I AM THE LUNA QUEEN

Hazel's Pov

I went to sleep in my dorm room.

That much I'm sure of.

My last memory is the soft hum of the radiator, the faint glow of my laptop screen casting blue across the walls, and the quiet chaos of half-finished notes scattered on my desk. I remember setting my alarm, curling under my blanket, and letting exhaustion finally drag me under.

But when I woke up...

It wasn't my ceiling I stared at.

The air was heavy, thick with the scent of smoke and herbs, something cloying and strange. A chill pressed into my skin, though the surface beneath me was warm-too warm, like I was lying on silk sheets pulled from a fever dream. My eyes fluttered, my chest heaved, and the sound hit me first.

Crying.

Dozens of soft, choked sobs echoing around me, broken only by frantic whispers.

"My Queen-please, please open your eyes-"

"She's breathing-oh, Moon Goddess, she's breathing!"

"Call the doctor, now! Hurry!"

My eyes shot open, a gasp tearing through my throat.

The noise stopped instantly.

A cluster of women knelt around me, dressed in maids uniform. Faces blotched with tears, hands pressed together in prayer or desperation. Their eyes, wide and gleaming, fixed on me as if I were some miracle risen from the dead.

"Your Majesty," one whispered, her voice breaking. "You're awake."

I sat up too fast, my head swimming. "What the hell-"

But the voice that came out of my mouth sounded strange.

It was higher. Softer. Wrong.

My hands trembled as I lifted them, staring at pale, delicate fingers tipped with perfectly manicured nails painted blood-red. My gaze slid lower-to the silken dress draped across my body, the neckline dipping scandalously low.

"What the fuck..." The whisper scraped past my lips.

The women surrounding me exchanged alarmed glances, but none corrected me. Instead, they shuffled closer, like moths drawn to a flame.

"Do you need water, my Queen?" one asked, her trembling hands already reaching for a crystal glass from the bedside table.

"My Queen."

"Your Majesty."

"Our Queen."

The words stabbed at me again and again, their reverence so absolute it terrified me.

Queen?

I wasn't a queen. I was a twenty two year-old college student who had fallen asleep during a Netflix binge and was supposed to have a quiz in English Lit tomorrow morning.

This was insane.

"Okay," I said, holding up a shaky hand to stop them. "You've got the wrong person. I'm not-whatever you think I am. I'm not your queen."

The room stilled.

For a heartbeat, nobody breathed. Then, as if choreographed, they all dropped their gazes to the floor, pressing their foreheads down toward the polished hardwood like I'd just blasphemed.

One of them whispered, "The mistress will hear..."

My stomach twisted. Mistress?

Before I could ask, the doors at the far end of the room opened-softly, like someone pushing through velvet.

The women flinched. Their bodies shrank toward me instinctively, shielding me as if they knew danger had just entered the room.

I craned my neck and froze.

A tall woman walked in, draped in black silk, her hair a cascade of raven curls that framed a face too sharp, too cruelly beautiful. Her lips curled into a smirk when her eyes landed on me.

"Well," she purred, her voice like poisoned honey. "The corpse rises."

The tension in the room thickened until it pressed against my ribs. The women beside me pressed lower to the ground, their fear palpable, their hands trembling as though even their breathing might offend her.

The stranger approached my bed with leisurely steps, her heels clicking against the hardwood. She looked down at me, her eyes glittering with malice, and for the first time I noticed the faint, red-rimmed bruises on my wrists. My wrists.

My gut twisted violently.

Had she-?

"Careful, pet," she drawled, leaning in so close I caught the sharp bite of her perfume. "Death doesn't excuse insolence. The Alpha king may tolerate your existence, but I do not."

Alpha King?

The word struck like a lightning bolt, a piece of a puzzle slamming into place. Alpha king. Queen. Mistress. My skin prickled, and dread seeped into every corner of my mind.

I wasn't in my room anymore.

I had woken up in someone else's life.

And judging by the bruises, by the way this woman's words dripped venom, by the sheer terror etched into the faces of the attendants still kneeling around me...

That life was a nightmare.

"I..." My throat closed around the words. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Her laughter sliced through me like glass. "Oh, how convenient. The Queen forgets. Tell me, will your memory return before tonight, when His Majesty summons you? Or will you shame him with your pathetic excuses again?"

Heat surged into my face. His Majesty? Summons?

The questions clawed at me, but I swallowed them down. Every instinct screamed not to give this woman more ammunition.

She tilted her head, her smile sharpening. "No matter. Whether you remember or not, your place remains the same-beneath me."

The words landed like a brand against my skin. And though confusion and fear churned in my chest, something else rose with it-anger.

Because whoever this queen was, she had been broken. Bruised. Forced into silence. Surrounded by cruelty disguised as loyalty.

But me?

I wasn't built to bow.

I met the woman's gaze, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. "We'll see about that."

Her eyes narrowed, surprise flickering there before she masked it with another cruel smile.

"We shall," she whispered, before turning on her heel and storming out, her gown whispering across the floor.

The moment the doors shut, the attendants exhaled in shaky unison. One of them grabbed my hand, tears pooling in her eyes.

"My Queen, please," she begged. "You mustn't provoke the Lady. She has His Majesty's heart. If she-if she tells him-"

Her words cracked.

But I didn't hear the rest.

Because my heart was pounding too loud, drowning out everything.

His Majesty. The Alpha King. The man whose queen's body I now inhabited.

And if what I'd just seen was any indication, he wasn't a savior. He wasn't a husband.

He was the monster who let his mistress tear his wife apart.

And now, I was trapped in her place.

Holy fuck this must be a nightmare.

I'll soon wake up, yes, I have to wake up.

Hazel's pov

When I opened my eyes again, I almost cried in relief.

Almost.

For one stupid, blissful second, I thought I'd woken up back in my dorm room. That all of it-the crying women, the silk sheets, the psycho lady in black-had been some vivid stress-dream my brain cooked up after one too many energy drinks.

But then I saw them.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Just breathe, I told myself. Just wake up. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. Any second now, I'd open my eyes and see my dorm ceiling-the cheap plaster cracks, the glow of my laptop still sitting on my desk, my roommate snoring like a dying engine.

I held my breath, counted to five, and opened my eyes.

Still here.

The same room. The same silken sheets. The same cluster of women staring at me like I was made of glass.

"Oh, come on," I whispered, running a shaky hand through my hair. "This has got to be the worst nightmare of my life."

"My Queen?" one of them said softly.

"Don't call me that," I snapped, climbing off the bed.

The moment my bare feet hit the polished floor, the women gasped like I'd just set myself on fire.

"Your Majesty, please!" one cried, rushing forward with her hands out as if I might shatter. "You shouldn't move so suddenly!"

"I shouldn't-" I stared at her, incredulous. "What am I, a porcelain doll?"

They exchanged glances, their faces pale and trembling.

"Your Majesty, we're just worried about you...you tried...you tried to kill yourself...by jumping off the cliff into the ocean..." One of the women said, eyes closing like she was recalling a terrible memory.

I looked at her in confusion.

"I need answers," I muttered, pacing across the room. The silk nightdress brushed my legs as I moved, the hem whispering against my skin. I ignored it, running both hands through my hair and turning on them.

"So," I said slowly, my voice rising, "what you're trying to tell me is that... I-the queen-tried to kill herself by jumping into the ocean?"

The maids froze.

Their silence was answer enough.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"My Queen," the oldest woman said, stepping forward carefully, "are you feeling unwell? You've been through so much-perhaps you shouldn't speak-"

"I'm not your queen!" I shouted, the words ripping out before I could stop them. "I don't know what the hell is going on here or if this is some messed-up movie set I've been kidnapped into, but I want out!"

The women looked horrified. One clutched her chest. Another whispered something under her breath that sounded like a prayer.

"Kidnapped?" one of them echoed, her voice trembling. "My Queen, no-you almost died. If the King hadn't given you his blood to drink, you would have been gone forever."

I blinked. "His what?"

"His blood," she said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "To save you."

"Ew-blood?!" I recoiled, my stomach turning. "What the hell are you talking about? What is this place?"

They stared at me, confused and terrified, as if my reaction was more shocking than the words coming out of their mouths.

I pressed a hand to my forehead, trying to steady myself. "Nope. Nope. I'm done. I'm leaving. I'm not going to put up with whatever is going on here-I'm out of here."

I turned toward the massive double doors, but before I could take two steps, two of them rushed to block my path.

"Please, Your Majesty, wait!" one cried. "You must calm down!"

"Calm down?" My voice cracked with disbelief. "I wake up in a stranger's bed, in this strange room and you're telling me to calm down?"

They flinched. One of them looked like she might faint.

"Your Majesty," whispered the youngest one, her hands twisting nervously in her apron. "Please, you might have hit your head. Maybe... maybe if we remind you what's at stake, you'll remember."

"What's at stake?" I repeated, letting out a sharp, humorless laugh. "The only thing at stake is my sanity."

The girl's eyes filled with tears. "Please, just listen."

"I don't want-"

"Your Majesty," another interrupted, her voice cracking. "Please don't leave. You have to get back your honor in this palace."

That made me pause.

I turned to face her slowly. "My... what?"

"Your honor," she said firmly, her chin trembling but her eyes steady. "I don't know what happened to you, but I know you've been hurt-by the King and by his mistress. But please, don't give them more reason to insult you."

The air in the room shifted.

For the first time, I heard something new in their voices-not just fear. Pity.

I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

The oldest maid swallowed hard. "The King's mistress always finds even the smallest excuse to humiliate you, my Queen. She mocks you for your weakness, for the King's hatred, for everything. And the King... he does nothing to stop her."

My stomach twisted. "Wait-so the King hates me?"

The women looked at each other.

"He reminds you often," one said quietly. "That you were forced upon him."

I stared at her, disbelief slamming into me like a physical blow. "Forced upon him? What does that even mean? Why would anyone force a man to marry someone he-" I stopped myself, pressing a hand to my mouth. "Oh my God."

The pieces clicked together in my mind like shards of glass.

The mistress. The fear. The bruises on my wrists. The word Queen.

Whoever's life I was in-it wasn't a fairy tale.

It was a fucking cage.

The oldest woman stepped closer, her voice trembling but resolute. "Tonight, my Queen," she said softly, "you'll have to be strong. For the first time in three years, you've been summoned by His Majesty."

"Summoned?" I repeated, my voice barely a whisper. "What for?"

They hesitated.

The silence stretched long enough to make my skin crawl.

"What?" I demanded. "Say it."

The youngest one's lips trembled. "To regain your honor," she said finally. "Tonight, you will face him. You'll prove you're still worthy to stand as his Queen."

My heart pounded so hard I could feel it echo in my ears. "What the hell does that mean?"

The oldest maid took a step forward, lowering her voice to a near whisper. "He has finally agreed," she said. "After three years of marriage, His Majesty has agreed to consummate your union."

The room went silent.

The words hit me like a thunderclap.

For a moment, I couldn't breathe. I just stood there, staring at them, my pulse roaring in my head.

"Consummate?" I repeated, my voice flat. "As in-sex?"

None of them answered. They didn't need to. Their silence said everything.

My knees felt weak. I stumbled back, gripping the bedpost like it could anchor me to reality.

This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be real.

I was a college student, for God's sake. I had a quiz, a life, friends-a normal existence that didn't involve kings, mistresses, or royal blood-drinking rituals.

And now I was being told that tonight-tonight-I was supposed to... sleep with a stranger? A king who supposedly hated me?

No. No way in hell.

"This is insane," I whispered. "You're insane. All of you."

One of the maids burst into tears. "Please, Your Majesty," she sobbed. "Don't speak like that. If the King hears, he'll punish you again-"

"Again?" My voice cracked. "He's punished me before?"

The room went dead quiet.

No one moved. No one spoke.

And that silence-that awful, knowing silence-was worse than any answer they could've given me.

Something inside me twisted hard.

I didn't know who this queen was or what kind of life I'd fallen into, but one thing was clear: she had been living a nightmare long before I ever woke up in her place.

And now, that nightmare was mine.

I forced myself to stand tall, even though my hands were shaking.

"Okay," I said slowly, my voice shaking but steady enough to make them look up. "Let's pretend this isn't a complete fever dream for a second. You're saying that tonight-after three years-this king finally wants to... sleep with me?"

The oldest maid nodded hesitantly.

"And I'm supposed to just... what? Smile? Pretend everything's fine? Pretend I'm not terrified?"

"My Queen," she whispered, "you have no choice."

A bitter laugh tore from my throat. "Oh, I always have a choice."

But even as I said it, a cold dread pooled in my stomach.

Because deep down, I wasn't sure I did.

The women bowed their heads, murmuring prayers or blessings I couldn't understand. Their voices faded to a dull hum in my ears.

All I could hear was my own heartbeat, fast and wild, like a trapped bird slamming against a cage.

I took a shaky breath and looked at them.

"Tell me one thing," I said quietly. "This king-what kind of man is he?"

They hesitated again, and that hesitation was answer enough.

The oldest maid finally whispered, "Cruel."

The word hung in the air like a curse.

Cruel.

My throat went dry.

"Right," I said, forcing out a shaky laugh that didn't sound like me. "Cruel. Great. Perfect."

My gaze drifted to the window. Outside, the sky was gray, heavy with clouds. Somewhere beyond those walls was freedom. My freedom.

I didn't know how I'd gotten here, or why I was trapped in another woman's life-but one thing I knew for sure: I wasn't about to be anyone's victim.

I wasn't going to let some monster king touch me.

He might have broken her. But he hadn't met me.

I clenched my fists, my pulse hammering with new resolve.

"Fine," I said, meeting their wide, tearful eyes. "If I'm supposed to meet this king tonight..."

I took a slow breath, my voice dropping to a whisper.

"...then he's about to meet a queen he's never seen before."

Hazel's pov

As if waking up in a strange room with a life that isn't mine wasn't enough-now I have to have sex with a man I don't even know.

A man who apparently hates his queen.

What could possibly be worse than this?

I bit my finger hard enough to hurt, trying to stop the panic crawling up my throat. My hands ran through my hair, again and again, like I could somehow brush the madness away. I sat down, stood up, sat again-but nothing worked. Nothing was calming me down. How could I even be calm in this situation?

The women were gone. It was just me now-me and my raging thoughts bouncing off the walls.

I'd told myself a thousand times this had to be a dream, but the more I said it, the realer it became. The feel of the silk against my skin, the cold air, the smell of flowers that weren't from anywhere near my college dorm-it all screamed real.

Finally, I sat back on the bed and buried my face in my hands. My eyes burned, but I didn't let the tears fall. What was the point of crying? It wouldn't wake me up. It wouldn't fix whatever this was.

No, I needed to think. I needed to figure out what the hell was going on.

I angrily wiped my eyes, took a deep breath, and stood up. Enough sitting around. Enough panicking.

I marched toward the massive double doors and shoved them open. The sound echoed through the wide hallway.

Two guards standing outside immediately straightened, their backs snapping like rulers. They both bowed low.

I just... stared at them.

They were dressed in all black from head to toe. Their faces were blank-like carved stone. Their eyes were sharp, watching my every move.

"What the..." I muttered under my breath, making a face that clearly said what the hell?

When I stepped forward, they instantly fell into step behind me.

I spun around. "Why are you following me?"

One of them didn't even blink. "King's order, my Queen."

King's order.

I turned back around and groaned. "Fantastic. Just fantastic."

They didn't answer. Not even a twitch.

I sighed and kept walking. My bare feet were silent on the marble floor as my eyes took in everything around me.

The palace-because that's what it had to be-was enormous. Every wall was carved with strange symbols. Chandeliers sparkled above my head, and long curtains the color of blood framed tall windows.

Every time I passed someone-a maid, a servant-they froze, bowed, and whispered "Your Majesty" before scurrying away.

I had never felt so out of place in my entire life.

None of them looked surprised to see me alive, but they did look terrified.

My stomach turned uneasily.

I walked for what felt like forever before stopping at a wide balcony that overlooked the world beyond.

The sight hit me like a punch to the chest.

A vast stretch of forest spread out below, endless and green. Trees so thick they looked like a living sea. Mist rolled over the canopy like waves, hiding whatever lay beneath.

A shiver ran down my spine.

I gripped the stone railing, trying to calm the pounding in my chest. "Okay," I whispered to myself. "Think. You went to bed. You woke up here. That doesn't just happen. But...maybe someone drugged you? Maybe this is some kind of experiment?"

I laughed softly, but it came out shaky. "Or maybe I've completely lost it. Great. Perfect."

The guards stood a few steps behind me, still silent. It was unnerving-like being shadowed by ghosts.

I turned to them. "Hey," I said, trying to sound casual. "Quick question-where exactly are we?"

The taller one hesitated, then answered, "The Kingdom of Valnera."

I stared at him. "I'm sorry-what did you just say?"

"Valnera, my Queen," he repeated, completely serious. "Hidden deep within the secret forest."

I blinked at him. Slowly. "No, no-like... what country. You know, on Earth. France? Mexico? The freaking North Pole?"

The other guard exchanged a glance with him before saying quietly, "We're somewhere in northern Italy, my Queen."

Italy.

Italy?

I turned back toward the forest, my heart hammering. Then I turned to them again, my voice barely a whisper. "Oh my God," I breathed. "I've been kidnapped."

They both stiffened, but I didn't care. My hands were trembling so hard I had to clutch the railing to steady them.

This couldn't be happening. I was thousands of miles from home-in another country-with people calling me queen and talking about blood rituals and kings who hated their wives.

This wasn't real. It couldn't be real.

But before I could scream or ask another question, a deep, low sound rolled through the air.

It wasn't human.

It was a growl.

Not the kind a dog makes-this was deeper, darker. It rattled through the ground beneath my feet and crawled straight up my spine.

I froze.

The guards didn't move. They just exchanged another one of those unreadable looks, like this was... normal.

My gaze dropped to the forest below-and that's when I saw it.

A massive black wolf stood at the edge of the trees.

My breath caught.

It wasn't just big. It was huge-easily twice the size of any wolf I'd ever seen in a documentary. Its fur shimmered under the bright sky, thick and dark, and its eyes... God, its eyes were golden. Intelligent. Cold. Watching.

For a second, I thought I was hallucinating.

But then it moved. Slowly. Gracefully.

And the people walking below? They didn't even flinch. A few bowed as they passed it.

What the actual hell.

My heart jumped to my throat. I stumbled back from the balcony, shaking my head. "Nope. Nope. Nope. That's it. I'm done."

Then, as if it heard me, the wolf turned its head-straight toward me.

Its golden eyes locked on mine.

And it growled again.

The sound vibrated through my bones.

I screamed. I didn't even realize I had until the guards tensed. Without thinking, I spun around and ran back the way I came-bare feet slapping against the cold marble floor.

I didn't care if the guards followed or if I looked insane. I just ran.

By the time I reached the room, my chest was heaving. I shoved the doors closed, pressed my back against them, and slid down until I was sitting on the floor.

My heart pounded so hard it hurt.

"What the hell was that?" I gasped, my voice shaking. "A wolf? A-no, that's impossible. That thing was huge. People don't-people don't bow to wolves!"

I pressed my palms to my temples, squeezing my eyes shut.

"I'm going crazy," I whispered. "I must be going crazy."

I laughed again, a broken, desperate sound. "Right? That's what this is. A mental breakdown. Hallucinations. Maybe I hit my head and I'm in a coma somewhere."

But the floor beneath me was solid. The air was cold. I could feel my heartbeat pounding against my ribs, and no dream had ever felt this real.

My breathing slowed, but my mind didn't.

I stood and started pacing, muttering under my breath. "Okay. Okay, let's think. Either I've been kidnapped, or I'm part of some super messed-up simulation. Or... this is real. Which it can't be. Because there are giant wolves and blood-drinking kings and people calling me queen-"

I broke off, staring at my reflection in a mirror across the room.

The woman staring back wasn't me.

She had my face-but softer. Paler. Her eyes looked sadder. Her hair was long and perfect.

And the crown of faint bruises around her throat made my stomach twist.

"What happened to you?" I whispered.

Silence answered me.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring into that mirror, watching this stranger who looked like me but wasn't. The air felt heavier. The walls seemed closer.

Outside the window, thunder rolled.

"What the hell is happening?" I whispered. My voice cracked, and tears I'd been holding back finally burned down my cheeks.

"Where...where the hell am I?"