The Hidden Luna Queen (Maeve and Xaden)

THIRD PERSON POV

Somewhere outside the dungeon on the outskirts of the capital, a hooded figure cloaked in black wandered the looming dusk. Fast, frightened footsteps delicately clacked against the pavement, anxious to reach their destination.

With the sun slipping past the horizon, there was always a fear that trouble walked the streets... not knowing who or what hid within.

Bella might have had a bold streak, but she was not one to teeter on the edge of danger.

However familiar she was with the capital, this was an area she usually tended to avoid. The dungeon was only a place where criminals and undesirables went-the worst of the worst of society occupied those walls. If it hadn't been for her determination, she would never have been caught dead here.

If it hadn't been for the need to right some wrongs, she would be at home right now.

As she cautiously approached the front gate of the dungeon, she was stopped by a tall, burly guard, older in age and with a stern face."You there, stop. What brings you to the capital dungeon?" She gulped, forcing herself to stand tall. "I-I'm here to see one of the prisoners."

With an unimpressed hum, he looked her up and down, taking in her petite frame. There was something about the leer in his eyes that rubbed her the wrong way. Almost as if he thought her to be a pathetic thing. "What's a small, feeble girl like you got business with around here anyway, eh?"

Bella growled. "H-How dare you speak to me with such discourtesy."

Instead of cowering like she'd hoped, he let out a small scoff. "Run on home, little miss," he muttered, waving a hand to dismiss her. "This place ain't suited for the likes of you, especially at this time of night."

Growing frustrated and reaching the

end of her rope with this brash guard, she threw back her hood. "I am the daughter of Alpha Charles head of the Crimson Crescent pack," she boldly growled, holding herself proud and watching with pleasure as the guard slunk in fear before her. "What do you think he'd say when he finds out you spoke to his beloved only child in such a way?"

Frightened at the prospect of possibly angering an alpha, the guard began to stammer. "I-I apologize, m-miss... you may g-go inside." As further consolation for his rude behavior, the guard helped lead Bella to where she needed to go and left once she told him to.

"There you are," Victoria uttered from deep within the dimly-lit dungeon when she finally caught sight of Bella.

In response, Bella quickly dipped her head to the Luna as she hurried over to where she stood. In the cell that Victoria stood in front of, a small figure slumped against the bars her cell Bella approached with

caution, during which she cl.9

sight of bedraggled dark brown hair, dangling in loose sections around the prisoner's pale, dry face, normally puffed with fine layers of delicate makeup.

She knew this face... and it was one she hadn't seen in over a month.

"Sarah," she remarked, surprised. "You... look-"

"I don't need you to tell me what I already know," Sarah snapped, holding up a hand to stop Bella. Her nails, which were normally pretty and manicured, looked plain and unimpressive, in desperate need of a good polish. All in all, not something one would normally worry about, but to two spoiled alpha teenagers, it was practically the end of the world.

"What have they done to you?"

Sarah's bottom lip quivered with fury. "It's awful!" she hissed, pacing her cell as she ranted out loud. "I have to wear these disgusting rags all day long and they serve me my dinner with water! No expensive wines to be seen!"

Bella's mouth fell open, aghast. "What a nightmare!" she gaped. "I can't believe they force you to live like this!"

"We need to get me out of here—fast," Sarah urged, grabbing onto the bars with white knuckles. "I can't spend another day in this place."

This was the first time the three

women were able to arrange a meeting together. The Luna had been the mastermind of it all, of course... not willing to watch her daughter spend another day in that horrible cell while her husband refused to do a damn thing to overturn her sentence. It hadn't been long before she decided she needed to take matters into her own hands, albeit with the help of a girl she knew loathed Maeve just as much as she and Sarah did. Bella was their key to getting answers through the princess, while Victoria tried to pull

whatever strings she could from the sidelines.