Moonlight Millionaire

Chapter Three - The Beast Within

The heavy air between us crackled with tension, but something far deeper lay beneath. MB stood just inches from me, his breath brushing against my skin. His eyes were dark pools of intensity, and I felt like I was sinking into them, losing myself in the primal pull that surrounded him.

He stepped back suddenly, as if catching himself, and the spell was broken. I inhaled sharply, not realizing until that moment that I had been holding my breath.

MB’s expression was hard, but there was something different in his eyes—something tortured, as if he were fighting a battle within himself. He ran a hand through his dark hair, turning his back to me once more.

“I warned you, Anya,” he said in a low voice, barely above a whisper. “You should have stayed away.”

“I’m not leaving,” I shot back, my own voice surprising me with its strength. “I came here for a story, and I’m going to get it.”

He turned toward me again, his eyes narrowing. “This isn’t about a story anymore.”

The intensity in his voice made my skin prickle. He wasn’t just talking about the interview or his reclusive lifestyle. There was something far more dangerous lurking beneath the surface. I could sense it. The mansion, the eerie woods surrounding us, the strange way he moved—it all pointed to something much darker.

And that something was connected to MB.

I crossed my arms, refusing to back down. “What are you hiding?”

He let out a cold laugh, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

His gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, I saw it—the flicker of something not entirely human in his eyes. It was brief, but it was there. My heart raced, and yet, I couldn’t look away.

MB took a step closer, his face inches from mine. His voice was low, almost a growl. “I’m not like other men, Anya. I’m… something else.”

My pulse quickened as his words sank in. The cryptic nature of his responses, the way he moved so effortlessly, the way his presence felt… predatory. My mind raced to piece together the puzzle, but the answer came before I could even speak.

“You’re not human, are you?” I whispered.

The silence in the room stretched as MB studied me, his dark eyes unreadable. Then, with deliberate slowness, he nodded.

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “What… what are you?”

He stared at me, his eyes filled with a storm of emotions—regret, anger, fear. His jaw clenched, and for a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer. But then he spoke, his voice raw with the weight of his confession.

“I’m a werewolf.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and impossible. My mind rebelled against the idea, yet at the same time, everything began to make sense. The reclusiveness, the strange tension in his movements, the isolation of this mansion deep in the woods. I had stumbled into a world I didn’t even know existed.

I took a step back, my body trembling with a mixture of fear and disbelief. “A werewolf?” I repeated, my voice barely a whisper.

MB nodded again, his expression grim. “That’s why I live out here, far from the city. Away from people. I can’t control it sometimes. The beast inside me… it’s dangerous.”

My breath hitched, my heart pounding in my chest. This was insane. Impossible. And yet, as I stood there, looking at him, I couldn’t deny the truth in his eyes.

I should have run. I should have turned and bolted from the room, away from this man—this creature—but instead, I found myself rooted to the spot, unable to look away from him.

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked, my voice shaking.

He let out a slow breath, his shoulders sagging slightly. “Because you won’t stop. I can see it in your eyes. You’re too curious. Too stubborn. And if you dig any deeper, you’ll put yourself in danger.”

Danger. The word echoed in my mind, and suddenly, the gravity of the situation hit me like a punch to the gut. This wasn’t just a reclusive billionaire hiding from the public eye. This was a man fighting a war within himself—against something far more dangerous than I could have imagined.

I licked my lips, my throat dry. “You’re not going to hurt me, are you?”

MB’s gaze softened slightly, though the tension in his posture remained. “I don’t want to.”

The way he said it sent a chill down my spine. It wasn’t a promise. It wasn’t a guarantee. He didn’t want to hurt me—but he couldn’t say for sure that he wouldn’t.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to steady my breathing. “What happens now?”

MB ran a hand over his face, as if weary. “Now, you go back to the city. You forget about me, forget about this place, and you write whatever story you want.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “You think I can just walk away after everything you’ve told me?”

He looked at me, his expression hardening once more. “You don’t have a choice.”

A sharp knock on the door interrupted us, and Jonathan stepped into the room, his eyes flicking between MB and me. The air in the room shifted immediately, and I could sense the change in MB’s posture. His face became a mask of cold indifference again.

“Mr. MB,” Jonathan said calmly, “there’s a situation.”

MB straightened, his jaw tightening. “What kind of situation?”

Jonathan’s face was unreadable, but there was tension in his voice. “The pack is close.”

For the first time since I arrived, true fear flashed across MB’s face. He turned to me, his eyes dark and filled with urgency. “You need to leave. Now.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could say anything, Jonathan stepped forward, his expression stern. “This isn’t up for debate.”

Panic welled up inside me, but I couldn’t move. “What’s happening?”

MB’s voice was cold, decisive. “There’s no time to explain. You have to go. It’s not safe here anymore.”

The tension in the room was suffocating. Jonathan’s face remained impassive, but there was something in his eyes—something that told me this wasn’t just an ordinary threat.

I wanted to argue, to demand more answers, but the urgency in MB’s eyes made it clear that this was no longer about curiosity. This was about survival.

Jonathan stepped forward and grabbed my arm, his grip firm but not painful. “I’ll escort you out.”

I glanced at MB one last time, my mind swirling with questions and fear. But all he did was nod, his expression grim.

“Go,” he said quietly, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw something—regret, maybe, or longing. But then it was gone, replaced by the cold, distant mask he wore so well.

As Jonathan led me out of the study and through the winding halls of the mansion, my heart raced in my chest. The reality of the situation was beginning to sink in. MB was a werewolf. And now, there was something far more dangerous out there—a pack.

I didn’t know what was coming next.