The Moonblood is Chained

The cell was cold.

Ava sat in the corner, knees drawn up to her chest, her breath fogging in the dim air. The stone floor beneath her was damp and smelled of moss and metal. Chains clinked with her every movement, their heavy iron links fastened tightly around her wrists and ankles. The Elders hadn't taken chances, she was locked up like a monster.

She wasn't sure what stung more between the betrayal of the council or the look in Aiden's eyes when they dragged her away. Was it guilt? Confusion? Or something else he was too proud to show?

She stared at the moonlight leaking through the tiny barred window. A sliver of light that reminded her that she still had hope.

"You're awake," a voice spoke from the shadows.

Ava jumped, her heart pounding. "Who's there?" She asked.

A girl around her age stepped out of the darkness wearing a guard's uniform. She was shorter, with sharp green eyes and a scar across her brow.

"Name's Mara. I'm… not really supposed to be here," she whispered, crouching beside Ava. "I brought this."

She held out a small cloth-wrapped bundle. Inside was bread, cheese, and a flask of water.

Ava blinked. "Why are you helping me?"

Mara glanced around, then leaned in. "Not everyone believes the Elders. Some of us think they're scared. And when people like that are scared, they chain what they don't understand."

Ava nodded slowly before collecting the food. 

"Thank you" She said and Mara smiled at her.

Ava swallowed hard. Her stomach growled, but she forced herself to eat slowly.

"They said you're cursed," Mara added, her voice barely a whisper. "That your blood is ancient. Dangerous. That you're one of the Moonbloods."

Ava stopped chewing.

"Is it true?" Mara asked.

Ava looked away. "I don't know. I didn't even know Moonbloods were real."

Mara gave a dry laugh. "Yeah, well, the Elders do. And that scares the hell out of them."

Before Ava could respond, a sudden tremor ran through the walls. The chains on her wrists rattled.

Mara stood quickly. "I have to go. If they catch me..."

"Wait," Ava said. "Please Can you find Aiden? Tell him I didn't ask for any of this."

Mara nodded once. "I'll try. Stay strong. You're not as alone as they want you to think." And with that, she vanished into the dark, leaving Ava with a full stomach and a head full of questions.

But sleep never came.

Meanwhile, in the High Council Hall, Aiden paced like a caged wolf.

"You had no right to imprison her!" he growled, slamming his fist on the ancient table.

Elder Darion barely flinched. "She's a threat to every pack under this sky. You saw what she did. No training, no control. And yet she knocked down five elite guards in a blink. That's not a normal wolf."

"Maybe it's not about being normal. Maybe it's about helping her control it," Aiden shot back. "She's my..."

He stopped.

Darion's eyes narrowed. "Go on. Say it. Your mate? You denied her, Alpha. That choice has consequences."

Aiden turned away, jaw tight. He didn't need reminding.

"She stays in the dungeon until the Blood Moon," Darion said. "Then we decide if she's worth the risk."

The Blood Moon? That's hours away, and Ava didn't even know what she was.

Aiden stormed out of the hall, rage burning in his chest. For the first time in years, he didn't know if he could protect the one person fate had tied him to. But one thing he knew is that, he would fight hell itself to keep her alive.