Moonlit Bonds

Chapter 2

“I’ll have my usual, the Smokehouse Burger. Make it double today, and add grilled onions, tomato, and double bacon. In the combo with the curly fries and my usual coffee, black, two sugars, thank you, Daisy.” Jackson said in a way quite different from how any of them ever spoke to me.

“Sure, no problem eating in today with your brother and your unit?” I asked.

“Yup, usual table,” he stated flatly.

“No problem at all, that will be $25 today, Alpha Jackson. Are the others eating in as well? I can have their usuals sent to the table as well? They can pay when they're ready to leave.” I said, wondering if I was just going to be stared at all day for no reason.

Jackson nodded, his usual sharp gaze softening slightly. "Yeah, they'll all have their usuals." He glanced over his shoulder at his brother's table, then leaned in closer to the counter. "And Daisy? Be careful today."

My heart skipped a beat. Be careful? Since when did Jackson Steel care about my well-being? I kept my expression neutral as I processed the cash payment, but my mind was racing.

"Your order will be ready shortly," I said, avoiding his eyes. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

He shook his head and moved away from the counter, joining his brother's table with a casual ease I could never master. I punched in the rest of the pack's usual orders, trying not to look as unsettled as I felt.

Uncle Mateo appeared beside me, wiping his hands on his apron. His smile was easy, but I could see the tension in his eyes. "Everything alright, Daisy?"

"Fine," I murmured. "But something's off today. Jackson just told me to be careful."

Uncle Mateo's expression didn't change, but his nostrils flared slightly as he took in a deep breath. "Interesting. I'll have the team stay alert." He glanced toward the drive-thru window. "Any update on our volcanic sauce enthusiasts?"

I shook my head. "Millie's handling it. I haven't heard anything explode yet, so I assume it's going okay."

As if on cue, Millie appeared from the drive-thru station, her face carefully composed. She handed me back my headset with a subtle nod. "They ordered the mild sauce after all," she said, her voice low. "But the male passenger kept staring at the building. Took pictures with his phone."

A cold feeling settled in my stomach. "Security cameras catch his face?"

"Clear view," Uncle Mateo confirmed. "I've already sent the footage to Logan's security team."

I glanced over at Maison's table. The Alpha was still watching me, his dark eyes unreadable. When our gazes met, he didn't look away like he usually did. Instead, he held my stare, his expression shifting into something I couldn't quite interpret.

I broke the contact first, turning to prepare their drinks. The routine motions helped steady my nerves, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. The pendant against my chest felt heavier than usual, a constant reminder of secrets I carried.

"Order up for the Alphas," called the cook from the kitchen window.

I gathered their food onto trays, arranging everything with practised precision. As I approached their table, the conversation abruptly stopped. Five pairs of eyes turned to me, calculating and wary.

"Your orders, gentlemen," I said, distributing the food. "Anything else I can get for you?"

Maison's hand brushed mine as I set down his burger. The brief contact sent a jolt up my arm that I struggled to hide. His fingers lingered a second too long, and I caught a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"That's all," he said, his voice low and controlled. "For now."

I retreated to the counter, hyper-aware of their hushed conversation resuming behind me. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, anxious and alert despite years of suppression training. Something about Maison's touch had triggered a response I hadn't felt in years.

"You okay?" Uncle Mateo appeared at my side, his voice barely audible. "Your scent just spiked."

I nodded tightly. "Fine. Just... on edge."

The bell above the door chimed again, and I looked up to see two unfamiliar men enter. They wore casual clothes, but there was nothing casual about the way they moved—predatory, calculated, scanning the room with practised efficiency. Not pack members I recognised, but definitely wolves.

Uncle Mateo's posture shifted subtly. "Table four needs clearing," he said loudly enough for our security to hear the code.

I busied myself wiping down the counter, keeping the strangers in my peripheral vision. They approached the register, but their attention was clearly elsewhere—specifically, on the Alphas' table.

"Welcome to Sneakz," I said with practised cheerfulness. "What can I get for you today?"

The taller one smiled, revealing too-sharp canines. "Just browsing the menu for now. Heard this place has some... special sauces."

My stomach tightened at his emphasis. The Volcanic Sauce wasn't just a novelty item—it contained trace elements that could reveal a were's presence. In the wrong hands, it could be weaponised against our kind.

"Our sauce selection is right there on the menu board," I replied evenly. "Let me know if you have any questions."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Maison and Jackson exchange a look. Their unit had shifted positions, subtly boxing in the Alphas—a protective formation.

The shorter stranger leaned against the counter, too close for comfort. "Actually, we're looking for someone. Thought you might be able to help." He pulled out his phone, displaying a photo that made my blood freeze.

It was me—but not as Daisy Thompson. It was a photo from before, when I still wore my family crest openly. When I was still acknowledged as my father's daughter.

I maintained my neutral expression through sheer force of will. "Sorry, don't recognise her. Is she missing or something?"

"You could say that," the taller one replied, watching my reaction too closely. "Disappeared a few years back. Her pack's been searching ever since."

My pack. The words hit like a physical blow. I hadn't belonged to a pack in years—not really. The Steel Fangs pack offered protection, but I wasn't one of them. I was a ghost, existing after my true Uncle Dominick exiled me after killing my parents, Uncle Mateo was my father’s Beta.

"That's unfortunate," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I hope you find her."

Before the stranger could respond, I felt a presence beside me. Maison Steel stood there, radiating authority, his shoulder nearly touching mine.

"Is there a problem here?" His voice was deceptively calm, but I could feel the power rippling beneath his words.

The taller stranger's eyes narrowed slightly. "No problem. Just asking some questions."

"In my territory," Maison stated flatly. It wasn't a question.

Jackson appeared on my other side, creating a barrier between me and the strangers. The coordination between the twins was flawless, despite their usual friction.

"We didn't realise this establishment fell under Steel protection," the shorter man said carefully, tucking the phone away. "Our apologies, Alpha."

"Now you know," Jackson replied. "Your business here is concluded."

The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on. I kept my eyes down, focusing on wiping the same spot on the counter over and over, trying to look like a confused human employee caught in werewolf politics she didn't understand.

The strangers retreated, but the taller one paused at the door. "If you do happen to see her," he called back, "tell her the Graystone Pack misses their princess."

The door closed behind them with a cheerful jingle that felt obscenely out of place.

For several heartbeats, no one moved. Then Uncle Mateo was beside me, his hand on my shoulder. "Take your break now, Daisy."

I nodded mutely, untying my apron with trembling fingers. The Alphas said nothing as I slipped past them toward the back room, but I felt Maison's eyes tracking my every move.

Once inside the safe room, I collapsed into a chair, my carefully constructed composure crumbling. They had found me. After all these years, they had tracked me down. The Graystone Pack—my uncle's pack now, not my father's—was looking for me.

The door opened, and I tensed, only to relax marginally when Uncle Mateo entered, followed by—to my surprise—both Steel brothers.

"They're gone," Jackson said without preamble. "We had them followed. They're heading north."

I looked up, meeting his eyes directly for perhaps the first time. "Why are you helping me?"

Maison crossed his arms. "We protect what's ours."

"I'm not yours," I replied automatically.

"You're under Steel Fangs protection," Jackson clarified. "Has been since the day Mateo brought you to our father."

Uncle Mateo sighed heavily, looking older than I'd ever seen him. "It was bound to happen eventually. Your uncle has never stopped looking for you."

"He's not my uncle," I said bitterly. "Not anymore. Not after what he did."

Maison's eyes narrowed, “What do you mean, not your uncle anymore?”

“Please just leave me alone, Uncle Mateo. I’m going to clock off for the day and head up to my room, if that’s ok? Alpha Maison and Jackson, thank you, but I think you should get back to your friends. I wouldn’t want them to think I have enchanted you in any way. After all, I’m just a stray,” I said, rising to my feet to head to my room, it felt like I had already completed a six-hour shift, and I had only done an hour. “I'd better get back to my Uni assessments anyway, right, Uncle?”

Uncle Mateo looked at me with concern but nodded. "Of course, sweetheart. Take all the time you need."

I tried to move past the Steel twins, but Maison blocked my path, his broad shoulders creating an impassable barrier. His scent—pine and something distinctly wild—filled my senses.

"You're not just some stray," he said, his voice low enough that only those of us in the room could hear. "And you didn't answer my question."

I stared at the floor, fighting the urge to touch my pendant again. "It's complicated."

"Uncomplicate it," Jackson said, his tone softer than his brother's but no less insistent.

I looked at Uncle Mateo, silently pleading. He sighed, rubbing his beard—a nervous habit he'd had since I was a child.

"The boys deserve to know, Daisy," he said gently. "If they're going to protect you, they need the full story."

My laugh was bitter. "The full story? Even I don't know the full story." I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the warm kitchen. "All I know is that Dominick Graystone murdered my parents and took over the pack. He would have killed me, too, if Uncle Mateo hadn't gotten me out."

Maison's eyes flashed golden for a split second. "Your uncle killed his own brother? The Alpha?"

"Younger brother," I corrected automatically. "And yes. A power grab disguised as justice for some imagined slight." The words tasted like ash in my mouth. "He claimed my father was unfit to lead, that he was weakening the bloodline by marrying my mother."

Jackson's brow furrowed. "What was wrong with your mother?"

I hesitated, the truth hovering dangerously on my lips. Some secrets weren't mine alone to keep.

"Nothing was wrong with her," Uncle Mateo interjected. "She was extraordinary. But she wasn't from an old bloodline, and that was enough for Dominick to label her unworthy."

It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie either. I shot Uncle Mateo a grateful look.

"And now they've tracked you here," Maison said, his voice thoughtful. "After all these years."