The Blood Moon Last Lycan Daughter

I scrubbed the floor until my knees burned. The water turned brown from the dirt they tracked in on purpose. Celine walked past me in her clean white dress and kicked the bucket over.

"Clean it again, Ember. You missed a spot."

I did not look up. Looking up only made them angrier. I dipped the cloth back into the dirty water and started over. My hands cracked and bled at the knuckles. No one cared.

Sienna, the maid, stood in the doorway with her arms crossed. "She is slow again. Always slow. That is why the Alpha is weak. Bad blood in the house."

Mirelle laughed from the kitchen. "Bad blood and a weak spine. Look at her. She does not even fight back."

I kept scrubbing. The soap stung the open cuts on my fingers. I bit the inside of my cheek so I would not make a sound. Sound meant more work. Sound meant more words.

Celine stopped in front of me. She crouched down so her face was close to mine. "Say thank you for the lesson, Ember."

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Louder."

"Thank you."

She smiled and stood. "Good girl. Now finish before father comes home or I will tell him you ruined my dress on purpose."

She had not even touched the dress. I still said nothing. I finished the floor on my hands and knees while they watched. When the last corner was clean I stood up. My legs shook. Sienna pointed at the stairs.

"The Alpha's boots need cleaning. And Celine's room. And the guest rooms. Move."

I moved. Every step hurt. My back ached from bending all morning. In Celine's room the bed was already made but she had thrown clothes on the floor again. I picked them up one by one. Silk and soft things I was never allowed to touch except to wash. I folded them carefully. If one crease was wrong she would make me start over.

Selah came in while I worked. She was older and her voice was always soft when she wanted to cut deepest. "You should be grateful they keep you. Most packs would have thrown a useless daughter out. Or worse."

I nodded. Nodding was safer than words.

"You know the truth, don't you?" Selah continued. "You are the reason the pack loses fights. You are the reason the Alpha looks tired. Everyone says it. Even the pups say it."

My throat closed. I kept folding. My hands moved but my chest felt tight like someone was sitting on it. I wanted to scream that I trained harder than anyone, that I took every punishment, that I never complained. The words stayed locked behind my teeth. No one ever believed them.

By the time the sun went down my arms were shaking. I had cleaned three rooms, the boots, the hallway, and the back steps. Dinner was served in the main hall. I waited outside the door with my head down until they finished. Leftovers were mine if any remained. Tonight there was a small plate of cold meat and dry bread. I ate standing in the kitchen corner. Sienna watched me the whole time.

"Do not eat too fast. You will get fat and then who will want you?"

I slowed down. The bread stuck in my throat. I forced it down because hunger made the nights longer.

After the plate was empty I washed every dish. My fingers split open again under the hot water. Blood mixed with the soap. I rinsed it away before anyone saw. Blood made them talk more.

Celine came into the kitchen with a sweet smile. "Father wants you in the study."

My stomach dropped. The study meant trouble. I dried my hands on my skirt and walked the long hallway. Every step felt heavy. Father sat behind the big desk. Mother stood beside him. Celine stood on the other side like she belonged there.

Father did not look at me when he spoke. "The engagement papers are ready."

I knew those papers. They had my name on them since I was a child. Alpha Damon of the Blood Moon Pack. The strongest Alpha in the region. The papers were mine.

Celine held them up. "They have my name now."

My heart stopped for a second. Then it started beating too fast.

Father still did not look at me. "Celine will marry him. She is the better match. You will stay here and serve."

The words hit like a fist. I opened my mouth. Nothing came out at first. Then the plea spilled.

"Please. Those papers were mine. I can be better. I will work harder. I will not make mistakes. Please do not give him to her."

Mother's face stayed cold. "You make mistakes every day. You are slow. You are weak. Celine is the one who makes this pack proud."

Celine smiled and tilted her head. "You should thank me. I am taking the hard husband. Everyone knows Alpha Damon kills his wives. Seven already. They die on the full moon. Screaming. You would not last one night."

The room tilted. I had heard the rumors in the market when I was allowed to carry baskets. Seven wives. All dead. He lost control under the moon and tore them apart. I had pushed the stories away because the papers had my name. Now the papers had hers and the stories rushed back.

I dropped to my knees. The floor was hard. "Please put my name back. Let her stay safe here. If I die no one will care. You said it yourself. I am nothing. Give me to him instead. I will go. I will not fight."

Father's voice was flat. "Celine is the daughter we choose. You will stay and clean. That is your place."

Tears burned my eyes. I hated them. Tears made everything worse. "I will change. Tell me what to do and I will do it. I will listen better. I will not speak unless spoken to. Please. I am begging."

Mother stepped closer. "Get up. You look pathetic."

I stayed on my knees. "Please. I cannot watch her take everything and still smile. It hurts. It hurts every day. Just give me the marriage. Let me be the one who dies if that is what happens. At least then it will be over."

Celine laughed. The sound was bright and sharp. "Listen to her. She wants to die. How dramatic. Father, she is unstable. We should lock her in the cellar more often."

Father waved his hand. "Enough. The decision is final. Celine marries Alpha Damon in two weeks. Ember, go back to your work. If I hear you begged again you will sleep outside with the dogs."

I stood up slowly. My legs felt like they belonged to someone else. I walked out of the study without another word. The hallway was empty. I made it to the small room they gave me at the back of the house before my knees gave out. I sat on the thin mattress and pressed my face into my hands.

The sobs came hard. I tried to keep them quiet so no one would hear and come punish me for noise. My chest hurt. My throat hurt. Everything hurt. I whispered the same words I whispered every night.

"Please let me die. Please. I cannot do another day."

No answer came. The moon outside the small window stayed silent.

I did not sleep. When the sky turned gray I got up and started the fires. Sienna found me in the kitchen and clicked her tongue.

"You look worse than usual. Did you cry all night like a pup? Pathetic."

I did not answer. I moved the wood and lit the stove. My hands shook. She watched for a moment then left to wake Celine.

The day started the same as every other day. Scrub. Carry. Clean. Listen to the words.

"You are the reason the pack is soft."

"Even the Omega pups are stronger than you."

"Why do they keep you? Charity is a weakness."

I took every word and put it inside the same place I put the pain in my knees and the cuts on my hands. The place was full. It had been full for years. Still I kept putting more in because there was nowhere else for it to go.

At midday Celine called me to her room. She sat in front of the mirror while I brushed her hair. The brush caught on a knot and she hissed.

"Clumsy. Do it again. Softer."

I started over. My arms ached from the morning work. She watched me in the mirror.

"You know what they say in the market now? They say Alpha Damon is coming to look at his bride. He will see me and be pleased. He will never know you existed. That is funny, is it not?"

I kept brushing. "Yes."

"Say it properly."

"It is funny."

She smiled. "Good. When he takes me away you will still be here scrubbing floors. Maybe I will send you a letter describing the wedding night. Would you like that?"

My hand tightened on the brush. I forced it to relax. "No."

"I did not ask if you wanted it. I will send it anyway."

She stood and turned. The brush was still in my hand. She took it and set it down. Then she slapped me across the face. The sound cracked through the room. My head turned with the force. Heat bloomed on my cheek.

"That is for thinking you deserved those papers," she said. "Never think it again."

I tasted blood where my teeth cut the inside of my mouth. I swallowed it. "I will not."

"Louder."

"I will not think it again."

She nodded, satisfied, and left me standing there with the stinging cheek and the brush in my hand.

I finished her room. I finished the hallway. I finished the boots again because father had walked through mud. By evening my body felt like it was made of broken sticks. I ate the leftover bread in the kitchen corner. It was hard. I chewed until I could swallow.

Sienna and Mirelle talked while they cleaned the pots.

"She begged again today," Sienna said. "On her knees like a dog."

Mirelle snorted. "Of course she did. She has no pride. That is why she is the slave daughter."

"I heard the Blood Moon Alpha kills them slowly. Rips them open under the moon. Maybe we should have sent her. At least then the floors would stay clean without her sad face."

They both laughed. I kept my eyes on the bread. The words went into the full place inside me. There was no more room but they went in anyway.

When the house grew quiet I returned to my small room. I sat on the mattress and stared at the wall. The cheek still throbbed. The cuts on my hands had opened again and left red marks on my skirt. I pressed my palms together until the sting sharpened.

"I am the problem," I whispered to the empty room. "If I was better they would love me. If I listened more they would stop. It is my fault."

The words felt true because everyone said them. No one had ever said the opposite. Not once in my whole life.

I lay down on the thin mattress and closed my eyes. Sleep did not come. The rumors about Alpha Damon circled in my head. Seven wives. All dead. Painful deaths. Full moon. Screaming.

I whispered the same prayer again.

"Please let me die before the wedding. Please. I do not want to watch her take him. I do not want to stay here either. Just end it."

The moon outside stayed quiet. The house stayed quiet. My chest stayed tight and full of every word they had thrown at me since I could walk.

Morning would come. The scrubbing would start again. The words would start again. Celine would smile and the papers would stay in her name.

I turned my face into the mattress so no one would hear the sound that finally broke out of my throat. It was small and raw and did not change anything.

I was still here.
Still the slave daughter.
Still praying for a death that refused to come.

I woke before the sun. My body already hurt. The cuts on my hands had dried and cracked open again in the night. I stood up and went straight to the kitchen to start the fires.

Sienna found me there. "You look like death. Good. Matches your place."

I did not answer. I pushed more wood into the stove. The heat burned my sore fingers. I kept going.

Celine's voice came from the hallway. "Ember. My bath water. Now."

I carried the buckets. My arms shook under the weight. I filled the tub. She stepped in and sighed like the water was perfect. I stood with my head down waiting for the next order.

"Wash my back," she said.

I did. The cloth moved over her skin while my own back ached from yesterday's work. She talked while I washed her.

"Alpha Damon sent a message. He will come in three days to see me. He wants to meet his bride before the wedding. Everyone is excited. Mother is preparing the best room. Father is proud."

My hands kept moving. The cloth felt heavy.

"You will stay out of sight," Celine continued. "I do not want him to see the slave daughter and think this pack is weak. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Say it properly."

"I understand. I will stay out of sight."

She turned her head. "You sound sad. Are you still crying about the papers? That is funny. You never had a chance."

I finished washing her and stepped back. She stood and held out her arms for the towel. I wrapped it around her. She smiled at her own reflection.

"Three days," she said again. "Then I leave this place and become Luna of the strongest pack. You will still be here scrubbing the same floors."

I picked up the empty buckets and left. In the hallway Selah stopped me.

"You should smile for your sister. She is making this family great. Your face brings shame."

I forced the corners of my mouth up. It hurt more than the cuts on my hands.

"Better," Selah said. "Now go clean the guest rooms. Alpha Damon might send men ahead. Everything must be perfect."

I cleaned. I scrubbed until my knees bled through my skirt. I changed the sheets. I dusted every surface. My shoulders burned. I did not stop.

At midday Mirelle brought me a piece of bread. She dropped it on the floor at my feet.

"Eat. You need strength to work. Do not think it is kindness. No one here is kind to you."

I picked up the bread and ate it standing. It was dry. I chewed and swallowed because my body needed something.

Mirelle watched. "The whole pack is talking. They say Celine is the true daughter in every way that matters. They say you should have been left in the woods as a pup. Do you know that?"

I nodded.

"Say it."

"I should have been left in the woods."

She smiled and walked away.

I finished the rooms and went to the back steps. Father's boots were muddy again. I cleaned them on my knees. The mud got under my broken nails and stung. I kept scrubbing.

Celine walked past with two of her friends from the pack. They stopped and looked down at me.

"There she is," one girl said. "The reason Silverfang loses every challenge."

The other laughed. "Look at her hands. Even the skin does not want to stay on her."

Celine tilted her head. "She is useful for dirty work. That is all. Do not mind her."

They walked on. Their words stayed in my ears.

I finished the boots and carried them inside. Mother stood in the main hall speaking to Sienna.

"Make sure Ember does not come near the front when Damon arrives. I will not have him see that."

Sienna bowed. "Yes, Luna."

Mother's eyes found me. "You heard. Stay in the back. If I see your face near him I will make you sleep with the dogs for a month."

"Yes, Mother."

She turned away like I was already gone.

The afternoon dragged. I washed clothes until my fingers turned white and wrinkled. Blood from the cuts mixed with the water. I rinsed it away so no one would complain about stains.

Near evening the pack gathered in the open ground behind the house. I was told to bring water for them. I carried the heavy jugs. Wolves took the cups without looking at me. Some spoke loud enough for me to hear.

"She is still here. I thought they would have sold her by now."

"Celine is the only real daughter. That one is a mistake."

"Remember when she tried to train with the pups? She fell on her face. Useless."

I poured water and kept my eyes down. My arms trembled from the weight of the jugs. No one offered to help. No one ever did.

One older wolf stopped in front of me. "You bring shame on this pack every day you breathe. Why do you not just run into the forest and let the rogues take you?"

I said nothing.

He leaned closer. "Answer."

"I do not know."

"You should. Everyone else knows."

He took his water and left. I stood there with the empty jug until Sienna shouted for me to return to the kitchen.

Dinner was served. I waited outside until they finished. The plate left for me had cold vegetables and a bone with almost no meat. I ate it in the corner. Sienna stood over me.

"Chew slower. You look hungry and it is disgusting."

I slowed down. The food tasted like nothing. I forced it down.

After the dishes were washed I went to my small room. I sat on the mattress and looked at my hands. The cuts were open again. I pressed them together until the pain made my eyes water.

The door opened. Celine stood there in a new dress.

"I came to tell you something," she said. "Father spoke to Alpha Damon's men today. The wedding is in ten days. Ten days and I am gone. You will never see me again except when I come back to visit and watch you clean."

I stared at the floor.

"Look at me when I speak."

I looked up.

She smiled. "You still want those papers, do you not? Even knowing he kills his wives. You are that desperate."

My voice came out small. "I only wanted something that was mine."

"Nothing is yours. Not the papers. Not this house. Not even your name. You are the extra daughter. The mistake. Accept it."

She stepped closer and looked at my face. "You cried again. Your eyes are red. Pathetic."

She left and closed the door.

I lay down. Sleep did not come. The words from the day turned over and over. Mistake. Shame. Useless. Should have been left in the woods.

I whispered into the dark. "I am trying. I clean everything. I do not speak back. I take every hit. Why is it never enough?"

No answer.

Morning came too fast. I started the fires again. My body moved on its own. The pain in my knees and hands had become normal.

Celine's bath. The guest rooms again. The boots. The floors.

At midday a group of pack women stood near the well when I went to draw water. They stopped talking when they saw me. Then they started again louder.

"There is the curse of Silverfang."

"She begged on her knees for the marriage. Can you believe it? She wants to die under the Blood Moon Alpha."

"Maybe we should help her. Push her toward the border and let the rogues finish it."

I filled the buckets. My arms shook. One woman stepped in front of me.

"Why do you stay? No one wants you. Even your own blood treats you like dirt. Have you no pride?"

I kept my eyes on the ground. "I have nowhere else."

"Then dig a hole and lie in it. At least then the pack can breathe without your shadow."

The other women laughed. I lifted the buckets and walked back. Water spilled on my skirt because my hands would not stay steady. Sienna saw the wet cloth and clicked her tongue.

"Clumsy. Change and wash that. Do not let Mother see."

I changed. I washed the skirt in cold water until my fingers went numb. Then I returned to work.

In the afternoon Father called for me. I stood in the study with my head down. He did not tell me to look up.

"Alpha Damon's men will arrive tomorrow to check the territory. You will stay in the cellar until they leave. No noise. No coming out. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father."

"If you disobey I will chain you there for the full week."

"I understand."

He waved me out. I left. The cellar door was already open when I reached it. Sienna stood waiting with a blanket that smelled of dust.

"In," she said. "And stay quiet. If I hear you I will tell Father."

I walked down the steps. The door closed above me. The lock clicked. Darkness wrapped around me. I sat on the cold ground and pulled the thin blanket over my shoulders.

Hours passed. I heard footsteps above. Voices. Celine laughing. Mother giving orders. I stayed still. My body hurt from the hard floor. I did not move.

When the lock finally opened it was night. Sienna looked down at me.

"Out. Eat something and sleep. Tomorrow you work double because you rested today."

I climbed the steps. My legs barely held me. In the kitchen a plate waited with bread and water. I ate. The bread scratched my throat.

I went to my room. I sat on the mattress and stared at nothing. The words from the well women stayed in my head. Dig a hole and lie in it. No one wants you.

I pressed my palms against my eyes until I saw colors. "Please," I whispered. "Please take me before he comes. I cannot watch her leave with everything. I cannot stay here after. Just end it. I am so tired."

Tears ran down my face. I did not wipe them. There was no one to hide them from in this room.

I lay down. The mattress felt thinner than before. My body curled in on itself. Every part of me hurt. The cuts. The bruises on my knees. The place inside my chest that stayed full of every cruel word.

Sleep came in short broken pieces. Each time I woke the same thought was there.

Ten days until the wedding.
Ten days until Celine left as a bride.
Ten days until I was left alone with the pack that hated the sight of me.

I turned my face into the mattress and let the quiet sobs shake my shoulders. No one heard. No one ever did.

Morning would come.
The work would start again.
The words would start again.
And I would still be here, the daughter no one wanted, praying for a death that stayed just out of reach.

The morning of the wedding I was on my knees scrubbing the same floor when Father walked in with Mother and Celine.

Father's voice was flat. "Get up. Change into the dress."

I looked up. "What dress?"

Celine smiled. "Mine. You are going instead of me."

The cloth fell from my hands. "No. Please. The papers are hers. You said-"

Mother cut me off. "We changed our minds. Alpha Damon is already here. He expects a bride today. Celine will stay. You will go. If you die under his moon no one here will cry."

I stayed on my knees. "Please do not do this. I begged you to send me before and you said no. Now you force me? I cannot. The rumors-he kills them. Please give it back to her."

Father grabbed my arm and pulled me up. "You will walk to that hall and you will not make a sound. If you shame this pack I will drag you back and chain you in the cellar until you rot."

Celine stepped close. "Look at you. Even now you cry. He will hate you on sight. Maybe he will kill you before the moon rises. That would be a gift for all of us."

They pushed me into the back room. The white dress was thrown at my face. I put it on with shaking hands. It hung loose. My bare feet stayed bare. No one gave me shoes.

Sienna opened the door. "Move. He is waiting."

I walked. Every step felt like the ground wanted to swallow me. The main hall was full of Blood Moon wolves. Alpha Damon stood at the front. Tall. Dark eyes that did not look at me. He looked past me like I was not there.

Father spoke the words fast. "This is the daughter. Ember. She is yours."

Damon did not answer. He turned and walked out. His men followed. I was pushed after them.

The ride to Blood Moon territory was silent. I sat in the back of the truck with my hands twisted together. No one spoke to me. When the truck stopped I was pulled out and taken straight to a room in the stone house. The door locked behind me.

I sat on the floor because the bed felt too clean for me. Hours passed. No food. No water. No one came.

When the sky turned red with sunset the door opened. A wolf I did not know looked in. "Full moon tonight. Stay inside if you want to live longer."

He locked the door again.

I heard the pack outside. Howls. Voices. Someone laughed and said, "Another bride for the moon. She will not last until morning."

I pressed my back to the wall and whispered the same prayer. "Please let me die before he comes. Please. I do not want to feel it."

The moon rose full and white. The air changed. I felt it in my bones. Heavy. Wrong.

The lock turned. Damon stepped in. His eyes were already red. He did not speak. He stared at me like I was prey.

I stood up and backed away. "Please. I know what happens. Just make it fast. Please."

He moved. Fast. I ran for the door. He caught my arm and threw me back. I hit the floor hard. Pain shot up my spine. I scrambled up and ran for the window. My hand went through the glass. Sharp edges cut my palm and wrist. Blood ran down my arm in thick lines.

Damon stopped. His chest heaved. He grabbed my bleeding hand and brought it to his mouth. He licked the blood. Then he sucked harder. The red in his eyes flickered. For a second he looked almost clear.

Then the moon pulled again. He growled and shoved me onto the bed. I tried to push him off. My hands were slick with blood. He tore the white dress from the neck down. The cloth ripped easy. Cold air hit my skin. I covered myself with my arms.

"Stop. Please stop. I am begging you."

He did not answer. He pulled my arms away and held both wrists above my head with one hand. His other hand shoved my legs open. I kicked. He put his weight on me so I could not move.

I felt him push against me. Hard. Dry. He forced his cock inside my pussy in one rough thrust. The pain tore through me like fire. I screamed. He did not stop. He pulled back and thrust again. Deeper. Harder. My body tried to close against him but he kept pushing in.

"Please-take it out-it hurts-please-"

He thrust faster. The bed hit the wall with every movement. I felt him stretch me open where no one had ever touched. Tears ran into my hair. My bleeding hand left red marks on the sheets. He kept going. In and out. Rough. Deep. I could feel every inch of him scraping inside me. My stomach turned. I wanted to vomit. I wanted to die.

He growled against my neck and thrust harder. The pain turned sharp and constant. I stopped kicking. My legs lay open because I had no strength left. He used me until his body stiffened. I felt him come inside me in hot pulses. He stayed buried deep while he finished.

When he pulled out I felt empty and ruined. Wetness ran down between my legs-blood and him mixed together. I could not move.

He stood up. His eyes were still red but less wild. He looked at me for the first time. Then he walked out and locked the door.

I lay there with the torn dress under me and his seed leaking out of my pussy. The cut on my hand kept bleeding. I stared at the ceiling and whispered, "I want to die. I want to die. I want to die."

No one answered.

Morning light came through the broken window. I still had not moved. The door opened. Damon walked in. He looked normal again. He saw the blood on the sheets and the knife I had found on the floor during the night. I held it against my own wrist.

He moved fast and took the knife. I tried to grab it back. "Give it to me. Let me finish it. Please. I cannot feel this anymore."

He held both my wrists and forced me down. Metal cuffs clicked around them. Then around my ankles. He chained me to the bed frame.

"I am sorry," he said. His voice was low. "I lost control. It will not happen again."

I laughed. The sound was broken. "Sorry? You put your cock in me while I screamed and now you say sorry? Get out. Get out so I can die in peace."

He stayed. "I heard how your pack treated you. I will treat you better."

"I do not want better. I want the knife. I want this to end."

He left the chains on and walked out. The lock clicked.

I pulled at the metal until my wrists bled more. The chains held. His seed had dried on my thighs. The pain between my legs pulsed with every heartbeat. I turned my face into the mattress and screamed until my throat tore.

No one came.

Hours passed. The door opened again. A tray of food was set on the floor. I kicked it over. The plate broke. Food spilled.

Damon came back and stood over me. "You need to eat."

"I need to die."

He cleaned the mess without speaking. Then he left again.

I lay in the chains and stared at the ceiling. Every part of me hurt. The cut on my hand. The bruises on my wrists. The raw pain inside my pussy where he had forced himself. The place in my chest that had been full for years was now overflowing.

I whispered the only words that still made sense.

"I am nothing. I was nothing at home. I am less than nothing here. Please let the next moon kill me. Please."

The chains stayed locked.
His seed stayed inside me.
And the full moon would come again.