Chapter 93: Fragile Like Glass

Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Fragile Like Glass Lily winced as she lifted another heavy box, the weight pulling at her bandaged arms. The packhouse buzzed with activity as servants rushed back and forth, carrying furniture and belongings to be transported to the new packhouse. “Luna Lily, please,” a young servant girl pleaded, reaching for the box in Lily’s arms. “You shouldn’t be straining yourself. Your wounds...” Lily shook her head firmly and stepped away from the girl’s outstretched hands. She shifted the weight of the box to give her aching arms some relief. The bandages wrapped around her forearms were visible beneath her rolled-up sleeves, some spots tinged faintly red where wounds had reopened during her work. Martha appeared from inside the house, wiping her hands on her apron. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted Lily struggling with the heavy box. “For Moon’s sake, Luna Lily! What did I tell you about lifting the heavy ones?” Martha scolded, rushing over. “You’re still healing!” Lily’s jaw clenched stubbornly. She carefully set the box down to free her hands, signing quickly. ‘I am the Luna. This is my responsibility.’ Martha’s expression softened. “Being Luna doesn’t mean overworking yourself either. There are plenty of strong hands here to do the heavy lifting.” ‘I need to do this,’ Lily signed, eyes filled with determination. ‘I need to show them I’m not useless.’ Lily picked the box back up and walked confidently to where the boxes were to be stored. The bandages on her chest felt tight against her skin. She wouldn’t let pain stop her from fulfilling her duties. Not now, not ever. She put the box down carefully before re-entering the packhouse to pick up another one. As she approached the doorway while holding a box, a flash of movement caught her eye. Before she could react, someone’s shoulder slammed into Lily. She lost her balance. The box in her hands fell, crashing onto the floor with a deafening shatter. Glass shards exploded across the marble tiles, glittering like deadly stars in the morning light. Lily’s blood ran cold as she looked up at the perpetrator. Of course, it was Victoria. Victoria’s lips curved into a smirk. “Oh my! You should watch where you’re going, Luna.” Her voice dripped with false concern. “You bumped right into me.” Lily stared at the destruction at her feet, her heart hammering in her chest. Antique vases, probably worth it’s weight in gold, shattered beyond recognition. Horror flooded through her as she imagined Zayn’s reaction. Victoria leaned closer, whispering just loud enough for only Lily to hear. “I wonder what your Alpha mate would think... You can’t even do a simple task right.” With a satisfied smile, Victoria straightened and walked away, purposely stepping over the glass shards. Panic seized Lily’s chest. She dropped to her knees, frantically gathering the largest pieces with her bare hands. Sharp edges sliced into her palms and fingers, but she barely noticed as fear overwhelmed her senses. “Lily!” Martha rushed forward. “Stop that at once! You’re cutting yourself!” But Lily couldn’t hear her through the panic. All she could think about was Zayn’s rage when he discovered what had happened. “What’s going on here?” Zayn’s deep voice sliced through the chaos like a knife. Everyone froze, including Lily, whose blood dripped onto the floor, dyeing the shattered glass shards red. Zayn stood in the doorway, his massive frame blocking the light. His eyes darted from the scattered glass to Lily’s bleeding hands and finally to her face, pale with fear and pain. Lily couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. She was still kneeling, hands trembling. “I asked what happened,” Zayn repeated, his voice softer than before as he stepped closer. No one spoke up. Martha was at a loss for words, worried anything she said would make the situation worse. Victoria broke the silence, her voice dripping with sweet poison. “It was just an accident, Alpha. Luna Lily lost her balance and dropped some antique vases on the ground.” Zayn stepped closer to Lily, his boots crunching on the glass. “Your hands,” he said, his voice unexpectedly softer. “They’re bleeding.” Lily still wouldn’t look up. Her hands shook violently as she continued trying to gather the broken pieces. “Stop,” Zayn commanded, crouching down to her level. “Stop picking up the glass.” She didn’t listen, driven completely by fear. “I said stop!” Zayn snapped, causing everyone to flinch. Lily finally froze, her eyes wide with fear.) Zayn took a deep breath, visibly reining in his temper. “Martha,” he called without taking his eyes off Lily. “Get her hands cleaned and bandaged.” “Right away, Alpha,” Martha replied, moving to help Lily. But Lily shook her head frantically, pointing at the remaining boxes stacked along the wall. She made a desperate gesture toward the mess on the floor, then back to herself, trying to communicate that she wanted to fix it first. Zayn’s jaw tightened. “The boxes can wait. Your wounds can’t.” Lily reached for another glass shard, determination overriding her fear. “Enough!” Zayn snapped, his patience finally breaking. He stood and barked orders to the warriors who had been helping with the move. “Ragnar! Ryker! Axel! Jett! Get over here and finish moving these boxes. And get someone to clean up this mess.” “Yes, Alpha!” The four warriors responded in unison, immediately getting to work. Lily slumped in defeat, allowing Martha to help her to her feet. She couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes as she was led away, blood dripping from her hands. ‘You have nothing to be sad about,” Martha whispered as she led her to the bathroom, “You did more than your share today.” Lily winced as Martha gently washed the blood away. Several deep cuts crisscrossed her palms, joining the older wounds that had barely begun to heal. ‘I failed,’ Lily signed in defeat once her hands were clean enough. “Nonsense,” Martha replied firmly while wrapping clean bandages around Lily’s hands. “It was Victoria who bumped into you. Everyone saw it.” ‘It doesn’t matter who’s at fault. I’m responsible.’ Martha tightened the bandage with a sigh, “You’re pushing yourself too hard, Lily. The burden you choose to carry is so heavy, it will crush you.” Lily shook her head. Being Luna was all she had left, the only purpose that gave her days meaning. Once her hands were properly bandaged, Martha led her outside where a large carriage waited. When Ragnar saw her, he hurried over. “The boxes are loaded, Luna,” he informed her, eyeing her bandaged hands with concern. Lily nodded gratefully as Martha helped her up the carriage steps. Just as she was about to enter the carriage, a wild shriek tore through the air. The horses, previously calm, suddenly reared up in panic. Their eyes rolled white with terror as they kicked and thrashed against their restraints. “What the—” One of the handlers was thrown aside as the horses broke free, causing the carriage to tip. Lily, who was still on the steps, lost her balance. Time slowed as she fell backward. Instead of hitting the hard ground, she collided with something solid and warm. Strong arms wrapped around her, breaking her fall. Lily looked up to find herself pressed against Zayn’s chest, his expression thunderous as he surveyed the chaos. “What the hell is going on?” Zayn growled, his arms still around Lily as he steadied her. The warriors rushed forward, attempting to bring the frenzied horses under control. But the animals seemed possessed, their eyes rolling wildly, foaming at the mouths. “Get them in control, now!” Zayn yelled, angered by the scene. “We’re trying Alpha! But it’s like they’ve gone mad!” One of the handlers explained in defeat. Ryker, one of the first warriors who jumped in to help, was kicked in the chest by one of the horses. “That’s it,” Zayn muttered under his breath as he rose to his feet. Lily watched as he stalked toward the horses. His movement was fluid and swift. He shifted partially, claws extended. Before anyone could stop him, Zayn slashed through the air. Blood sprayed across the ground as his claws tore through the horses’ throats. The animals collapsed instantly, legs twitching. Blood spattered across Zayn’s face and chest, dyeing his white shirt. He stood among the fallen horses, breathing heavily, his eyes glowing with barely contained rage. No one dared to speak or move as their Alpha turned slowly, his gaze finding Lily, who stood frozen with horror at the violent display. Zayn wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand, leaving a dark smear across his cheek. He approached Lily with deliberate steps, his expression unreadable. “You’ll ride with me.”