Six Days
Before the Full Moon
Age 22
I woke to
the sound of rain tapping against a window, a soft, insistent rhythm that
pulled me from the darkness. My head throbbed, a dull ache that pulsed in time
with my heartbeat, and my chest felt tight, like something heavy was pressing
down on it. The pendant still hung around my neck, its warmth now a faint hum
against my skin, but the searing pain from the blood oath was gone—replaced by
a strange, lingering connection, a thread that tugged at me, faint but
undeniable. Darius.
I opened my
eyes, blinking against the dim light filtering through heavy curtains. I was
lying on a couch, the fabric worn but clean, in a room that smelled faintly of
leather and coffee. Bookshelves lined the walls, not unlike the bookstore, but
these were filled with volumes that looked older, heavier—tomes with cracked
spines and titles in languages I couldn't read. A small table sat beside me,
holding a glass of water and a folded note. Across the room, a fire crackled in
a stone hearth, casting shadows that danced across the hardwood floor.
I sat up
slowly, wincing as the movement sent a jolt through my still-aching body. The
note crinkled as I unfolded it, the handwriting sharp and precise: Stay here. I'll be back soon. -D. No explanation, no apology—just an
order. Typical Darius.
My wolf
stirred, a low growl rumbling in my chest, but it wasn't directed at him this
time. It was restless, agitated, like she sensed something I couldn't. I
touched the pendant, its runes faintly glowing under my fingertips, and my
mother's voice echoed in my mind—soft, urgent: You have to live. The memory made my throat tighten, but
I pushed it down. I didn't have time for tears. Not now.
The door
creaked open, and I tensed, my hand curling into a fist. Darius stepped inside,
his coat damp from the rain, his dark hair clinging to his forehead. He looked
different here—less the untouchable alpha, more… human. The scar on his jaw
stood out in the firelight, a jagged reminder of whatever had shaped him. His
eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw something flicker there—relief, maybe,
or guilt—but it was gone as quickly as it came.
"You're
awake," he said, his voice low, cautious. He set a bag on the table, the rustle
of paper breaking the silence. "How do you feel?"
"Like I've
been hit by a truck," I muttered, my voice rough. I swung my legs off the
couch, testing my strength. My body felt heavy, but it held. "What happened?
That pain—it wasn't normal, was it?"
He
hesitated, running a hand through his hair. "No," he admitted, his jaw
tightening. "The blood oath shouldn't have hurt you like that. It's a standard
binding—protection, not punishment. Something… interfered."
I frowned,
my fingers brushing the pendant again. "The pendant," I said, the realization
hitting me. "It flared when we signed. It's connected to this, isn't it?"
Darius
nodded, his expression darkening. "I think so. Your mother's pendant—it's more
than just a keepsake. It's tied to your power, Liora, and to whatever's hunting
you. The oath amplified that connection, and it reacted… unpredictably."
I wanted to
argue, to tell him he was wrong, but the memory of the forest—of that creature,
of my mother's voice—silenced me. "So what now?" I asked, my voice steadier
than I felt. "You drag me into this oath, nearly kill me with it, and then
what? I just sit here and wait for whatever's coming?"
Before he
could answer, the door swung open again, and a familiar figure stepped
inside—Kael. My brother. His dark hair was longer than I remembered, falling
into his eyes, and his lean frame filled out the leather jacket he wore. His
green eyes—mirrors of mine—widened when he saw me, and for a moment, I saw the
boy he'd been, the one who'd protected me from the pack's taunts after our
father's fall. But that boy was gone, replaced by a man carrying the weight of
our family's shame.
"Liora," he
said, his voice rough with surprise. He crossed the room in three strides,
pulling me into a hug that was all tension and guilt. I stiffened, my wolf
bristling, but I didn't push him away. Not yet.
"What are
you doing here?" I asked, pulling back to look at him. "Last I heard, you were
the one who sold me out—arranged that marriage to Darius to 'protect' me."
Kael winced,
his hands dropping to his sides. "I know," he said, his voice low. "I messed
up, Liora. I thought if I could get you tied to Darius, it would shield you
from the fallout of Dad's mistakes. I didn't know it would end like this."
"End like
what?" I snapped, my patience fraying. "You mean the rejection? The creature in
the forest? The fact that I'm now bound to him—" I gestured at Darius, "—by
some magic oath that nearly killed me?"
Kael's eyes
flicked to Darius, a silent question passing between them, and I felt a surge
of anger. "What aren't you telling me?" I demanded, stepping between them.
"Both of you. I deserve to know."
Darius
sighed, leaning against the mantel, his posture weary. "Kael's been tracking
the ones who took your father down," he said. "A faction tied to the Mafia
Leader—the man who orchestrated your family's ruin. They've been quiet for
years, but they're back, and they're after you."
I turned to
Kael, my heart pounding. "The Mafia Leader?" I'd heard the rumors—whispers of a
shadowy figure who'd destroyed our father, who'd left our family to rot. But
I'd never known his name, never had proof. "Who is he?"
Kael's face
darkened, his hands clenching into fists. "I don't know his real name—not yet,"
he said. "But I've pieced together enough. He's a wolf, Liora, an alpha who
used Dad's secrets to build his power. He's got connections—money, men, magic.
And he's been watching you since Dad died."
"Why me?" I
asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "I was a kid. I didn't know anything."
"Because of
Mom," Kael said, his voice breaking. "Because of that pendant. She knew
something, Liora—something about the pack, about its history. She gave you that
before she died, didn't she?"
I nodded, my
hand tightening around the pendant. "The night before," I said, the memory
sharp and painful. "She told me it would protect me."
Kael's eyes
softened, but there was a hardness there too, a guilt I didn't understand. "She
was right," he said. "But it's also a target. The Mafia Leader wants it—and
whatever power it holds. That's why I pushed the marriage. I thought Darius
could keep you safe. I was wrong."
I stared at
him, my mind reeling. My mother's pendant, my father's betrayal, the creature
in the forest—it all felt like pieces of a puzzle I couldn't solve. "So you've
been spying on me?" I asked, my voice cold. "Following me?"
Kael shook
his head, but his hesitation told me everything. "Not spying," he said.
"Protecting. I've been tracking their movements, trying to figure out who's
pulling the strings. But I got a message tonight—" He pulled a phone from his
pocket, showing me the screen. A single text glowed there, the number blocked: She's next.
My stomach
dropped, a cold dread settling over me. "Next for what?" I asked, my voice
shaking.
Kael
exchanged a glance with Darius, and I felt that thread of the blood oath
tighten, a silent pull toward the alpha. "They're planning something," Darius
said, his voice grim. "An attack, maybe. Or a ritual. Whatever it is, they need
you—and that pendant—to complete it."
I laughed,
the sound harsh and hollow. "Great. So I'm a pawn in some supernatural chess
game. What do you expect me to do about it? I'm an omega, not a warrior."
"You're more
than that," Kael said, stepping closer. "Dad always said Mom had
power—something she passed to you. That pendant proves it. You fought off that
creature in the forest, didn't you?"
I froze, my
breath catching. "How do you know about that?" I hadn't told anyone—not Kael,
not Darius.
Kael's face
paled, and he looked away. "I've been watching the forest," he admitted. "I saw
the light, heard the roar. I didn't get close enough to help, but I knew it was
you."
Anger
flared, hot and bright. "You let me face that thing alone?" I shouted, shoving
him back. "You stood there while I nearly died?"
"I couldn't
risk it!" Kael snapped, his voice rising. "If they'd seen me, they'd have known
I was onto them. I had to wait, to plan—"
"Enough,"
Darius cut in, his voice a command that silenced us both. He stepped forward,
his presence filling the room. "Blaming each other won't help. We need to work
together. Kael, keep tracking the Mafia Leader. Liora, you stay with me. The
oath will protect you, but we need to figure out what that pendant does—and how
to use it against them."
I wanted to
argue, to tell him to go to hell, but the weight of Kael's confession—and the
memory of that creature—held me back. "Fine," I said, my voice tight. "But if
you're lying to me, Darius—if this is another trick—I'll find a way to break
that oath, no matter what it costs me."
His eyes met
mine, steady and unreadable, but there was a promise there, a vow I couldn't
decipher. "I'm not your enemy, Liora," he said. "Not anymore."
I didn't
believe him—not fully—but as Kael slipped out into the rain and Darius turned
to stoke the fire, I felt the pendant pulse again, a soft glow lighting the
room. My mother's voice whispered once more: You
have to fight. And for the
first time, I wondered if she'd been preparing me for this all along.