Alright... let’s make this fun for all of us. 😌

Here’s how I’m rewarding you, my special readers, and the ink to my pen.

1. Hit a top ranking for a week straight → mass release of 3 Chapters.

2. Send a super gift → mass release of 5 Chapters.

Now for the real mischief, these are the rewards. Also, this is where the real chaos lies.

1. Top interactive reader in a week → gets a shoutout

2. One-time super gift → gets a Chapter dedicated to you.

3. Repeated super gifts → you start getting little spoilers + future hints.

4. Highest Golden Ticket sender of the month (20–30 range) → you get a permanent role in the book

Yes, an actual role. 😅🥹 Immortality secured.

Let’s build this story together 🤍

....

As usual, Aire woke up with the sunlights softly hitting her face.

It pressed lightly against her face, dragging her out of sleep slowly, like it didn’t care whether she wanted to wake up or not.

Her brows pulled together slightly. She buried her face into her pillow, and grumbled softly.

For a few seconds, she just lay there with her eyes still closed, and her breathing evenly. She shut her eyes, trying to pretend she was still asleep so the sleep would return if she tried hard enough.

It didn’t work.

Aire exhaled quietly and opened her eyes.

The sun had already slipped past the curtains, spilling across her queen sized bed.

She stared at it for a moment, then she turned her head away.

"Annoying." She murmured. Her voice came out rough, and barely above a whisper.

She pushed herself up slowly. Her body was heavier than it should be after doing absolutely nothing.

King Elijah’s offer replayed in her mind again. She shut her eyes, as if to push it to the back of her mind, but it didn’t work.

His offer had been the only thing clouding her mind. The way he had looked at her like she was something he could... take and do as he wished refused to free her mind.

Aire’s jaw tightened slightly.

She swung her legs off the bed before her mind could go further down that path.

A soft knock came from the door.

Aire didn’t answer.

The door opened a second later.

"Good morning." five maids created at once.

Madam cleared her throat gently at the window where she stood. Her voice filled the room

Aire didn’t look at her immediately.

"Morning," she muttered back to the maids.

Madam stepped in. Her eyes scanned the room briefly before settling on Aire.

"You’re awake earlier than yesterday." Madam commented.

Aire huffed softly. "The sun forced me."

Madam didn’t respond to that.

"Come," she said rather. "Let’s get you cleaned up."

Aire didn’t argue. She stood up immediately, and walked into the bathroom.

The bath was already prepared with steam rising lightly into the air, and curling against the marble walls.

Aire stepped in without hesitation.

The warmth spread through her skin almost immediately, loosening every muscle she hadn’t realized were tense.

She sank slightly deeper into the water.

For a moment, her shoulders dropped.

Madam stood behind her. Her sleeves were already rolled slightly as she reached for the cloth.

Neither of them spoke. The other maids in the room got to work, dusting, cleaning, sweeping, and mopping.

Madam dipped the cloth into the water and began gently washing Aire’s arm. Her eyes studied Aire’s back for a minute.

She still couldn’t believe the wounds were all gone without a trace, for a wolfless girl.

"You didn’t eat much last night," Madam said after a while.

Aire leaned her head back slightly against the edge. "I wasn’t hungry."

"That’s a lie."

Aire’s lips twitched faintly. "I lost my appetite." She confessed.

Madam hummed softly. She moved the cloth to her shoulder, and her eyes moved to Aire’s back again.

Aire watched the ripples in the water instead of looking back.

"They’re going to keep watching you," Madam added.

Aire didn’t respond.

"They’re waiting for you to slip." She murmured, as she dipped the towel into the water, and washed her again.

"I know."

Madam paused for a second, then continued. "That doesn’t mean you should help them." She advised.

Aire let out a quiet breath. Madam also let out a breath, and stayed quiet.

After the bath, Madam wrapped a cloth around Aire and guided her back into the room.

Aire didn’t resist the way she was positioned in front of the mirror.

She stood there quietly while Madam moved behind her. Madam picked up one of the brushes already prepared on the vanity table, and brushed Aire’s hair.

The brush slid through Aire’s hair slowly.

Madam met Aire’s eyes from the mirror. Aire held her gaze and before she would say something, Madam parted her lips. "You’ll go to the training grounds today."

Aire blinked, completely taken aback. In her wildest dream, she hadn’t expected to hear that from anyone.

She looked at Madam through the mirror. "What?" she asked, eyes wild. She almost coughed.

Madam didn’t stop brushing. "You heard me."

Aire turned slightly, frowning. "Why would I go today? No one would accept me there."

Madam stared down at Aire, but her hands didn’t pause. "That’s exactly why I must push you there."

Aire stared at her, waiting for an explanation. She went hunting yesterday, and got humiliated. She might not survive another one today.

Madam met her eyes in the reflection.

"You don’t get to step out once and crawl back into hiding the next day," she said calmly.

Aire’s brows pulled together. "That’s not—"

Madam tsk. "It is." she countered her. "You went hunting yesterday."

Aire’s lips pressed together.

"And today, you want to disappear again like it never happened," Madam continued. "Like you’re still the sick withdrawn girl brought in moons ago?"

Aire looked away. "That’s not disappearing," she muttered.

"It is," Madam said simply.

Aire stared at the mirror. A small part of her was irritated by this request. This was too much coming from even Madam.

Madam cleared her throat, and went on. "The council members will be here in two days."

Aire’s eyes shifted slightly. She knew this. King Elijah came to her mind again. The offer. And how she had just two days to decide made her gulp.

Madam’s voice softened, but not enough to lose its edge. "And whether you like it or not," she continued, "you’re still tied to this place. You will be Luna, cursed or not."

Aire let out a quiet breath.

"Tied," she repeated under her breath.

Madam didn’t comment on that.

"The moon goddess may not have given you what others have," she said, brushing through another section of hair, "but that doesn’t mean she won’t strengthen what already exists."

Aire’s reflection stilled.

"She doesn’t work like that."

Madam dragged a strand of her hair harshly.

"Ouch." Aire whined.

"You don’t know how she works." Madam warned. "Don’t underestimate yourself by yourself."

Aire swallowed, about to refuse Madam words but the look she saw in Madam eyes through the mirror stopped her.

"What?" she asked quietly.

Madam didn’t answer right away. Her fingers moved through Aire’s hair instead. She measured the hair.

Aire frowned slightly. "What is it?"

Madam stepped back just enough to see it properly.

"When did it get this long?" she questioned, in confirmed realization.

Aire blinked. "What?"

Madam lifted a section of her hair.

It fell past Aire’s waist, past her thighs, and almost to her knees.

Aire froze slightly.

She hadn’t noticed.

Or maybe... she had.

She just didn’t care enough to think about it. This had always been the fate of her cursed hair. She just didn’t expect anyone to make a big deal of it.

Madam clicked her tongue softly.

"You are not surprised."

Aire huffed faintly. "It’s just hair."

Madam shot her a look through the mirror. "Nothing about you is just anything." She snapped.

Aire swallowed, and thinned her lips.

Madam began separating the sections carefully now.

"You hide too much," she said after a while.

Aire’s eyes narrowed slightly. "I don’t hide." She said softly, blinking.

Everyone seems to be at her neck lately.

"You do."

Madam gathered the strands, and twisted them gently. "You make yourself smaller than you are."

Aire let out a quiet breath.

Madam’s hands stilled for half a second, then continued. "Safe doesn’t keep wolves from tearing you apart," she said calmly.

Aire’s chest tightened slightly. She didn’t like how true that sounded.

......

The styling took longer than usual.

When she was done, the long strands were pulled up neatly, and secured in a way that still let some fall naturally down her back.

Aire stared at her reflection.

For a moment, she didn’t recognize herself.

"Why are you doing all this?" she asked quietly.

Madam met her eyes. "You’ll stand in the training ground today, before half the pack of wolves. They should know their future Luna is as presentable as a Luna should be."

Aire looked back at the mirror. Her fingers moved slightly on her lap. She felt a bit uncertain.

On a second thought, she could just accept King Elijah’s offer, and get done with these triples, and stupid bonds.

She parted her lips, and the next word that left surprised herself. "Fine," she said.

Madam raised a brow slightly.

"I’ll go," Aire added.

Madam’s lips curved slightly. "Good."