-- The Morning After
The moonlight had faded by the time Luna drifted off, cocooned in Damian's arms. His warmth was the only anchor in a world that had become far too cold. Her fingers curled slightly against his chest as if afraid to let go of the only place that had felt safe in so long.
But when Damian heard the distant hum of a car engine, the crunch of gravel beneath cautious steps, he knew what it meant.
Her family was home.
He gently shifted her, laying her on the bed with a care that was almost reverent. He paused to take one last look—her peaceful expression, the slight frown even in her sleep, the way she murmured something unintelligible when he let go.
Then, like a shadow, he was gone.
---
The morning sun spilled through the old curtains, warming Luna's face as she stirred. She reached out instinctively, expecting to feel his chest beneath her palm.
But there was nothing.
Her eyes fluttered open.
Gone.
The spot beside her was empty, barely even warm.
She sat up quickly, her heart racing. "Damian…?"
Silence.
She threw on her sweater and stepped out of the room just as Uncle Raymond entered the hallway with a grocery bag. Miranda trailed behind him, already bickering about prices, and her stepbrothers were slouched on the couch arguing about the TV remote.
They all turned to look at her.
There was something in her eyes—something lost, something searching.
"Who are you looking for?" Kellan asked, raising a brow.
"No one," Luna replied too quickly.
Miranda gave her a long, suspicious glance, but said nothing. Raymond narrowed his eyes, then gently touched Luna's arm.
"You alright?"
"Yeah," she whispered. "Just… thought I heard something last night."
She didn't add that it had been a heartbeat. One she was already missing.
---
--- Blood on the Wind
Damian stood on the rooftop of BlackCore Tower, his long coat whipping around him like a storm brewing at the edge of night. The city sprawled below, glimmering with oblivious life—but his senses weren't focused on steel and glass.
They were focused on her.
Luna.
He had left her reluctantly. He didn't like how vulnerable she looked curled up in his bed—too innocent for the chaos stalking her shadow. And he hated that someone had reached that close to her without him knowing who.
But someone else had intervened before him.
Someone fast.
Someone strong.
And that was the part that kept him awake.
His Beta, Elijah, approached silently, dropping a folder onto the steel table behind Damian. "You were right. Someone else was there before you."
"Who?" Damian didn't turn.
Elijah's voice lowered. "We found traces of claw marks—not just any kind. Old-school, alpha-level. Someone strong. Unregistered."
"No scent?"
"None traceable. It was masked… by wolfsbane."
Damian's jaw tightened. Wolfsbane? That wasn't common—especially not among allies.
"Someone went to a lot of trouble to stay hidden," Elijah added. "And they got to that man before you did."
Damian finally turned, eyes blazing golden in the morning light.
"I want a list of every lone wolf in the region. And anyone tied to Luna's past—family friends, old rivals, even pack outcasts. If they can get to her once, they can get to her again."
Elijah hesitated. "There's one more thing… The man you interrogated? He was paid to test her."
Damian's brows furrowed. "Test her?"
Elijah nodded grimly. "His words, not mine. He said 'The child must be confirmed.'"
Silence.
Damian's entire body went still. Then—crack—he crushed the railing beneath his hand like it was cardboard.
"So it's starting," he murmured, voice laced with something ancient and dangerous. "The prophecy isn't just a whisper anymore."
Elijah nodded. "And someone out there wants to know if the child is really yours."
Damian's eyes darkened, glowing molten gold.
"They won't touch her," he growled. "I don't care who they send."
---
Secrets and Shadows
The halls of the new school buzzed with idle chatter, footsteps echoing against clean tile floors. Luna stepped in hesitantly, her bag slung over one shoulder. She didn't feel like herself. Ever since that night with Damian—and everything after—nothing felt real anymore.
Not even her reflection.
The girl in the mirror that morning had looked pale but stronger, her eyes flecked with silver under the sunlight. Her muscles ached, but not from weakness. From something growing.
She wanted to call him again.
Damian.
She didn't even know what he was. But whatever it was… it wasn't normal.
"Why did you leave?" she whispered under her breath as she walked past the main office. "Why won't you tell me what's happening to me?"
She had felt his absence like a missing rib, a hole carved into her chest. Uncle Raymond had warned her not to return to school yet—told her she needed rest. But she needed answers more.
And that led her here.
-----
A Familiar Stranger
Luna walked through the school hallway, the bustle of voices around her fading into background noise. She felt heavier today—not just physically, but emotionally. Her thoughts were a swirl of confusion and questions she had no answers for.
Where was Damian?
Why did her body feel like it was evolving?
And who… what was she becoming?
She passed a window and stopped, catching sight of her own reflection—those strange silver flecks in her eyes were becoming more pronounced. She blinked. Gone. Maybe I imagined it.
As she turned to head to class, someone stepped into her path.
"You're walking like the world's about to end," the boy said, half smiling.
Luna froze.
"Julian?" Her brows furrowed. "From the tap incident?"
He nodded. "And from the alley. I didn't think you'd recognize me in daylight."
Her heart skipped a beat. He was there that night. "It was you."
Julian's smile faded slightly. "Not me. My father. I came to help, but he got there first."
"Your father… he saved me?" Luna whispered.
Julian nodded. "Thorne. Your dad's old friend and ally. You used to call him 'Uncle Thorn' when you were little."
The name rattled something deep in her memory. Vague laughter. A strong presence. Arms that once lifted her high into the sky. Then… nothing. Silence. Forgotten.
"I haven't seen him in years," she said quietly.
"You weren't meant to," Julian said. "Not unless something went wrong."
Luna blinked. "What do you mean?"
Julian looked around. Students flowed past them like waves, unaware of the hidden storm brewing between them. He stepped in closer, voice low.
"You're part of a bloodline that shouldn't have been forgotten. What's inside you… what's growing inside you… it's powerful. Sacred. Dangerous, even. My father knew this day might come. That's why he kept watch from the shadows."
"Damian… he—"
Julian's eyes flashed. "Damian has his role. But so do we."
Luna took a deep breath, her hands trembling. "Why now? Why are you telling me this?"
"Because the wolves are circling," Julian said grimly. "And if you don't learn who you really are soon, they'll tear you apart to get to what you carry."
Luna stared at him, pulse racing. The world she knew was slipping like sand through her fingers.
And this boy—this stranger—was offering her a glimpse into the truth.