pack, mate and wife to Alpha Victor—respected, feared, and obeyed by hundreds. To outsiders, she was the epitome of grace and strength, standing at his side as the rightful queen of their people. Yet within the gilded cage of that title, Elara's life was anything but her own.
Victor had made that clear from the very beginning.
Though she had been a warrior before the bond—a fierce fighter known for her precision with the blade and her uncanny instincts in battle—her mate had stripped her of that role. To him, a Luna was not meant to lead in combat or carry scars of the battlefield. A Luna was meant to obey, to nurture, to serve as the flawless ornament to his reign. So Elara had put down her sword and taken up the mask of submission, tucking away the fire in her spirit where he could not see it.
Victor's shadow loomed at the balcony doorway, tall and commanding. His aura rolled across the space like a storm, heavy with dominance. He was a man built for war: broad-shouldered, with hair as black as midnight and eyes that glowed with the sharp amber of his wolf. To his pack, he was strength incarnate. To Elara, he was both protector and prison guard.
"You should be inside," Victor said, his voice firm, threaded with the authority he rarely set aside, even for her. "The evening air grows colder. A Luna should not risk her health."
Elara dipped her chin in acknowledgment, schooling her face into a gentle smile. "Yes, my Alpha."
He nodded in satisfaction, stepping beside her to gaze out at the forest. His hand brushed against hers, heavy and possessive, though the warmth in the gesture felt rehearsed, habitual. He never sought her opinion about the matters of the pack, never asked her what she wanted. For Victor, Elara was a symbol—a crown, not a partner.
But behind her eyes, Elara's thoughts churned like restless waters.
She remembered the days before him, when she had run wild with her blade strapped across her back, when the clash of steel and the howl of wolves were music to her ears. She had fought alongside warriors twice her size and won. She had earned the respect of her peers not through her bloodline but through the grit of her spirit. That Elara had been fierce, alive, untamed.
Now, she stood silently beside a man who called her Luna yet saw her as fragile glass.
As the evening bells tolled in the distance, Victor turned from the balcony. "The council awaits us. They expect the Luna to grace them with her presence. You will sit by my side, speak little, and remember that appearances matter more than anything."
"Yes, Alpha."
The words slipped from her lips as naturally as breathing. She followed him inside, her crimson gown trailing across the marble floors, her every movement a calculated act of grace. She knew her role well: to smile when spoken to, to bow her head in acknowledgment, to embody the quiet strength of a Luna who needed no voice of her own.
The council chamber was already full when they entered. Elders and betas straightened at Victor's arrival, their eyes flicking briefly to Elara before settling back on him. She felt the weight of their gazes—the silent expectation that she remain dignified yet silent, a living ornament beside the Alpha's throne.
Victor took his seat with commanding ease, his voice filling the chamber as he addressed the matters of territory and alliances. Elara sat one step lower, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her expression serene. She listened intently, though she knew her opinions were not wanted.
Yet inside, the warrior in her seethed.
The elders spoke of border skirmishes, of threats from rival packs encroaching on their lands. She knew tactics that could strengthen their defenses, maneuvers she had practiced countless times in her youth. Her instincts burned to speak, to contribute. But each time the urge rose, she forced it back down. Victor's earlier words echoed in her mind: appearances matter more than anything.
So she remained silent, her heart pounding with unshed words.
Hours passed before the council adjourned. Victor rose, dismissing them with a wave of his hand. They bowed deeply before filing out, leaving Elara and Victor alone once more in the cavernous chamber.
"You did well," he said, his gaze settling on her with a hint of approval. "A Luna who knows her place commands respect."
The praise cut sharper than a blade. Elara bowed her head. "Thank you, my Alpha."
Inside, she wanted to scream.
When they returned to their chambers, Victor left almost immediately, summoned by warriors who required his presence on the training grounds. Elara stood in the silence of the room, staring at the sword mounted above the fireplace—a relic of her past, a weapon she had once wielded with deadly precision. Now it was nothing more than decoration, a reminder of the freedom she had lost.
Her fingers itched to touch it, to reclaim the weight of it in her hand. Slowly, she approached, her heart hammering as she reached up and lifted it from its mount. The steel gleamed faintly in the firelight, familiar and heavy, as if it remembered her touch.
She swung it once, twice, her movements fluid despite the years. The blade sang through the air, and for a moment, she felt alive again. The warrior within her stirred, whispering of battles yet to come, of chains waiting to be broken.
"Elara."
The voice snapped her back. Victor stood in the doorway, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the weapon in her hands.
She froze, lowering the sword quickly, guilt flashing across her face. "I—I was only—"
"You were disobeying me," Victor interrupted, his tone cold. He strode into the room, plucking the sword from her grasp and returning it to its mount. "I told you before, you are not to wield weapons. You are Luna, not a warrior. Do not forget your place."
Her chest tightened. "Yes, Alpha."
His gaze lingered on her, hard and unyielding. Then he left without another word, the door closing heavily behind him.
Elara stood alone once more, the silence pressing in around her. She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the rapid beat of her heart. Anger simmered beneath her skin, hot and restless. She could not forget her place—but she also could not forget who she truly was.
As the night deepened, Elara returned to the balcony. The moon hung high above, luminous and full, its light washing over her. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, letting the silver glow seep into her bones. Somewhere deep within, her wolf stirred, restless and caged.
One day, she promised silently to the night sky. One day, I will no longer bow my head. One day, I will rise.
And when I do, the world will remember my name.