Stand-In Luna’s Rise：Bound in My Twin's Name, Freed in My Own - Chapter 8: Chapter 8
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His eyes swept over her, checking for injuries, and he seemed to relax slightly. "What happened these past three days?"
Nyra's lips cracked in a bitter smile, blood seeping from the dry skin. "Nothing."
She cut straight to the point: "When are you delivering on that ceremony you promised me?"
Delilah's head snapped up. "What ceremony?"
Theron was quiet for a moment. "I'm giving her a proper public bonding ritual."
Seeing Delilah's eyes immediately fill with tears, he rushed to explain: "It's just for show, Delilah. You know you're the only one in my heart."
Delilah forced a smile through her tears. "I understand... I'm not mad. You're just doing this because you had to save me."
She suddenly turned to Nyra with fake sweetness. "Sylvae, I can help you pick out your ceremonial dress!"
For the next few days, Delilah stuck to Nyra during dress fittings.
At the formal wear boutique, Nyra stood before the mirror in a flowing white gown that hugged her slim waist. Delilah hovered behind her, critiquing every single dress, nitpicking every detail.
"This neckline's too low." Delilah tugged at Nyra's collar disapprovingly. "Try something more conservative."
"The waistline doesn't show off your figure." She held up another gown. "The Luna of the Ashgrave pack can't wear something so cheap."
Nyra went along with it quietly, like a lifeless puppet.
They finally settled on the last dress. Alone in the empty fitting room, Delilah dropped her mask.
"So you weren't being indifferent after all. You were playing hard to get."
She grabbed Nyra's wrist in a crushing grip, her nails digging deep. "Don't think this little game will steal Theron from me. He belongs to me!"
Nyra didn't even blink, just calmly pulled her hand free.
There was no game or some attempt to steal Theron.
She wanted out of this nightmare more than anyone. She was counting down the days until this charade ended.
But Delilah was convinced Nyra was competing for Theron, so she kept stirring up trouble.
The night before the bonding ceremony, Theron kicked down Nyra's door.
"Did you lock Delilah in that fitting room?" His face was thunderous. "You know she has claustrophobia!"
Nyra closed her eyes wearily. "I didn't."
"Still lying?" Theron hauled her to her feet. "Looks like you need another lesson!"
Ignoring her protests, he had his wolf guards drag her down to the dark, damp basement.
In the pitch black, Nyra sat curled in the corner.
Around midnight, she heard rustling sounds.
Then a bag of live rats was dumped into the room!
"Ahhhhhhh!"
She screamed and jumped up, frantically pounding on the iron door until her nails split and bled, but no one came...
The next day, Theron opened the door with a cold expression. "One night in here and you cried like a pup?"
After a full night of torment, Nyra's face was ghost-white. "Delilah... she put rats in here..."
Theron scoffed. "Delilah would never do something like that."
He flicked on the light. "Where are these rats?"
Nyra froze.
The basement was spotless. Not even a whisker in sight.
Delilah had cleaned up all the evidence.
She opened her mouth, then closed it without saying anything.
Theron's voice was ice-cold. "The ceremony's in three days. I'll be with Delilah until then—I'll only show up for the actual ritual."
He shot her a warning look. "Don't cause any more drama, or the whole thing's off."
Nyra's lips cracked in a bitter smile, blood seeping from the dry skin. "Nothing."
She cut straight to the point: "When are you delivering on that ceremony you promised me?"
Delilah's head snapped up. "What ceremony?"
Theron was quiet for a moment. "I'm giving her a proper public bonding ritual."
Seeing Delilah's eyes immediately fill with tears, he rushed to explain: "It's just for show, Delilah. You know you're the only one in my heart."
Delilah forced a smile through her tears. "I understand... I'm not mad. You're just doing this because you had to save me."
She suddenly turned to Nyra with fake sweetness. "Sylvae, I can help you pick out your ceremonial dress!"
For the next few days, Delilah stuck to Nyra during dress fittings.
At the formal wear boutique, Nyra stood before the mirror in a flowing white gown that hugged her slim waist. Delilah hovered behind her, critiquing every single dress, nitpicking every detail.
"This neckline's too low." Delilah tugged at Nyra's collar disapprovingly. "Try something more conservative."
"The waistline doesn't show off your figure." She held up another gown. "The Luna of the Ashgrave pack can't wear something so cheap."
Nyra went along with it quietly, like a lifeless puppet.
They finally settled on the last dress. Alone in the empty fitting room, Delilah dropped her mask.
"So you weren't being indifferent after all. You were playing hard to get."
She grabbed Nyra's wrist in a crushing grip, her nails digging deep. "Don't think this little game will steal Theron from me. He belongs to me!"
Nyra didn't even blink, just calmly pulled her hand free.
There was no game or some attempt to steal Theron.
She wanted out of this nightmare more than anyone. She was counting down the days until this charade ended.
But Delilah was convinced Nyra was competing for Theron, so she kept stirring up trouble.
The night before the bonding ceremony, Theron kicked down Nyra's door.
"Did you lock Delilah in that fitting room?" His face was thunderous. "You know she has claustrophobia!"
Nyra closed her eyes wearily. "I didn't."
"Still lying?" Theron hauled her to her feet. "Looks like you need another lesson!"
Ignoring her protests, he had his wolf guards drag her down to the dark, damp basement.
In the pitch black, Nyra sat curled in the corner.
Around midnight, she heard rustling sounds.
Then a bag of live rats was dumped into the room!
"Ahhhhhhh!"
She screamed and jumped up, frantically pounding on the iron door until her nails split and bled, but no one came...
The next day, Theron opened the door with a cold expression. "One night in here and you cried like a pup?"
After a full night of torment, Nyra's face was ghost-white. "Delilah... she put rats in here..."
Theron scoffed. "Delilah would never do something like that."
He flicked on the light. "Where are these rats?"
Nyra froze.
The basement was spotless. Not even a whisker in sight.
Delilah had cleaned up all the evidence.
She opened her mouth, then closed it without saying anything.
Theron's voice was ice-cold. "The ceremony's in three days. I'll be with Delilah until then—I'll only show up for the actual ritual."
He shot her a warning look. "Don't cause any more drama, or the whole thing's off."
End of Stand-In Luna’s Rise：Bound in My Twin's Name, Freed in My Own Chapter 8. Continue reading Chapter 9 or return to Stand-In Luna’s Rise：Bound in My Twin's Name, Freed in My Own book page.