Chapter 25
25
~Elara’s POV
I sat alone in the middle of the bed, staring at my suitcase like it had personally offended me. My hands rested on my thighs, but they felt heavy—like bricks glued to my skin.
My chest tightened.
My throat felt dry.
And the same question kept repeating in my head like a broken radio:
“Why didn’t you run away when you had the chance p>
I whispered it out loud before I could stop myself.
“Why didn’t I just… escape? What was I thinking p>
My voice cracked. Hearing it made me feel even more ridiculous.
I dropped my face into my palms. “Elara, you’re actually insane,” I muttered. “You had so many openings. Even the Moon Goddess literally gave you chances and you p>
I huffed, shaking my head.
I sat there for a long moment. Too long. The air felt thick enough to chew. The bed beneath me dipped a little deeper as I leaned forward, thinking, thinking, thinking.
And thinking hurt.
Every time my mind went back to how he chose his job over our honeymoon, I had to squeeze my eyes shut.
His absence.
His unfinished sentences.
His sudden cold shift whenever “duty” came calling.
This wasn’t how honeymoons were supposed to be. Even the movies showed better. Even celebrity couples that were clearly lying looked better.
I swallowed painfully.
“Okay,” I breathed out, straightening my spine. “No more overthinking. No more fantasizing about impossible things. Just… live as his Luna. Quietly. Low-key. No expectations p>
The words felt like tiny knives, but they were honest.
Painfully honest.
I stood, brushing my palms against my thighs. My movements were slow, almost robotic, as I walked toward my wardrobe. The room was too quiet; it made my footsteps loud. Every zip, every thump of clothing landing in the suitcase, echoed like I was packing up my life.
I tried to keep my mind blank, but of course it wandered.
“Stop thinking about honeymoon anything,” I whispered to myself. “Just stop p>
I folded another dress and placed it on top of the others. “You’re going to his mansion, you’ll blend into the background. You’ll breathe. You won’t stress him. You won’t bother him. Just…exist p>
My voice broke again.
When I zipped the last bag, I stared at it for a solid ten seconds.
“Okay,” I said, forcing a tiny exhale. “You’re done. You’re leaving p>
I lifted the bag, it was heavier than it looked, dragged it beside the door, then pulled the second and third ones to join it. My heart thumped with every pull, like it was trying to shout at me.
“This is for the best,” I told myself. “You’re not going to cry. Stop it. No crying p>
I wiped my eyes anyway.
A few minutes later, Darlon and I were already in the car heading to the city, and now… here I was, sitting at the window as we pulled into a long paved driveway guarded by towering trees and golden lights.
My eyes widened.
The mansion appeared slowly, like a scene from some rich-person fantasy movie. The walls were tall and white, glowing under warm lights. It wasn’t just big. It was breathtaking. Way bigger and more beautiful than the Blueberry mansion. It looked like old-money royalty and modern luxury had a baby.
My lips parted without permission.
“Oh… my goodness p>
The car slowed, gliding across the marble-tiled driveway. I leaned forward, face almost pressing against the glass.
Everything sparkled. Everything gleamed. Even the air looked expensive.
I didn’t even hear Darlon the first time.
“Elara p>
Nothing.
“Elara p>
A little louder this time.
I blinked. “Hmm p>
“We’re here,” he said gently. “We should get down p>
“Oh…sorry. Sorry.” I scrambled a little, embarrassed. “I… didn’t hear you p>
He smiled a little, but I didn’t look at it too long because my heart was already misbehaving.
I stepped out of the car and followed him toward the entrance. The huge doors swung open before we reached them, and I almost took a step back.
Two neat lines of maids and guards stood on both sides of the hallway, more than the entire staff at Blueberry Pack combined. They bowed deeply.
The maids’ voices filled the hallway in one soft wave.
“Welcome, Luna. Welcome, Alpha p>
I stopped walking for a second. My eyes widened on their own. All those people, all those uniforms, all those perfectly straight lines, it felt like stepping into another world. A world I definitely didn’t belong in.
Everything around me glittered with money and power. I felt small. Very small.
My breath caught a little. “What the… wow,” I whispered before I could stop myself. The words slipped out, quiet and shaky. “It’s… a really nice place p>
Darlon cleared his throat beside me. The sound was soft, almost awkward, like he wasn’t expecting my reaction to hit him the way it did. He didn’t say anything about it, though. He just shifted his attention to one of the senior maids.
“Take her to her chamber,” he said in that calm, deep voice of his. “And prepare dinner p>
I parted my lips to talk, but right then, my stomach twisted.
And growled.
Not a small one.
Not one I could pretend didn’t happen.
A loud, humiliating, echoing sound that bounced off the polished walls.
Grrrrrrmmmmm.
I froze.
Heat rushed straight to my cheeks, burning. Shame spread through me like fire. I pressed both hands against my stomach immediately, lowering my head.
“Oh no I whispered, barely breathing. “I… I’m sorry.” My voice shook. I wished I could disappear. I wished the floor would open and swallow me whole. “I didn’t mean…I wasn’t… I’m sorry p>
Darlon turned to me, and when I glanced up, I saw a small, almost gentle smile tugging at his lips.
“Elara… It’s fine p>
Go check your room first. Dinner will be ready soon p>
My throat tightened. “T-thank you,” I managed, bowing my head quickly.
We walked through hallways that looked like paintings come alive. Everything smelled clean and warm and expensive. By the time we stopped at a tall double door, my breath was already caught in my throat.
“Luna,” the maid said softly, “this is your chamber p>
She pushed the door open.
I froze.
The room was huge.
Not just big, overwhelmingly, impossibly huge.
I stood frozen in the doorway, staring like someone who had never seen a bedroom before. My old room… my tiny corner back at the pack… it could have fit inside the wardrobe here. Just the wardrobe. That realization alone made my chest tighten.
The ceiling rose high above me, glowing softly under warm gold lights that made everything look richer, softer, dreamlike. The air smelled faintly of vanilla and something floral, something expensive.
My gaze drifted to the bed.
Massive. Wide enough for five people. The duvet looked like a cloud someone had stitched together, thick, plush, and perfect. The pillows were arranged neatly, too perfectly for someone like me to sleep on without messing them up.
Then the curtains caught my eye.
Long, flowing, silky… shimmering as if tiny stars were woven into them.
I stepped further in.
And then I saw the walls.
My mouth fell open.
The colours, my colours. Not near my taste, not similar.
Exact.
The exact shades I always loved but never told anyone about.
Even the decor, the flowers, the art pieces, the little ornaments, matched my quiet preferences, the ones I kept to myself because they felt too small, too silly to matter.
“How I breathed, barely hearing my own voice.
I took another slow step, afraid the room might vanish if I walked too fast.
“This… this is… beautiful p>