~ Doris ~

A sharp knock on the door jolted me awake.

My eyes flew open. For a second, everything felt fuzzy-the soft purple blanket tangled around my legs, then last night crashed back into me like cold water. 

My heart started racing all over again, I sat up fast, pulling the covers to my chin, staring at the window. 

The curtains were still half closed. No one was there now but the fear sat heavy in my chest, like a stone I couldn't swallow.

Another knock, softer this time.

I swallowed hard and slipped out of bed. My bare feet touched the fluffy rug. I padded to the door, heart thumping, and cracked it open just a little.

Three maids stood in the hallway, smiling politely. Each one held several big shopping bags, shiny ones with ribbons and logos I didn't recognize. 

Behind them were more bags stacked on the floor, and two more maids carrying even larger ones.

"Good morning, Luna," the first maid said brightly. She had kind eyes and brown hair tied back neatly. 

"Alpha Ryder sent these for you. He said you should have everything you need."

Luna. The word still felt strange, like it belonged to someone else.

I stepped back and opened the door wider. 

They filed in quietly, setting bags on the bed and floor. One maid opened the closet doors and started hanging dresses in soft colors, jeans that looked brand new, sweaters, jackets, even pretty nightgowns. 

Another arranged shoes on the bottom shelf: sneakers, flats, sandals, boots, heels I'd never worn in my life. 

Jewelry boxes came next. Necklaces with tiny sparkling stones, bracelets, earrings that caught the light. 

There were bags too, small purses, bigger shoulder bags, even a backpack with little wolf charms on the zipper. 

Makeup, hair brushes, lotions that smelled like flowers and vanilla, everything anyone could ever want.

I stood there, arms wrapped around myself, watching them work. My old clothes from yesterday looked like rags next to all this.

When they finished, the first maid turned to me with a warm smile.

"Alpha wants you to feel comfortable here, Luna. If anything doesn't fit or you need something else, just press that bell," she said, pointing toward it. "We'll bring whatever you need."

They started to leave. My hand shot out before I could think, I grabbed my notebook from the desk, scribbled fast, and held it up to the kind-eyed maid.

Where is the Alpha?

She read it and smiled again. "He's downstairs in the living room, Luna."

They bowed their heads a little and left, closing the door softly behind them.

I stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by all the new things. It should have felt nice. Exciting, maybe. But the knot in my stomach wouldn't go away. 

All these beautiful clothes and jewelry made it feel like I was someone important.

I changed quickly into a simple blue dress from one of the bags. It fit perfectly, soft against my skin. 

I slipped on matching flats real shoes for the first time in forever. They didn't pinch or rub, I looked in the mirror, I looked... different and beautiful but my eyes still looked scared.

I took a deep breath and headed downstairs.

The staircase felt endless, my hand slid along the smooth railing. 

Voices drifted up from the living room low at first, then clearer. I slowed my steps near the bottom, suddenly nervous.

I was about to turn the corner when I heard Julius's voice-sharp, loud, like he didn't care who heard.

"Why her, Ryder? Why Doris? The mute girl? What is so special about her?"

I froze. My feet stopped moving, I pressed myself against the wall, heart hammering so loud I was sure they'd hear it.

Julius kept going. "She doesn't even look like she should be Luna. She looks like... like some piece of trash someone dragged in from the street. Everyone's talking about it. The maids, the guards, half the pack. You could have had anyone. Clara, for example. She's strong, beautiful, respected. Why choose the reject who can't even speak?"

There was a pause, I peeked around the corner just enough to see.

Ryder stood near the fireplace, arms crossed, face hard. Blade was beside him, looking uncomfortable. A few servants stood quietly in the corners, heads down, pretending not to listen. Julius paced in front of Ryder, gesturing wildly.

Ryder's jaw tightened. For a second he looked really angry. But then his face smoothed out, like he put on a mask. 

When he finally spoke, his voice was loud, cold, clear enough for every servant in the room to hear and clear enough for me.

"Who told you I chose her because I want her?" Ryder said. "Remember what happened two years ago? My supposed Luna-my first assigned mate was hung at the gates, her body just... dangling there for everyone to see. Do you think I forgot that? Do you think I don't know what I'm doing?"

He stepped closer to Julius. His voice got louder, almost a shout.

"I don't give a d*mn about what happens to a mute girl. That's exactly why I chose her, If someone comes for her, if they try to hurt her, I won't lose sleep over it. I can't let a real, complete human die again not like last time. But a mute reject? If she dies, the pack moves on and I move on. That's the point."

The words hit me like a slap.Then another.

I felt my knees shake, my chest hurt so bad I couldn't breathe right.

He didn't care.

He really didn't care.

All the clothes, the room, he did it because I was disposable. Because if the killer came back, Ryder wouldn't even blink.

Now I understood. I wasn't chosen, I was insurance.

I wanted to tell him about the intruder, but the words died in my throat. There was no point now. No point in anything.

Tears burned my eyes, I turned to run.

My elbow caught the tall flower vase on the side table. It wobbled, then crashed to the marble floor. Shards scattered everywhere. 

Flowers spilled across the marble.

Everyone turned.

I didn't wait, I ran.

Up the stairs, legs pumping, tears blurring everything. I didn't go to my room because I couldn't face that big bed and all those new clothes that suddenly felt like a lie.

I kept running down the hallway, past doors, until I turned a corner and pushed into a small empty room at the end. 

I slammed the door behind me and slid down against it, hugging my knees.

Footsteps echoed in the hall, fast, heavy.

Someone was coming after me.

I pressed my hand over my mouth so I wouldn't make a sound. 

My heart pounded so hard I thought it would break.

The footsteps stopped right outside the door.

A hand touched the knob.

It turned slowly.

Please don't let it be him, I begged inside my head. Please don't let it be Ryder.

The door creaked open an inch.

~ Doris ~

 The door creaked open another inch.

 Then another.

 I squeezed my eyes shut so tight that little stars burst behind my eyelids. My whole body felt like it had turned to stone. 

 Please don't be him. Please don't be him. The words looped in my head like a song I couldn't stop humming. 

 My arms hugged my knees harder, and my fingers digging into my skin, I waited for Ryder's deep voice, cold one to cut through the quiet.

 But the footsteps were soft and careful.

 I cracked one eye open.

 It wasn't Ryder.

 Blade stood in the doorway. His dark hair looked messier than usual, like he'd run his hands through it a hundred times. In his hand he held my pen, the blue one I always carried in my pocket. He looked down at me where I sat curled against the door, knees up to my chin.

 "You dropped this downstairs," he said quietly. His voice wasn't loud or bossy. It was gentle, like he was talking to a scared bird. "Figured you might want it back."

 I stared at the pen, my fingers were still shaking when I reached out. I took it and clutched it against my chest like it could protect me.

 Blade didn't move closer right away, he just looked around the small empty room, then he lowered himself to the floor a few feet away from me. 

 He sat with his back against the opposite wall, legs stretched out, hands resting loose on his knees. He didn't try to crowd me. He just sat there.

 I shifted sideways a little, pressing my shoulder harder against the door. I needed more space.

 He noticed.

 But he didn't say anything about it.

 After a long quiet moment-long enough that I could hear my own heartbeat, slowing he spoke again.

 "You don't always have to believe what the Alpha says when other people are listening."

 My head snapped up. My eyes locked on his face.

 He wasn't looking at me, he was staring at a tiny crack in the floorboards, like it held all the answers. His voice stayed soft.

 "Sometimes words are said for ears that aren't yours. To keep certain people from guessing the real truth. To keep someone safe."

 My fingers squeezed the pen until the plastic made a tiny creaking sound.

 Blade finally glanced at me, his eyes were steady. Not angry. Not pitying. Just honest.

 "I'm not saying he's perfect but I know him, and I know he doesn't throw away the people he actually cares about."

 The words felt warm for a second like a tiny candle in the dark, but then Ryder's voice crashed back into my head, loud and cold from downstairs:

 "I don't give a d*mn about what happens to a mute girl... If she dies, the pack moves on. I move on."

 I shook my head once.

 Blade didn't argue, he just nodded, like he understood everything I couldn't say. Then he went quiet again. 

 We sat there for what felt like forever, the only sounds were my breathing, still too fast and the faint tick of a clock somewhere far away in the house.

 After a while, Blade pushed himself up slowly. He held out his hand not grabbing, just open, palm facing up.

 "Come on," he said gently. "You can't stay in here all day. Let's get you back to your room."

 I stared at his hand. 

 I didn't take it.

 But after a few more heartbeats, I used the door to push myself up. My legs felt wobbly, like they belonged to someone else. 

 Blade didn't rush me, he waited until I was standing straight, then stepped back to give me room.

 We walked out together. The hallway felt too bright after the dim little room. My new blue flats made soft tapping sounds on the floor. 

 Blade walked beside me not too close, not too far either. Like he knew exactly how much space I needed to feel safe.

 We turned the corner.

 And there he was.

 Ryder stood at the far end of the hallway, arms crossed over his chest. His face was blank hard to read. His eyes flicked from me to Blade, then back to me. Something quick flashed in them sharp, like a spark then disappeared.

 He stepped forward.

 "You start school tomorrow," he said. His voice was flat. Calm. Like he was reading from a piece of paper. "Go back to your room. The maids will bring your food. They'll bring everything you need for school. Prepare tonight, you start tomorrow."

 He didn't ask how I was.

 He didn't look at the dried tear tracks on my cheeks.

 He didn't mention the broken vase downstairs or why I'd run.

 He just turned and walked away. His boots echoed down the hall until the sound swallowed him up.

 I stood there, staring at the empty spot where he'd been.

 Blade touched my elbow just a light brush of fingers. "Come on," he said softly. "Let's get you to your room."

 I let him guide me. My legs moved, but I didn't really feel them. Everything felt far away, like I was watching myself from somewhere high up.

 We reached my door, Blade opened it for me. The room looked exactly the same, purple blanket folded neatly on the bed, closet full of new clothes, desk with my notebooks. But it didn't feel like mine anymore. It felt like a pretty cage.

 He paused in the doorway. "If you need anything just write it down and give it to a maid. Or find me. Okay?"

 I nodded once.

 He gave me a small sad smile, then closed the door quietly behind him.

 I stood in the middle of the room for a long time, then I walked to the bed and sank down on the edge.

 My eyes drifted to the window.

 The curtains were still half-closed.

 I remembered the man from last night.

 Ryder's words kept replaying in my head.

 "If she dies, the pack moves on. I move on."

 I pulled my knees up and wrapped my arms around them.

 And then I saw it.

 On my pillow.

 A single piece of white paper.

 It hadn't been there before.

 My heart gave a hard thud.

 I stared at it.

 Slowly, I reached out and picked it up.

 Big red letters were scrawled across it...messy, angry, like someone had pressed the marker so hard it almost tore the paper.

 "Hey new Luna

 welcome to hell and get ready to die like the previous Luna."

 My fingers went cold.

 I couldn't scream.

 Instead, I rushed to the bell at the corner of the room and pressed it repeatedly, my fingers trembling against the cold metal.

 Within minutes, a few maids hurried in, their footsteps echoing against the floor. Their eyes immediately fell on the letter clutched tightly in my shaking hands.

 One of the maids gasped softly before rushing out obviously to call Ryder.

 I remained seated, frozen in place, my body still trembling as the words on the paper blurred before my eyes.

~ Ryder's POV ~

 My wolf was raging inside me, claws scratching at the surface, ready to tear something apart. I slammed the door of my private room shut so hard the walls shook, the only people left inside were Julius, Blade, and me. No one else needed to hear this.

 I turned on Julius, my eyes blazing with Alpha authority.

 "You will never speak about my Luna that way again," I said, my voice low but deadly calm. "Disrespect her in front of me and anyone one more time, and you will face consequences you won't recover from. She is my Luna. That is not up for discussion."

 Julius frowned, crossing his arms like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. 

 "Alpha, what do you even mean? I was only looking out for you and for the pack! We can't have a mute Luna. How do you expect the Crescent Brotherhood to look at us now? Among the five packs in the alliance, you're the only one who didn't have a Luna for so long. And now you choose a mute girl? They'll mock us. The rival packs already sniffing around for our weakness and I'm sure they'll use this to tear us down."

 His words stung like a bee. The Crescent Brotherhood was a group of powerful wolf packs that worked together for protection. We had meetings, shared secrets, and fought enemies side by side for centuries. But I didn't care about their opinions. Doris was mine, chosen by me or whatever magic made mates real.

 I stepped closer, my voice dropping to a dangerous growl. "No. You do not raise your voice at my Luna. You do not challenge or insult her in front of the whole pack." 

 "And I don't care what the Crescent Brotherhood thinks. I don't care what any other pack whispers behind our backs. Doris is mine. End of story."

 Julius clenched his jaw tight, veins popping in his neck. "Alpha, I-"

 "I don't care what you meant," I snapped, cutting him off. ""You will respect her. In public. In private. Everywhere or you and I are going to have a much bigger problem than pack politics."

 Blade shifted his weight, clearing his throat. "Alpha, you both should please calm down, I don't have any problem with our new Luna and-"

 A sharp knock cut him off.

 I didn't take my eyes off Julius. "Come in."

 The door opened. One of the younger maids Lila stood there, face pale, hands twisting together.

 "Alpha," she said in a rush, "there was a threat message left for the Luna. She's upstairs... she's shaking."

 The room went still.

 My blood turned cold, then fire.

 I didn't think. I moved quickly.

 I shoved past Lila, boots pounding the hallway. Blade was right behind me-Julius too, though I barely registered him. My heart slammed against my ribs with every step. 

 The stairs blurred. Voices from downstairs faded into nothing.

 I reached her door and shoved it open.

 Doris sat on the edge of the bed, knees pulled tight to her chest, arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to disappear. Her face was pale, eyes wide and glassy. 

 She was shaking small, uncontrollable tremors that made her shoulders jerk.

 On the purple blanket beside her lay a single sheet of paper.

 I crossed the room in three strides and snatched it up.

 Big, angry red letters stared back at me.

 "Hey new Luna welcome to hell and get ready to die like the previous Luna."

 My stomach dropped.

 I knew that handwriting.

 The same jagged strokes.

 The same red ink.

 It was identical to the note they'd left pinned to my first mate's body two years ago, the one I'd found hanging from the pack gates like a broken doll.

 My hand tightened around the paper until it crumpled.

 I looked around the room wildly, the window was closed, curtains still. The door had been locked when the maid came in. No broken glass or forced entry.

 How?

 How did they get in?

 My gaze snapped back to Doris. She was staring at the floor, tears sliding silently down her cheeks. Her fingers gripped the edge of the blanket so hard her knuckles were white.

 I dropped to one knee in front of her, careful not to touch her yet. My voice came out rough, quieter than I meant.

 "Doris are you okay?"

 She didn't look up right away. Then slowly, she nodded just once, small and shaky.

 I swallowed hard. "Did you see who left this?"

 Another tiny shake of her head.

 I reached out slowly, hesitated, then gently took her trembling hand in mine. Her skin was cold.

 I helped her stand. She let me, but her legs wobbled like they might give out. I kept my arm around her shoulders loose, not tight, giving her room to pull away if she wanted. She didn't.

 "Come with me," I said softly. "You're not staying in here for now."

 I led her out. Blade and Julius were in the hallway, faces grim. Blade's eyes went straight to the crumpled paper in my fist. Julius looked pale.

 "Maids," I barked over my shoulder. "Move everything from this room to my room. Now. Everything. She's staying with me until I figure this out."

 One of the maids nodded quickly and hurried off.

 I guided Doris down the hall toward my suite. She walked beside me, silent, still shaking. Every few steps her shoulder brushed mine, and I felt her flinch just a little like she wasn't sure if touching was allowed.

 My room was at the end of the corridor. Bigger than hers though. Darker wood, heavier curtains, a wide bed with dark blue sheets. A fireplace sat cold in the corner. My scent was everywhere. Hers was faint and sweet like strawberries and something soft I couldn't name.

 I opened the door and stepped aside so she could go in first.

 She hesitated on the threshold, eyes flicking over the space. The bed looked huge. Too big for one person but small for two people who barely knew each other.

 I couldn't risk making her any more uncomfortable.

 I cleared my throat. "You take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch by the window or on the floor. Whatever makes you feel safe... I won't come in until nightfall, so make yourself comfortable."

 She didn't move.

 I rubbed the back of my neck, awkwardness crawling up my spine. "I know this is strange. We're not yet close and we haven't even really talked much. But after what happened" I lifted the crumpled note. "I can't let you stay alone. Not until I know how they got in and who they are."

 She looked at me. Her eyes were red-rimmed, still wet. Slowly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her notebook. 

 Her fingers shook as she opened it, flipped to a blank page, and wrote.

 She held it out to me.

 I read the words.

 "I saw a man in black last night outside my window. He had a knife."

 My blood went cold all over again.

 I stared at the page, then at her. "Last night?"

 She nodded.

 "Why didn't you tell me?"

 She bit her lip, looked down, then wrote again.

 I wanted to tell you when I woke up but after what you said downstairs I thought you wouldn't care.

 The words hit harder than any punch.

 I closed my eyes for a second, breathing through my nose. When I opened them, I kept my voice low. Steady.

 "I said those things to protect you. To make the wrong people think you don't matter to me, so they wouldn't target you." I swallowed. "But I was wrong. They're coming for you anyway."

 She stared at me, searching my face like she was trying to decide if she could believe me.

 I took one careful step closer. "I'm sorry you heard that. I'm sorry you thought it was true. But you are not disposable, Doris. Not to me."

 Her eyes filled again. She looked away, hugging the notebook to her chest.

 I glanced back at the door. Maids were already carrying her things in.

 I turned back to her. "Stay here tonight. I'll sleep on the couch. We'll figure this out. Together."

 She gave the tiniest nod.

 I exhaled, tension leaking out of my shoulders for the first time today.

 But then I saw it.

 On the hand of one of the maids, I saw red stains...

 Was she the insider?

 My heart slammed. Without thinking, I lunged toward her.