Beneath the blood moon

Elara sat on the cold forest floor, her body trembling. The words hung in the air like an incantation, impossible to take back.

"You're one of us, Elara."

Kieran's voice still echoed in her head, relentless and unavoidable.

It wasn't possible. It couldn'tbe possible. She had lived her entire life as a normal human. No shifting, no heightened senses, no unnatural abilities. She was ordinary.

But the way the moonlight burned against her skin, the way her body reacted to Kieran and Lucien like a magnet drawn to iron, told her otherwise.

"I—I need to go." Her voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper.

Kieran crouched beside her, his dark eyes filled with something unreadable. "Elara, please—"

"No." She jerked back from his touch as though burned. "I just need to think."

Lucien, leaning casually against a tree, exhaled softly. "You won't find answers by running."

Elara shot him a glare. "And what if I don't want answers?"

Lucien tilted his head, eyes gleaming silver in the moonlight. "Then you wouldn't be here."

Her stomach twisted. He was right. Despite everything, despite the terror clawing at her chest, a part of her needed to understand.

But not now.

Not with them watching her like predators waiting for her next move.

Without another word, she turned and walked away, her steps hurried but not frantic. She refused to let them see her break.

She wouldn't break.

Not yet.

---

The town was quiet when she finally emerged from the woods. The streets were empty, the streetlights buzzing softly, casting golden pools onto the cracked pavement.

Elara barely registered the walk back to her house. The pain in her shoulder throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the storm raging in her mind.

She pushed open the door and shut it behind her, leaning against the cool wood as she tried to steady her breathing.

You're one of us.

The words wouldn't leave her alone.

Her mother had never spoken about their family history. She never talked about where they came from, never mentioned any connection to the wolves that ruled Blackthorn Hollow's forests.

Had she known? Had she lied to Elara?

A lump formed in her throat.

She needed answers.

Digging through the hallway closet, she found the old wooden box her mother had always kept locked. Her hands shook as she pried it open.

Inside, beneath old letters and worn photographs, was a small silver pendant.

She recognized it instantly.

Her mother had worn it every day until the night she died.

Elara turned it over in her hands, her fingers tracing the intricate carvings of a crescent moon entwined with a wolf's silhouette. The metal burned against her palm, and she gasped, dropping it onto the floor.

The pain faded instantly.

Her heart pounded.

This was no ordinary necklace.

Hands trembling, she picked up one of the letters beneath it, the parchment yellowed with age.

My dearest Elara,

If you are reading this, then the truth has already begun to find you.

I wanted to protect you. To give you a life free from the burdens of our bloodline. But fate does not let us escape so easily.

There is more to you than you know. More than even they know. You are not just like them—you are something far rarer.

Something far more dangerous.

Elara's breath caught in her throat.

More dangerous?

She read on, but the ink had faded, the rest of the letter unreadable.

A sick feeling curled in her stomach.

Her mother had known. She had kept this from her. And now, with wolves circling closer every day, Elara was walking blind into something she didn't understand.

She needed to leave.

At least until she could figure out what she was.

Decision made, she grabbed a backpack and started stuffing it with clothes. She didn't know where she would go, but anywhere was better than here.

A knock at the door made her freeze.

Her pulse pounded in her ears.

Slowly, she moved toward it, pressing her hand against the wood. "Who is it?"

Silence.

Then—

"Elara."

Kieran.

Her stomach twisted. Of course, he had followed her.

"Elara, open the door." His voice was low, edged with something unreadable.

She hesitated, then slowly unlocked it. The door creaked open just enough for her to meet his gaze.

Kieran looked… different.

Not angry. Not commanding.

Just tired.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice softer than she expected.

She should have lied. Should have pushed him away.

Instead, she whispered, "No."

Something in his expression cracked.

Before she could stop him, he reached out, fingers grazing her cheek. "You don't have to do this alone, Elara."

Her throat tightened. "I don't even know what 'this' is."

He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "I can help you figure it out."

A bitter laugh escaped her. "You mean the way you figured it out for me back in the woods?"

He flinched but didn't pull away. "I know this isn't fair. I know you're angry. But if you leave now, you'll be walking straight into danger."

Her jaw clenched. "And staying with you isn't?"

His eyes darkened. "I would never hurt you."

Elara wanted to believe him. But belief had never kept anyone safe.

Still, something in his expression made her hesitate.

And then—

A flicker of movement in the shadows behind him.

Lucien.

She hadn't even heard him approach. He leaned casually against a lamppost, arms crossed over his chest, watching her with an unreadable expression.

"Deciding whether to run, little moon?" His voice was smooth, teasing. But beneath it, there was something else. Something serious.

Elara swallowed hard. "Why are you both here?"

Kieran stiffened, his jaw tightening.

Lucien's eyes flickered with amusement. "Because whether you like it or not, sweetheart, you're part of this now."

Elara exhaled slowly. She had spent years avoiding the wolves, pretending their world didn't touch hers.

But that had been a lie.

She could feel it in her bones now, in the way the moon whispered to her, in the way her blood hummed when they were near.

Something inside her was changing.

And whatever it was, it was only getting stronger.

Lucien smirked. "So, what's it going to be, Elara? Are you coming with us, or are you running blind into the night?"

She looked at Kieran. His expression was unreadable, but there was something vulnerable in his eyes.

Then back at Lucien, whose smirk never quite reached them.

A choice.

One she wasn't ready to make.

But maybe… maybe she didn't have to yet.

Taking a slow breath, she stepped back inside and opened the door wider.

"Come in," she said.

Whatever came next, she needed answers.

And whether she liked it or not, she wasn't going to find them alone.