Luna woke to silence.
Not the uneasy, heavy silence of the forest, but something calmer. Steady. Safe. For a moment, she forgot everything. The pain. The change. The voice.
Then she tried to move.
A dull ache spread through her body, deep and slow, like soreness after a hard fall. She groaned softly and opened her eyes.
Stone.
She was lying on a smooth stone floor, wrapped in something warm. A blanket. The air smelled faintly of pine and smoke. Soft silver light glowed from symbols carved into the walls around her.
Luna pushed herself up slowly, heart starting to race.
She was inside.
The room was small and round, built entirely of stone. Runes covered the walls, glowing gently. A single opening led outside, where moonlight spilled in like liquid silver.
"Hello?" she called, her voice echoing slightly.
"You're awake."
Luna flinched and turned.
Kael stood near the entrance, leaning against the stone wall. He looked different in the softer light. Less threatening. Tired. Dark shadows sat beneath his eyes, and his shoulders were tense, like he had not rested.
"How long was I out?" she asked.
"Almost three hours," he said. "Your body shut down after the first shift. That's normal."
She frowned. "Normal for who? Because this is still very unusual for me."
A corner of his mouth twitched. "Fair."
She pulled the blanket tighter around herself and glanced down. She was human again.
Relief rushed through her so fast it made her dizzy.
"I'm… me," she whispered.
Kael nodded. "You shifted back on your own. That's rare for a first night."
"Great," Luna muttered. "So I'm a rare disaster."
He did not smile.
She looked around again. "Where are we?"
"A safe house," Kael replied. "Built by the pack long before the university existed."
"So I'm not dreaming," she said quietly.
"No."
Her chest tightened. The reality settled in again, heavy and sharp. "Is the voice still there?"
Kael watched her closely. "Do you hear him?"
Luna paused, focusing inward.
Nothing.
Just her own thoughts. Her own fear.
She shook her head. "No."
Kael let out a slow breath. "Good. The wards are holding."
Luna rubbed her arms. "That's Adrian, right?"
"Yes."
"Vampire Alpha," she said. "That's not something I ever expected to hear."
Kael crossed his arms. "There's a lot you don't know yet."
"That's starting to feel like the story of my life," Luna said bitterly.
Silence stretched between them.
Then she lifted her gaze. "You said something about old blood."
Kael's eyes flicked to the silver charm at her neck again.
"That necklace," he said. "May I?"
Luna hesitated, then nodded. "It's never left my neck. Not since I was a kid."
Kael stepped closer but stopped an arm's length away. "You can take it off yourself."
Her fingers trembled as she unclasped the chain. The charm felt warm in her palm, heavier than it should have been.
Kael inhaled sharply. "I knew it."
"Knew what?" she asked.
"That symbol," he said. "It belongs to the Moonbound line."
Luna blinked. "What?"
"An ancient bloodline," Kael explained. "Older than packs. Older than Alphas. They were guardians once. Chosen directly by the Moon to keep balance between supernatural clans."
Her stomach dropped. "You're saying my family was part of this?"
"Not was," Kael said gently. "Is."
She shook her head. "No. My grandmother bakes cookies and watches game shows. She doesn't guard magical balance."
Kael's gaze softened. "Many of them hid. When wars broke out, Moonbound blood was hunted. Seals were created to suppress abilities until the bloodline was ready to awaken again."
Luna stared at the charm. "This was a seal."
"Yes."
Her chest ached. "She knew."
"Yes."
Betrayal burned through her. "She never told me."
"She was protecting you," Kael said. "If your power had awakened earlier, you would not have survived."
Luna laughed softly, the sound shaky. "Because tonight went so well."
Kael did not respond.
She stood, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself. "So what am I, exactly?"
Kael met her gaze. "You are a Moonbound wolf. Stronger than most. And because of that…"
"The vampire," Luna finished.
Kael nodded grimly. "Vampires are drawn to Moonbound blood. It amplifies their power. Bonds them in ways even they don't fully control."
Her skin crawled. "So Adrian wants me because I'm useful."
"Yes," Kael said without hesitation. "But also because the bond responded."
"That makes it worse," Luna whispered.
Kael's voice softened. "I know."
A sudden chill swept through the room. The runes along the walls flickered.
Luna stiffened. "That doesn't feel normal."
Kael turned sharply. "The wards are weakening."
"Already?" Luna asked.
"They're old," he replied. "And he's testing them from a distance."
As if summoned, a faint pressure brushed against Luna's mind. Not as strong as before, but enough to make her wince.
You learn quickly, Adrian's voice murmured. Old blood suits you.
"Leave me alone," Luna snapped.
I would, he replied calmly. If the Moon had not tied us together.
Kael stepped in front of her, his presence firm. "She's under my protection."
Adrian laughed softly. You cannot protect what belongs to fate.
The pressure vanished abruptly.
Luna sagged against the wall. "He's not going to stop."
"No," Kael said. "He won't."
She looked up at him. "Then what do we do?"
Kael's expression hardened. "We will prepare you."
"For what?" she asked.
"For training," he replied. "For control. And for war, if it comes."
Her heart pounded. "I didn't ask for this life."
"I know," Kael said quietly. "But it's yours now."
Luna stared at the glowing runes, the ancient stone, the necklace in her hand.
Everything she thought she knew was a lie.
And somewhere in the dark, something was waiting for her to choose.