Estelle’s POV

“What was that?” I asked.

“I’m not sure.” Caleb frowned at the dashboard. “The engine sounds—”

The sputtering came again, more pronounced this time. The headlights flickered briefly.

“Caleb.”

“I see it.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel as the car began to slow despite his foot remaining steady on the accelerator.

The engine made a grinding noise that definitely wasn’t normal. Steam began rising from under the hood, visible in the headlight beams.

“This isn’t good,” Caleb muttered, steering toward the shoulder of the road.

The car rolled to a stop with one final shudder from the engine.

We sat in sudden silence, the only sound coming from the ticking of cooling metal and the faint hiss of escaping steam.

“Well,” I said calmly. “This is inconvenient.”

We had left the lycan territory, but this was still a long drive before we would reach Blackmoon’s land or the neutral territory where my villa was located.

Rain pelted against the windshield with increasing intensity. Lightning illuminated the dark countryside around us in brief, stark flashes.

“I’ll take a look,” Caleb said, reaching for the door handle.

“In this weather?”

“Well,” he winced, shrugging, “we don’t have much choice.”

He stepped out into the downpour. I watched through the rain-streaked window as he popped the hood and examined the engine. His jacket was still around my waist, and water soaked through his white button-down shirt within seconds.

He returned to the car dripping wet, his hair plastered to his head.

“The radiator’s cracked,” he said, water dripping onto the leather seats. “We’re not going anywhere tonight.”

I processed this information without panic. Getting stranded wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t catastrophic either.

“How far are we from civilization?”

Caleb squinted through the windshield. “I saw lights about a mile back. Looked like an inn.”

“I guess that’s where we’re headed.”

“In this storm? In that dress?”

I looked down at my torn gown. The fabric was already ruined from Vivian’s stunt. A little rain wouldn’t make it worse.

“It’s just water, Caleb.”

We locked the car and began trudging down the dark road. The rain soaked through my dress immediately, the heavy fabric clinging to my legs and making each step more difficult. My heels sank into the muddy shoulder with every step.

Caleb stayed close beside me, one hand hovering near my elbow in case I stumbled. Neither of us spoke. The storm was too loud for conversation anyway.

After what felt like an eternity, warm light appeared through the trees ahead. Caleb was right. It was indeed an inn.

The building was modest but welcoming. Warm light spilled from the windows, and smoke curled from the chimney despite the late hour.

We pushed through the heavy wooden door, immediately enveloped by warmth and the scent of burning wood. Water pooled beneath our feet on the worn floorboards.

“Oh my,” a woman in her forties emerged from behind the front desk. “You two look half-drowned. What happened?”

“Car trouble,” Caleb explained. “We were hoping you might have rooms available for the night.”

The woman’s expression grew sympathetic but apologetic. “I’m so sorry, dear. We’ve only got one room left. There’s a werewolf council meeting in the next town over, and this storm brought everyone here for shelter.”

Caleb and I exchanged glances.

“That’s fine,” he said immediately. “The lady can have the room. I’ll sleep in the car.”

“In this weather?” The innkeeper looked horrified.

“Absolutely not,” I immediately said. “Our car is still outside.”

“I can push it over,” Caleb said with a shrug. “It’s not that far.”

I frowned, narrowing my eyes at him. Though I supposed he was right. For a werewolf, pushing a car over shouldn’t be too much of a problem. I had forgotten that the average werewolf had much more strength than I did, much more someone who had been through intensive training like Caleb.

“I suppose we do have covered parking. And my mate can look at your car first thing in the morning, but he’s already asleep. I can’t bear to wake the poor man.”

“We understand,” I said. “Thank you for your help.”

“Of course, dear. Let me get you some towels and show you to your room.” 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Caleb squeezed my shoulder gently. “Get some rest. I’ll figure out the car situation in the morning.”

“Are you sure? We can share a room, actually. I don’t mind—”

“I would rather not get skinned by my dad for the lack of respect for the Luna,” Caleb said with a laugh. “I’ve slept in worse places,” he assured me with a slight smile. “Go.”

The innkeeper led me upstairs to a small but cozy room. The bed was covered with a thick quilt that looked handmade.

“There’s hot water for a shower,” the woman said kindly. “And extra blankets in the wardrobe if you need them. Breakfast starts at seven.”

After she left, I stood alone in the quiet room. It was infinitely better than the room than resembled the servants’ quarters I’d been assigned at the lycan palace. Here, at least, I felt like a guest rather than an afterthought.

I peeled off my ruined gown and stepped into the shower. By the time I emerged, I felt more like myself again.

Wrapped in the inn’s soft robe, I settled onto the bed.

The storm continued to rage outside, but inside the small room, I felt strangely peaceful.

***

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the small window. The storm had passed, leaving the air fresh and clean.

I dressed in my spare clothes from my overnight bag and made my way downstairs. Caleb was already there, chatting with a middle-aged man near the front desk.

“Estelle,” Caleb called when he saw me. “This is David, the innkeeper’s mate. He had some spare parts and managed to fix the car. We should be back on the road with no problems.”

David wiped his hands on a rag and smiled.

“Thank you so much for your help,” I said, smiling back.

“My pleasure. Always happy to help travelers.”

“Should we get some breakfast first?” Caleb asked, gesturing to the food.

We each grabbed a small plate of food before finding an empty table. Then, a man in a dark suit approached us. He carried an elaborately ornate jewelry box in his hands.

“Luna Estelle Harper?” he asked politely. He kept his voice low.

I nodded, suddenly wary.

“I bring this gift from His Majesty, the Lycan King. He intended to present it to you last night, but you departed before he could do so.”

The man held out the jewelry box with both hands. It was beautiful—carved wood inlaid with silver designs that caught the morning light.

Caleb moved slightly closer, his protective instincts clearly activated by the stranger’s arrival.

I accepted the box, noting its surprising weight despite the small size. The craftsmanship was exquisite, clearly expensive. Whatever was inside had to be equally valuable.

“Thank you,” I told the messenger.

He bowed slightly and departed without another word.

Caleb watched him go before turning back to me. “Are you going to open it?”

I looked down at the ornate box in my hands. With careful movements, I lifted the lid.

Seeing what was inside, my eyes widened with surprise.