Soul-Extraction: Reborn as the Luna Queen Chapter 01

Soul-Extraction: Reborn as the Luna Queen Chapter 01

I shared a body with my family’s fake daughter.

Three years ago, a rogue attack tore her apart. My mom and dad got down on their knees and begged Morwen Vane, a forbidden witch, to bind her soul to my body.

By day, I was the ruthless CEO of Blackwood Industries, cleaning up her messes and holding the family’s bloodline curse at bay. By night, she was the pack darling, soaking up our parents’ adoration and my fiancé’s kisses.

To them, I was the cold one, the dull one. All their love went to her sweet, harmless act.

Then she shattered lycan king Lucien Moonveil’s royal soul-sealing relic just to show off.

The second everything went wrong, she burrowed deep into our shared mind and hid. My fiancé grabbed me by the throat and ordered me to the royal wolf keep in broad daylight, to kneel and take her punishment.

I looked at their faces, at all that aching sympathy, every drop of it for her, and calmly said yes.

What they didn’t know was that the ritual was already finished. Soul extraction. A new vessel. Waiting in the dark.

They could keep this ruined body and every ounce of curse rot inside it.

…

“Selene, you’re going to the royal wolf keep tomorrow, and you’re going to kneel and beg the Lycan King for forgiveness.”

“If he doesn’t pardon you, you can die at the keep gates. Just don’t drag the Blackwood pack down with you.”

I surfaced from the depths of our shared consciousness as a slap cracked across my face.

My cheek burned. The metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth.

I opened my eyes and stared coldly at my fiancé. Adrian Grey stood over me, chest heaving, face twisted with rage, like I’d done something unforgivable.

My mom and dad sat on the sofa, ashen, glaring at me like I was the enemy.

“Selene, you’ve gone too far this time.”

“The Lycan King’s soul-sealing relic. You smashed it? Do you have any idea how easily that could get our entire pack killed?”

My mom’s eyes were red. She jabbed a finger at my face, her voice shrill.

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. The whole scene almost made me laugh.

“You think I smashed it?”

“Mira was in control of the body last night. Mira went to the banquet. Mira caused the scene.”

“So why am I the one paying for it?”

Adrian lunged, grabbing me by the collar, his eyes vicious.

“You’re still trying to lie?”

“Mira wouldn’t hurt a fly. You really think she’d smash that relic on purpose?”

“You messed with her head through our mind link last night. That’s the only reason she dropped it.”

“She’s so scared she won’t even surface. Her soul is barely holding on, and you’re blaming her?”

I looked at his face, wrecked with heartbreak for her, and my stomach turned.

Three years ago, Mira Blackwood, my family’s fake daughter, was ambushed by rogues at the pack borders. She died on the spot.

It destroyed my mom and dad. To keep the precious girl they’d spoiled for twenty years, they didn’t care whether I, their biological daughter, lived or died.

They drained the pack funds to hire Morwen, a forbidden witch. Her soul-binding ritual forced the remnants of Mira’s soul into my body, and we’d shared it ever since.

Days belonged to Selene Blackwood, CEO of Blackwood Industries, the shield absorbing the family curse’s backlash. Nights belonged to Mira, our parents’ favorite, the fragile little moonbeam Adrian held like glass.

They lived off the wealth and safety I provided, and they gave every scrap of love to her. Every time Mira wrecked something, they dragged me awake to clean it up.

“That’s enough, Selene.”

My dad slammed his silver-tipped cane down on the coffee table. The crack split the air.

“You’re Selene. Why is it so hard to take the fall for Mira?”

“The Lycan King has made himself clear. Someone kneels outside the royal keep and begs before sunrise tomorrow, or there will be consequences.”

“Mira’s soul can’t survive the pressure inside the royal wolf keep. It has to be you.”

I looked at the three people whose love I’d once starved for. Whatever warmth I had left froze solid.

Lucien was the most feared Lycan King the lycan world had ever produced, the royal bloodline’s most unreadable alpha. The soul-sealing relic he never took off was the only thing keeping the ancient wolf curse in his blood under control.

And Mira looked at it, said, “That moonstone looks cheap,” ripped it off him, and shattered it on the floor. His aura exploded right there, nearly bringing the entire banquet hall down.

They wanted me kneeling at the royal wolf keep? That was a death sentence.

Ancient moon wards covered the keep grounds. One hour on your knees, and the royal curse frost would seep into your marrow. Worse than dying.

They knew exactly what it would do to me. And they were shoving me toward it anyway, all to shield their sweet, innocent Mira.

I drew a slow breath and swallowed the scoff.

“Fine.”

“I’ll go.”

Adrian snorted and let go of my collar.

“Smart choice.”

“And lose that dead-eyed stare. At least look like you mean the apology.”

“If Mira wakes up tomorrow night hurting anywhere, anywhere at all, you’ll answer for it.”

My mom exhaled, pulled out a bottle of cheap healing salve, and tossed it at me.

“Fix your face. You’re not embarrassing this family at the royal wolf keep tomorrow.”

I left the salve where it landed and headed for the basement.

The second my back was turned, I let myself smile.

Go ahead. Make me kneel.

This was the last mess of Mira’s I’d ever clean up.

They had no idea that after three years of carving, the final soul-extraction circle in the basement was complete. One thread of royal curse power from the keep’s moon wards tomorrow, and this vile shared-body curse would be severed for good.

You want this body, Mira? You want the adoring mom and dad, the devoted fiancé, all of it?

Then take it. Every last piece, and the agony that comes with it.