Bound By The Moon: The Eternal Bond - Chapter 27: Chapter 27

– The Queen’s Shadows
The grand ballroom shimmered under the soft flicker of candlelight, casting shadows that stretched across the polished floor like ghosts. Delicate harp music filled the air, a haunting melody that seemed to float just above the tension that gripped the guests. The nobles, finely dressed in silk and velvet, watched the scene unfold from their seats, their eyes flicking nervously toward the throne where the Alpha King and his newly crowned queen stood.
Valen lounged in his seat, a disinterested smirk playing on his lips as his gaze locked on the striking figure of Lily, standing proudly across the room. His voice broke the quiet, rich and laced with sarcasm. “So, this is your cousin, Lily—the one everyone was worried about?” He leaned in slightly toward Julia, raising an eyebrow. “She seems well put together. Not quite the lost girl they described.”
Beside him, Ryker let out a low scoff, crossing his arms. “We didn’t come here for some alliance or political meeting,” he muttered under his breath. “This feels more like a coronation gala.”
Julia’s fingers tightened around her wine glass, her eyes fixed on Lily, who seemed to radiate elegance and charm, her every move carefully orchestrated. But to Julia, the façade didn’t hide the emptiness within. There was something wrong, something beneath the polished exterior. It was as if the calm before a storm had settled in the air.
And then Lily’s gaze met Julia’s across the room. Her expression softened, her smile widening into something more practiced, more controlled. She moved gracefully through the crowd, all eyes following her every step. With an effortless air of royalty, she approached Valen and Julia.
“Alpha Valen,” Lily greeted smoothly, dipping her head with grace. “A true honor to meet the infamous shadow of the South.”
Valen’s eyes narrowed slightly at the title, his posture stiffening for a moment. Before he could respond, Lily turned her attention to Julia, stepping closer with a soft sigh. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around her cousin.
“I missed you so much, Julia,” she whispered, her voice tinged with a false sweetness, a hint of vulnerability creeping through. “I never stopped thinking about you.”
Julia stiffened in her cousin’s embrace, the warmth and familiarity of it feeling like nothing more than a carefully constructed lie. The touch, though soft and gentle, left her cold inside. But before she could pull away, Valen’s warning growl rumbled from deep within his chest, sharp and possessive.
Lily released Julia quickly, her hands raised in mock surrender as a sly smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. “Still so protective,” she teased lightly, her voice almost amused.
“I don’t like surprises,” Valen replied coldly, his eyes never leaving her.
Lily’s voice took on a soft, coaxing tone. “I just wanted to have a little chat with my cousin. Girl to girl.”
“No,” Valen’s reply was immediate, his tone brokering no argument.
“It’s okay,” Julia intervened, her voice calm but firm. “I’ll go.”
Valen’s glare could have burned a hole through the air, but Julia squeezed his arm reassuringly before stepping away. “I’ll be back,” she added, her voice quiet, yet resolute.
With a small, triumphant smile, Lily led Julia through the grand doors that opened to the garden. The cool night air kissed her skin, but a simmering tension pulsed between them, thick as smoke.
Once they were alone under the cover of the dark sky, Julia crossed her arms and took a step back, her expression hardening. “Start talking. How did you end up here? With him?”
Lily blinked, the composed mask slipping for just a second. “Is that how you address your queen?”
Julia raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
Lily’s chin lifted slightly, the smirk on her lips darkening. “You may be the Luna of the South,” she said, her voice dripping with superiority, “but I’m the Luna Queen. That makes you my subject now.”
Julia scoffed. “You’re still reaching for things you can’t hold. Always have been.”
“And you’ve changed too,” Lily observed, her tone laced with something dangerous. “You’ve gotten bolder. Is it because of Valen? Or is there something else?”
Julia stood her ground, her voice steady. “No. It’s because I understand who I am now. What my purpose is.”
Lily tilted her head, her smile returning with a venomous edge. " Really? And what purpose is that? Being Valen's breeding machine and that Wolfy boy will protect you everywhere?"
Julia smirked"isn't that what you are? To Damon"
Lily walked around her as if sizing her prey then whispered in her ear" No. I'm more than that. And you'll all soon bow down to me"
Julia stared into her eyes“ Really? Well good luck with that and be careful, cousin. The higher you rise, the harder you fall. You might end up in the wrong hands someday.”
Julia stepped back, her patience thinning. “Enjoy your throne, Lily. Let me know how it feels when you’re all alone in it.”
With those words, she turned and started to walk away, unaware of the shadowy mist that began to coil in Lily’s palm, as she grew angry.
The dark energy seemed to writhe, twisting unnaturally in the night air, hissing with quiet, sinister power. Lily’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“What if I just destroy you right here?”
She flicked the mist toward Julia’s back, the shadows racing toward her like a predator.
But before it could reach its target, something unexpected happened.
Julia slowly turned, her pendant, small and silver, at her neck, flared to life. A faint glow shot out, engulfing the mist in an instant. The shadows evaporated with a shriek, dissolving as though they had never existed. The air around Julia stilled, and she remained unaware of the power she had just unleashed. And everything that just happened.
Rolling her eyes she added“Oh, and by the way—go check on your mom. She’s been disturbing me everyday about your whereabouts”
Without waiting for a response, she walked away, leaving a stunned Lily standing in the garden, her heart pounding in her chest.
Lily stood frozen for a moment, her eyes wide. Her voice trembled as she whispered to herself, “What just happened?”
Her gaze dropped to the pendant around Julia’s neck, its faint glow fading into the shadows of her dress.
“That pendant...” she murmured, her voice catching. “I’ve seen that before.”
A surge of unease gripped her heart, and she hurried back toward the palace, slipping through a servant's door and rushing up a hidden staircase leading to the ancient royal library—a place where few dared venture.
The door creaked open, and Lily stormed inside, her hands sweeping across the dust-covered shelves, scanning for anything that could explain what she had just witnessed. She needed answers.
Then, between the forgotten scrolls, she found it.
A tattered, old book, its leather cover worn with age. Etched into the center was a symbol—a small silver circle surrounded by rays.
Her fingers trembled as she opened the book, flipping through the yellowed pages until she found what she was searching for.
There it was.
The pendant Julia wore. Etched in ink, its design identical.
“Moonlight...” Lily whispered, her voice trembling, a mix of awe and fear.
She stared at the illustration, suddenly understanding something terrifying. Julia’s pendant wasn’t just an accessory—it was something far more powerful. Protection. Legacy. Power.
And it had chosen Julia.
She smirked when she remembered Julia didn't realized anything about it and this will make work more easier.