Luna Meadows's Arc

Chapter 1 of 3

Luna Meadows practiced her name three times before the carriage stopped, and she still could not say it out loud. She wanted one thing tonight: to be seen by the shapeshifter prince. He was the only man who could love her secret bunny form. But shy words died in her throat every time a stranger looked her way. If she stayed silent, she would leave this ball as invisible as she came. The burgundy carriage rolled to a halt outside the palace gates. Gold trim caught the torchlight. Deep blue drapes framed the window where Luna sat, gripping her hands. Her long curls were pinned high in a jeweled bun, dark ringlets falling past her shoulders. Small burgundy gems winked among the coils. Her petal-tiered gown bloomed around her like layered flame. She looked like someone worth noticing. She did not feel like her. Inside, the ballroom roared with laughter and music. Guests filled every corner. Luna pressed to the wall and watched. A woman brushed past and asked her name. Luna opened her mouth. Nothing came. The woman waited, shrugged, and turned away. Luna's face went hot. She had planned careful sentences. All of them vanished. Then the crowd shifted. A prince crossed the floor, dark hair streaked with red, gold thread bright on his coat. Draeven Crimsonscale, the dragon shapeshifter. He moved like he owned the air. People bent toward him. His smile was easy and warm. Luna's heart slammed. This was her chance. She stepped forward and froze. Words failed her again. Someone jostled her. Her heel caught the hem of her gown. She stumbled hard toward the marble floor. Panic seized her. Her body did the only thing it trusted. In a blink of soft fur and floaty fabric, Luna shrank into a small brown rabbit, tumbling free of the falling dress. The music stopped. A hundred guests turned. A rabbit sat trembling in a pile of burgundy chiffon, gems scattered across the floor. Luna wanted to disappear into the ground. She had wanted to be noticed. Not like this. Boots crossed the silence. Draeven crouched down beside her. He did not laugh. He did not call for guards. He looked at the small rabbit with calm, golden eyes. "There you are," he said softly, as if he had been waiting all night. "I wondered who was hiding by the wall." He held out one open hand, patient. Luna's rabbit heart pounded. The whole court stared. Whispers spread fast. A shifter had exposed her secret form before everyone. The prince knew. And now, so did they all. Luna hopped onto his palm. He rose, cradling her, and faced the murmuring crowd with a grin that dared them to speak. She was no longer invisible. She was the most talked-about creature in the room. That was exactly the problem she now had to survive.