The Rejected Luna : journey of an enslaved luna

SCARLETT Morning came cruelly, with the harsh clang of the iron bell outside the slave quarters. My body jolted awake, though my eyes had hardly closed through the night. The Goddess's voice still lingered in my chest like an ember, soft but unshakable, yet the sound of the bell was a reminder of the world I lived in-one that offered me no mercy. "Scarlett Hilary!" The guard's voice cut through the murmur of sleepy slaves rising from their straw beds. I lifted my head slowly, my stomach twisting. His tone was sharp, too sharp. The others shifted, their eyes darting to me, pity and fear mingling in their expressions. "Come with me. Now." I swallowed hard, pushing myself up. My legs felt weak, but I forced them to carry me. The whispers followed me as I stepped outside, the morning air biting against my skin. The path led toward the Council Hall, a place I had once dreamed of entering as Luna. Now, my feet dragged toward it as though walking to my own execution. Two guards flanked me, their hands never far from the hilts of their weapons. I wanted to ask why, but the knot in my throat refused to let words slip free. When we entered, the air grew heavier. The hall smelled faintly of incense, smoke curling from braziers lit at either side of the dais. Elder Marcus sat in the center, his beard streaked with gray, his cold eyes fixed on me. Beside him, the other elders watched with thinly veiled disgust, as though my presence tainted the very air. And then I saw them. John. He sat tall, dressed in the dark, regal coat of an Alpha, his jaw tight, his eyes avoiding mine as though the sight of me would stain him. Beside him, Maria sat with one hand draped protectively over her stomach, her lips curved in a faint, satisfied smile. My blood ran cold. "What... what is this?" I managed, my voice barely a whisper. Elder Marcus leaned forward. "Scarlett Hilary, you stand accused of a grave offense. Last night, after being rejected by Alpha John, you attempted to harm his future Luna and her unborn child." The words struck me like a whip. My knees nearly buckled. "What?" Gasps echoed faintly through the hall. My hands trembled at my sides as I looked wildly around. "That's a lie! I never touched her-I never even left the slave quarters!" Maria lowered her gaze with a show of fragility, tears brimming in her eyes. "She cornered me," she said softly, her voice breaking just enough to sound believable. "She... she said she'd rather see me dead than carrying John's child." The elders muttered among themselves, their eyes turning sharper, harder. "That's not true!" I shouted, my voice cracking. Desperation clawed at my throat. "She's lying-please, you have to believe me!" Finally, John's gaze lifted to mine, cold and unreadable. My heart twisted violently. If anyone would defend me, it had to be him. Despite everything, a part of me still clung to the hope that he would stand, tell them the truth, remind them that I was no threat. But he didn't. He looked at me as though I were nothing more than dirt beneath his boots. "I warned you, Scarlett," he said, his voice cutting. "You cannot accept rejection with grace. Now you stoop to this?" My chest shattered. "No! John, you know me-you know I would never-" "Enough," Elder Marcus snapped, his voice booming. "The Council has heard enough from you." He exchanged looks with the other elders before turning back. "Attempting to harm the future Luna is treason. By our laws, the punishment for treason is death." The ground seemed to tilt beneath me. Death. They were going to kill me for something I hadn't done. "No," I whispered, stumbling forward. "Please... please, I didn't-" Maria let out a soft sob, leaning into John's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her, his eyes never leaving mine. There was no pity there. No regret. Only finality. The elders spoke in hushed tones, then Elder Marcus rose to his feet. "By the authority of the Silver Moon Council, Scarlett Hilary, you are sentenced-" The doors burst open. A younger elder, sweat beading on his forehead, rushed in. "Wait!" His voice shook as he bowed. "Elder Marcus, forgive the interruption, but... the Goddess's flame flickered last night." The hall fell silent. Every head turned, whispers breaking out in waves. The flame-sacred and eternal-was said to flicker only when the Goddess herself had touched one of her children. Marcus's brow furrowed. "What nonsense is this?" "It is not nonsense, Elder," the younger man insisted. "The priestess herself confirmed it. Someone within this pack was visited by the Goddess." My heart stuttered. My hands clutched at my chest. The memory of silver eyes and her voice whispering chosen flame filled me again. The elders murmured louder now, uncertainty crackling through the air. Elder Marcus scowled, his gaze sweeping the room before landing on me with disdain. "Do not be swayed by superstition," he snapped. "This slave stands accused-" But for the first time, doubt stirred among the others. I saw it in their eyes, the way they shifted in their seats. The sacred flame could not be ignored. If the Goddess had truly spoken... then perhaps I was not as worthless as they believed. I straightened slowly, my body trembling, but a spark of defiance kindling in my chest. "I did not harm Maria," I said, my voice steady this time. "And you all know it. The Goddess came to me last night. She has not abandoned me-she has chosen me." The hall erupted in noise, voices overlapping in shock and anger. Maria's face drained of color, and for the first time, John's mask slipped, his eyes narrowing with something dangerously close to fear. Elder Marcus slammed his staff against the floor to quiet the hall, his expression dark and thunderous. "Enough!" he roared. "The Council will deliberate. Guards return her to the quarters until judgment is final." Two guards seized my arms, dragging me backward. But as I stumbled, I kept my eyes locked on John's, letting him see the truth burning in mine. He could strip me of my title. He could throw me into chains. He could let them brand me as a traitor. But he could never erase the Goddess's whisper. I was chosen. And one day, they would all regret underestimating me.