NOVA

Everything in my life had changed like the flip of a switch. Just two days ago, I was having breakfast with my parents in the kitchen. 

In the space of forty-eight hours, a lot had changed. I now only had one parent while the other was executed for treason.

Treason.

The same man who had given his all to serving the kingdom was accused of treason. Everyone he'd helped in the past had turned their backs on him, hurling hurtful words at him. At the end of the day, people only loved and supported you when it's beneficial to them. My family learned that the hard way.

I heard a soft knock on my door before my mother's voice followed. "Honey, can I come in?"

I quickly wiped my tears off my face, clearing my throat before replying. "Sure."

My door cracked open and my mother walked in, looking just as weary.

"I'm almost done packing," I told her as I folded more clothes into a luggage. 

A traitor's family never went unpunished, so part of our punishment was evacuating our luxurious house and moving to an area mostly filled with Black bloods.

There was hierarchy in Basria, and your status in society and shifter strength depended on that.

First we had Gold bloods. They were at the top of the food chain with Purple bloods following closely. Blue bloods were next, followed by Green bloods, and at the bottom of the barrel we had Black bloods.

This didn't mean we had that color of blood running through our veins. It just meant that when they shifted to their wolf form, that was the color their eyes turned.

Once upon a time, gold and purple bloods existed. Rumors had it that they'd turned bloodthirsty and hurtful, hurting members lower on the totem pole, and in anger, the moon goddess had wiped them all out.

Now we only had Blue, Green and Black bloods, and things were far from great for the Black bloods. They were poor and weak.

I'd been blessed to be born into my family. My father, before his demise, was a Blue blood and the military general. He made a lot of money and he took care of us. We lived in a big house, I attended a private school, Mom got a monthly allowance. We lacked nothing, but all of that was going to be taken from us. The house, money, cars— everything.

We were nothing, and I was already dreading my life. Father had been the sole earner in the household. Mom didn't have a job, and with everything that happened, we knew she was never getting a job in Basria. No job meant no money, no money meant no food, and no food meant we were going to starve to death. Inevitably, we were going to die. They just wanted us to suffer first.

"Do you need any help?" Mom asked, plopping down on the edge of my bed.

"No. This is the last bag. At least they let us carry our personal belongings," I joked half-heartedly. I was on the verge of tears, but I didn't want to worry my mother any more than she currently was. I had to get my shit together.

Mom smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Nova, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"I did this for your future. You have to remember that. Don't lose your head in anger and look at the bigger picture."

"You're scaring me, Mom. What's wrong?"

She sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear before she dropped the bomb on me. "You're moving into the palace."

Moving into the palace? That didn't make sense. Why would I move into the palace?

"The king wants you as a future Luna for his son."

I burst into a peal of laughter, doubling over. So, she didn't lose her sense of humor with everything going on. Thank goodness. At least something in my life was fairly normal.

"I'm not joking, Nova. You're moving into the palace. The king has men waiting downstairs for you."

My laughter stopped immediately, and all traces of amusement vanished. "You're not joking? Explain!"

"The king asked me at the trial, and I said yes."

"You agreed? Are you out of your mind?! They killed Father! Why would you agree?"

Mom jumped to her feet, throwing her hands in the air. "Because I do not want you to suffer! Hear me? I do not want my daughter to suffer. Your father is gone, but it is still my responsibility to take care of you. You will die if I do not do this." A lone tear slid down her cheek. "I do not want you to die, Nova. Seeing you suffer will destroy me."

"What if I want to suffer with you? I want to stay with you. I don't care about those people."

"No, Nova. You have to. Marrying into the royal family will take you several steps ahead. If you become the Luna of Basria, do you know the power you'll hold?"

She wasn't wrong. The king's word was law, and if I married his son, I'd be part of the royal family. I'd get a say. 

It finally clicked. "I'll be able to punish those who framed Father."

Mom smiled at me. "Yes, my girl. Are you thinking with your head now?"

I nodded.

"Good. We'll avenge your father's death, and the only way to do that is to regain the power we lost. Do you understand?"

I nodded again. "But, won't the prince find his mate?"

Every wolf had a soulmate destined for them by the moon goddess. Some got to meet them in their lifetime while others didn't. Basria wasn't a small kingdom, after all.

I would never be able to find my mate because I was a latent shifter. My wolf was trapped in a deep slumber inside of me, which meant I didn't possess the ehanced abilities other shifters did. 

Latents were rare, but not unheard of. The only way I'd be able to find my other other half was if he followed my smell and found me first during the full moon run. 

So far, that hadn't happen, and it had everything to do with the fact that I avoided these runs like the plague. Call me psycho, but I didn't want a life partner chosen for me by the 'moon goddess'. I wanted to pick a partner for myself based on his personality, not because some weird woman dwelling in the moon or whatever told me he was mine.

Of course, I never voiced these thoughts to anyone. They'd call me insane. My mother would take me to a doctor to check if I was okay. Some things were better left unsaid, anyway.

Mom smiled and this time, her entire face lit up. "He can't."