Moonborn Heir Novel Chapter 28 – Sabrina’s room feels like a world away from the grand ballroom.
The walls are draped in silks, the scent of lavender and vanilla filling the air. I stand awkwardly in the center, holding the dress like it might vanish if I move too quickly. Sabrina, ever the whirlwind, is already rifling through her vanity for brushes and powders.
“Come on, Talia, we don’t have all night,” she teases, spinning to face me. Her grin is so radiant it’s hard not to get caught up in her excitement. “Put it on. Let me see you shine.” I hesitate, running my fingers over the soft fabric of the dress. It’s beautiful—too beautiful for someone like me.
“Sabrina, I don’t think—” “Stop thinking,” she interrupts, pulling me toward the mirror. “You’re wearing it. No arguments.” With a sigh, I slip out of my tattered rags, and she helps me into the dress.
The fabric hugs my body in all the right places, the deep sapphire color making my pale skin and tangled hair look almost regal. I barely recognize myself. Sabrina steps back, hands on her hips, beaming. “See? What did I tell you? Stunning,” she says, spinning me toward the mirror.
“Any Beta would be lucky to have a she-wolf as gorgeous as you.” I scoff, shaking my head. “Lucky? Sabrina, look at me. No one’s going to want to mate with a servant covered in scars and dirt. They’ll all be looking at you, not me.”
She narrows her eyes at me in the mirror. “First of all, you’re not covered in dirt anymore. Second of all,” she spins me to face her, gripping my shoulders, “you’re beautiful, Talia. You just don’t see it.” Her tone softens, her usual teasing replaced by a rare sincerity. “You have no idea how much you shine.”
Her words make my chest tighten, but I force a weak smile. I want to believe her, but doubt clings to me like a second skin. “Maybe. But it’s not like it matters. Kael’s going to be there. He’ll take one look at you and—” “Kael?” Sabrina’s grin returns, mischievous now. “What about him?”
I glance down, suddenly feeling foolish. “Everyone knows,” I mumble. “The tacit pact between your family and his. The great Kael Winters, Alpha of Shadow Ridge, and Sabrina Shadowmere, future Luna.” Sabrina rolls her eyes, grabbing a brush and tugging me into a chair. “Oh, please.
My parents and Damien are the ones obsessed with that stupid pact. ‘Forge an alliance between Shadow Ridge and Crescent Moon,’” she mimics her mother’s sharp, imperious tone with dramatic flair, but there’s a flicker of something behind her eyes—something too sharp to be indifference.
“They’re always scheming about power and politics.”“But isn’t that what you want?” I ask softly, watching her in the mirror as she starts brushing out
my hair. “To be Luna? To rule beside Kael?” Her hand falters, just for a second, before resuming its quick, practiced strokes. “
Kael is…” She tilts her head, her lips curving into a faint, dismissive smile. “Kael is fine. Strong, handsome, and… very Alpha. I’m sure he’ll be a decent mate.”
Her tone is light, but I don’t miss the way her gaze sharpens, her smile tightening at the corners.
“Decent?” I press, narrowing my eyes slightly. “You don’t sound very excited.” She sighs, setting the brush down and smoothing her hands over my shoulders. “What do you want me to say, Talia? That I’ve been dreaming of this my entire life?” She lets out a soft, almost bitter laugh.
“That I’ve imagined standing beside him, everyone bowing to us, calling me Luna?” I blink, startled by the sudden shift in her tone. Sabrina’s smile turns brighter, sharper—like the edge of a blade. “Well, fine. Maybe I have been looking forward to this. Maybe I’m mad over Kael.” Her eyes flash, and she leans closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Do you know what it means to be Luna, Talia? It’s not just about finding a mate.
It’s about power. Real power. The kind that makes wolves bow without question. The kind that sets you above everyone else.”
I swallow hard, unsure how to respond. She’s still smiling, but there’s a hunger in her expression now, raw and unguarded. “
And Kael? He’s not just an Alpha, Talia. He’s the Alpha. Ruling Shadow Ridge with him will put me exactly where I belong—at the top.” She straightens, brushing imaginary dust off her dress, and her smile softens, almost playfully. “So, yes. I can’t wait to take my rightful place.”
Her words hang in the air, heavy and electric, as I stare at her reflection. There’s no denying her kindness toward me—she’s always treated me better than anyone else in her family—but this is a different side of Sabrina. The side that knows exactly what she wants and will stop at nothing to get it.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she says suddenly, laughing as she ruffles my hair. “Just because I’m excited doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.
Tonight isn’t just about me, Talia. This is your night too. So stop doubting yourself and let me make you shine.” Her words are light and airy again, but they carry a weight that settles in my chest. I let her paint my lips, smooth out my hair, and dust my cheeks with a soft blush. As she works, her laughter fills the room, and for a fleeting moment, I almost forget who I am. I almost believe I deserve to belong in her ranks, the ranks of a Luna.
Selene’s sharp voice cuts through the moment, echoing from the hall. “Sabrina! The guests are arriving. It’s time.” Sabrina’s eyes light up, and she spins to face me, hands on her hips. “Well, this is it. My moment.” She pulls me into a tight hug, her energy nearly bouncing off the walls. “You look perfect, Talia. I’ll see you on the dance floor, okay?” Before I can respond, she’s gone, her silver dress shimmering as she skips out of the room with a giddy laugh.
The door clicks shut behind her, and the room falls silent again. My chest tightens, her absence making me acutely aware of where I stand—where I’ll always stand. Behind her. In her shadow. I glance at myself in the mirror one last time, smoothing out the dress Sabrina insisted I wear. I do look… different. Beautiful, even. But no amount of finery can erase the fact that I don’t belong.
Sighing, I slip out of her room and head toward the maid quarters, keeping my head down to avoid running into anyone. If Selene sees me, she’ll drag me back to the basement faster than I can blink. The maid quarters open into the ballroom from the back, hidden by heavy curtains. I step into the shadows and linger, the murmurs of the arriving guests filtering through the air.
I peek out cautiously, my breath catching at the sight of the grand room transformed. Golden chandeliers bathe the ballroom in warm light, casting a glow over the sea of elegant wolves dressed in their finest. Then I see him. Kael Winters, Alpha of Shadow Ridge. Kael strides into the ballroom, and it feels like the air shifts.
He’s breathtaking, his dark suit perfectly tailored to his broad, muscular frame, his sharp jawline and piercing steel-grey eyes commanding attention. There’s something about the way he moves, effortless yet powerful, that draws every eye in the room. Even the murmurs of the guests falter as they turn to watch him, awestruck by his Alpha presence.
I can’t look away. My heart flutters, and as if in response, Eira stirs, her presence brushing against my mind like a warm breeze. Her purr vibrates through me, soft and satisfied, as Kael strides into the room. My pulse quickens, and I press a hand to my chest, trying to steady myself.
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