I barely slept.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the silver-eyed girl's face. Every time I drifted off, I heard her whisper: "Run while you still can."

I didn't run.

I couldn't.

I was trapped in this palace, surrounded by enemies I couldn't see and allies I couldn't trust. The mark on my chest pulsed with every heartbeat, a constant reminder that nothing about my life was normal anymore.

I lay in the enormous bed, staring at the ceiling, and tried to piece together everything that had happened.

Seraphine had brought me here. She had claimed me as her sister. But she had also pushed me toward the Alphas without warning. She had watched me stumble through the ritual without offering help.

Was she truly my sister? Or was she part of Isolde's game?

Nothing made sense anymore.

I thought about Silas. The way he had looked at me in the hall. The way he had spoken to me in his chambers. The way the mate bond had burned between us like a living flame.

He had warned me not to trust anyone. But could I trust him?

Every answer only created more questions.

---

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.

"Come in," I said, my voice hoarse.

The door opened, and Seraphine stepped inside.

She was dressed in a gown of pale gold, her silver hair braided with moonstones. She looked like a painting—beautiful, elegant, untouchable. Her smile was warm, but I had learned not to trust warmth in this palace.

"Selene," she said, closing the door behind her. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

I sat up slowly. "You're not. I was just thinking."

"About what happened in the hall?" She walked toward me, her gown trailing on the floor. "The girl with the silver eyes?"

I stiffened. "You saw her too?"

Seraphine's smile flickered. "I saw something. A shadow, perhaps. A trick of the light." She sat on the edge of my bed. "The Doom Moon makes people see things that aren't there. It's a strange time of year. The veil between worlds grows thin."

I studied her face. "Is that what you really think?"

"What else could it be?" She reached out and touched my hand. "You've been through so much, Selene. The trial. The ritual. The stress of being brought here. It's no wonder your mind is playing tricks on you."

I pulled my hand away. "I'm not crazy, Seraphine. I know what I saw."

"I'm not saying you're crazy." Her voice was gentle, almost soothing. "I'm saying that you're overwhelmed. And that's understandable." She paused. "You need to rest. You need to trust the people around you."

"Trust you?"

"Especially me." She smiled again. "I am your sister, after all."

I looked at her. Her eyes were warm and kind. Her smile was genuine.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something.

---

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked.

Seraphine's smile flickered. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you search for me? Why did you bring me to this palace? What do you really want from me?"

She was silent for a long moment. Then she sighed.

"I wanted to save you," she said. "I wanted to give you the life you deserved."

"And what life is that?"

"The life of a princess. The life of a queen." She leaned closer. "You are the true heir, Selene. You carry the mark of the Moon Wolf Queen. You are the one the prophecy speaks of."

"The prophecy?"

"The Doom Moon prophecy. The one that says a queen will be reborn to unite the seven packs." Her eyes glittered. "That queen is you."

I shook my head. "I don't believe in prophecies."

"You don't have to believe in them. They believe in you." She stood and walked toward the window. "I know it's a lot to take in. But I need you to trust me, Selene. I need you to trust that I have your best interests at heart."

"Even if that means lying to me?"

She turned to face me. "I haven't lied to you."

"You haven't told me the truth, either."

Her smile faltered. "I'm trying to protect you."

"From what?"

She didn't answer.

I stood and walked toward her. "Seraphine, I need to know. Is Isolde really my enemy? Or is she trying to protect me too?"

Seraphine's expression darkened. "My mother is not your ally. She wants the throne for herself. She wants to control you, to use you, to destroy you if she can't."

"And what do you want?"

"I want you to survive." Her voice cracked. "I want you to be the queen you were born to be. I want you to take your rightful place."

"Then help me."

She met my gaze. "I am helping you."

"Then tell me the truth." I grabbed her hands. "Who is the girl with the silver eyes? Why does the Doom Moon recognize me? What am I really?"

Seraphine's eyes filled with tears. "I don't know," she whispered. "I wish I did. But I don't."

I released her hands. "Then who does?"

She was silent for a long moment. Her gaze dropped to the floor.

"Silas," she whispered after a long silence. "He's spent years searching for the woman the prophecy promised. I've watched him search. I've watched him lose people. And I've watched him fear what would happen if he ever found you."

I frowned. "How do you know?"

"Because I grew up beside him," she said quietly. "I've watched every failed search. I've watched him bury the people who died chasing the prophecy. And I've watched him fear the day he finally found you."

I stared at her. "Why would he fear finding me?"

"Because the prophecy doesn't say you will save the world. It says you will either unite it... or destroy it." Her voice was barely audible. "And Silas has spent his entire life trying to prevent the destruction."

---

After Seraphine left, I sat on the edge of the bed, my mind spinning.

Silas had been searching for me. For years. But why? Was he looking for me to help me? Or to destroy me?

Seraphine's words echoed in my mind. "The prophecy doesn't say you will save the world. It says you will either unite it... or destroy it."

I didn't know the truth. I didn't know who to trust.

I walked to the window and looked out at the city. The Doom Moon hung low in the sky, its red light spilling across the rooftops.

And then I saw her.

The silver-eyed girl was standing in the courtyard below, looking up at me.

She smiled.

And then she vanished.

I heard a whisper in my ear.

"Every smile hides a blade, Moon Queen. Choose carefully... or bleed."

I spun around.

The room was empty.

I was alone.

And I had never been more afraid in my life.

---

END OF CHAPTER 5