Underwater: The Silent Luna novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8

โรย

Meadow’s feet felt like they weren’t part of her body anymore. Every step dragged as though invisible weights clung to her ankles,

chaining her to the cold floors of the McCloud estate. The corridors seemed darker now, the walls taller, the ceilings higher, everything

was suddenly too large for someone as small and powerless as her.

Her chest ached with each movement.

She felt like nothing.

Less than nothing.

Her entire life, the dreams, the hopes, the fragile visions she had dared to imagine, had been ripped out of her hands in a single night. Her wedding night. The night she thought she would be cherished. Instead, she had been stripped of everything that made her feel

human.

Her phone… her only outlet to the world…

Gone.

Amber had stolen not just her freedom, but her voice in every form.

How was she meant to cope? How did they expect her to endure this prison sentence disguised as marriage?

Her mind whispered one possibility, running.

But even that hope flickered out quickly.

Amber’s warning echoed in her skull:

“You know the extent of our reach… you will not survive the consequences.”

Meadow believed her.

Everyone in the pack did.

The McClouds had influence in every allied territory. There was no place she could hide, no border she could cross, no friendly pack that could shield her without sparking war.

As she walked through the dim corridor, the air turned colder, brushing her skin like ghostly fingers. She hugged herself instinctively, trying to stop the trembling.

A painful thought struck her:

1/5

14:45 Sat, Jun 13

Chapter 8

Did her parents know?

Did they know she’d be caring for Ethan?

Did they know the son Amber meant was Ethan and not Joseph?

Did they know she would be forbidden from contacting anyone?

Did they know the Luna would control her like a puppet?

Or had they been deceived like she was?

She had no way to ask.

No phone.

No sign language.

No privacy.

Amber had boxed her in completely.

$tn

By the time she reached Ethan’s door, her heartbeat felt like a trapped bird slamming against her ribs. She lifted her knuckles and knocked softly, more out of fear than politeness.

No answer.

She waited.

A minute.

Two.

Five.

Ten agonising minutes passed before Ethan’s deep, irritated voice barked from inside:

“Come in.”

Meadow opened the door quietly and slipped into the room, keeping her gaze lowered. She went straight to the couch, folded her hands in her lap, and waited, just as Amber had instructed.

Wait for orders.

2/5

14:45 Sat, Jun 13

Chapter 8

Wait for direction.

Wait for someone else to decide how she existed.

Hours passed, or maybe it only felt that way. Ethan continued working at his desk, the soft clicks of his computer keys the only sound in

the room.

Eventually he wheeled himself toward the bathroom.

Meadow immediately stood. Instinct. Fear. Duty drilled into her by the Luna’s threats.

But Ethan’s voice shot out, cold as winter steel.

“Stand back.”

She froze mid-step.

He had his pyjama trousers folded in his lap, and only then did she realise,

he was used to doing things on his own.

“I can wash my body,” he muttered, rolling into the bathroom.

The door shut behind him hard enough to make her flinch.

It took a long time before he emerged. When he did, he was shirtless, water still dripping down his chest, but he wasn’t wearing the pyjama bottoms. Meadow’s breath caught. His hands gripped the wheels of his chair tightly, he could move himself easily, but reaching down or bending too far was clearly painful.

Her instincts pushed her forward.

She quietly entered the bathroom, retrieved the pyjama trousers, and approached him slowly, like someone approaching a dangerous wolf.

He turned sharply, anger blazing in his eyes.

“What do you want?”

Meadow lifted the trousers with trembling hands.

His jaw clenched.

He didn’t argue.

Didn’t push her away.

(

3/5

14:45 Sat, Jun 13

Chapter 8

He simply turned his gaze forward, silent permission.

27

Meadow knelt, careful not to meet his eyes. She closed her own tightly as she pulled the fabric up his legs, keeping her gaze fixed on his

knees. Her face burned with embarrassment.

Ethan noticed her careful avoidance.

He said nothing.

When the trousers were on, she rose gently and helped him transfer to the bed. He allowed her to, though his expression remained carved

from stone.

Once he was settled, he gestured at the nightstand beside him.

“Get me my tablet.”

His tone held the sharp edge of command, but no rage. Not this time.

Meadow moved quickly, opened the drawer, found the device, and placed it in his waiting hand.

He switched it on immediately, screen glow illuminating half of his face, harsh lines, tired eyes, perpetual resentment.

He didn’t look at her again.

Taking this as dismissal, Meadow retreated to the small caretaker bed beside his. The thin mattress sagged beneath her weight. She lay down silently, curling into herself.

Before she fully settled, Ethan spoke again, less harshly, more matter-of-fact.

“There are quilts in the closet. It gets cold at night. I’m a light sleeper. I can’t deal with chattering teeth.”

It was the closest thing to concern she’d heard from him, though it was not meant kindly. It was simply practical.

Meadow rose without a word, retrieved a quilt from the closet, and wrapped herself tightly in it before returning to the small bed.

But sleep didn’t come.

Instead, silent tears slid down her cheeks, soaking the pillow. Her heart ached. Her breathing wavered. Her mind replayed Amber’s instructions like a cruel chant.

Bathe him. Dress him. Bear his children. Don’t speak. Don’t sign. Don’t run.

She felt trapped.

4/5

14:45 Sat, Jun 13

Chapter 8

Buried alive in a life she hadn’t chosen.

And the worst part, the part that tore her open,

No one would come for her.

No one could save her.

She was alone in a house full of people.

And beside a man who didn’t want her.

Comments

LIKE

Write Comments

<SHARE

27

โรย

5/5

14:46 Sat, Jun 13

Underwater: The Silent Luna