Things Better Left Buried
1261 Words
Things Better Left Buried
Noah
The moment I saw Luna Blackwood that morning, I knew something was wrong.
Not with her.
With me.
I noticed her before she noticed me.
I always did.
The crowded hallway buzzed with excitement as students celebrated their final day, but my attention drifted toward the back of the building where she stood near the windows.
Alone.
Again.
A familiar ache settled in my chest.
I hated that ache.
Hated what it meant.
For years, I’d convinced myself I didn’t care.
That Luna Blackwood was just another pack member.
Just another problem.
Just another secret.
But every time I saw her, my wolf stirred.
Not because she was my mate.
I hadn’t discovered that yet.
Something else.
Something older.
Something I couldn’t explain.
“You’re staring.”
I glanced at my best friend, Ethan.
“No, I’m not.”
He laughed.
“You absolutely are.”
I shoved him lightly.
“Shut up.”
His grin widened.
“Still picking on her?”
The question irritated me more than it should have.
“Mind your business.”
Ethan raised both hands.
“Touchy.”
I ignored him.
Because he didn’t understand.
Nobody understood.
Not even me.
My gaze drifted back to Luna.
She was talking to Maya.
Dark hair falling over one shoulder.
Her eyes looked tired.
Sad.
Like they always did lately.
A sharp feeling of guilt twisted inside me.
I immediately pushed it away.
Guilt changed nothing.
It never had.
The first time my father warned me about Luna, I was twelve.
I remembered it perfectly.
I had just come home after spending the entire afternoon with her.
We’d raced through the forest.
Built a fort near the river.
Laughed until our stomachs hurt.
Normal kid stuff.
I thought nothing of it.
Until my father called me into his office.
Alpha Adrian Nightfang wasn’t just my father.
He was the Alpha.
The strongest wolf in the territory.
When he ordered someone into his office, they came.
Immediately.
I entered expecting another lecture about training.
Instead, I found him staring out the window.
His expression was grim.
“Sit.”
I obeyed.
Something felt wrong.
He remained silent for several seconds.
Then finally spoke.
“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Luna Blackwood.”
I smiled.
“She’s my friend.”
His jaw tightened.
“That ends today.”
The smile vanished.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
I stared at him.
Confused.
Angry.
“H-Why?”
He turned toward me.
The look in his eyes unsettled me.
Because it wasn’t anger.
It wasn’t disappointment.
It was fear.
Real fear.
“You need to stay away from her.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to understand.”
“I like her.”
The second the words left my mouth, his expression darkened.
“That is exactly the problem.”
Even now, twelve years later, those words haunted me.
Because he never explained.
Never told me why.
Only that Luna was dangerous.
Not dangerous to herself.
Dangerous to everyone.
The memory faded as I walked through the school hallway.
My eyes found Luna again.
At the exact moment she looked up.
For one brief second, everything around us disappeared.
The noise.
The students.
The conversations.
Gone.
Just her.
Then she rolled her eyes.
And the moment shattered.
Good.
Much safer that way.
I forced the familiar smirk onto my face.
The one everyone expected.
The one she hated.
“Still here, Blackwood?”
The irritation in her eyes appeared instantly.
Something inside me relaxed.
Better.
Angry Luna was easier.
I understood angry Luna.
The other version…
The one who looked hurt whenever she thought nobody was watching…
That version destroyed me.
After a few more sarcastic comments, I turned away.
Before I could stop myself, I said:
“You should be careful tomorrow.”
Stupid.
Very stupid.
Her expression immediately changed.
Confusion.
Suspicion.
Questions.
Too many questions.
I left before she could ask any of them.
By afternoon I was standing in the Alpha House training yard.
Punching a heavy bag.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Sweat dripped down my forehead.
My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin.
Unhappy.
Agitated.
The closer Luna got to her eighteenth birthday, the worse it became.
Something was changing.
I could feel it.
A voice interrupted my thoughts.
“You’re distracted.”
I stopped.
My father stood near the entrance.
Watching.
Judging.
Like always.
“I’m training.”
“No.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You’re worrying.”
My jaw tightened.
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Silence stretched between us.
The Alpha sighed.
“You saw Luna today.”
Not a question.
A statement.
I hated that he already knew.
“Yes.”
“And?”
I looked away.
The answer felt dangerous.
Because I didn’t know how to explain it.
Something about her felt different lately.
Stronger.
Like a storm approaching.
Like standing near lightning before it strikes.
“I think something’s happening.”
His expression immediately hardened.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know.”
Which was true.
“I just feel it.”
For a brief moment, fear flickered across his face.
The same fear I’d seen twelve years ago.
Then it disappeared.
Gone behind the mask of an Alpha.
“You need to stay away from her.”
Again.
Always the same answer.
Stay away.
Avoid her.
Ignore her.
Pretend she didn’t matter.
I was tired of hearing it.
“Twelve years.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
My father’s eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“You’ve been saying the same thing for twelve years.”
Silence.
Dangerous silence.
Then:
“There are things you don’t understand.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Maybe because nobody tells me anything.”
His wolf pushed against the surface.
A warning.
The Alpha didn’t like being challenged.
I didn’t care.
Not anymore.
“What are you so afraid of?” I demanded.
His gaze locked onto mine.
Cold.
Sharp.
Terrified.
“That girl becoming what she was born to be.”
The words hung between us.
Heavy.
Meaningful.
Confusing.
Before I could ask another question, he walked away.
Leaving me with more questions than answers.
Just like always.
That night I couldn’t sleep.
The full moon illuminated my bedroom.
Silver light spilled across the floor.
My wolf remained restless.
Pacing.
Waiting.
Listening.
For what, I didn’t know.
Finally, frustrated, I climbed out the window and headed toward the forest.
The familiar trails calmed me.
Usually.
Tonight they felt different.
The air itself seemed charged.
Electric.
Alive.
Then a scent reached me.
My steps slowed.
Luna.
She was nearby.
Without thinking, I followed.
The scent led deeper into the woods.
Past old trails.
Past forgotten paths.
Until I spotted her standing alone beneath the trees.
Moonlight wrapped around her like silver fire.
She looked small.
Fragile.
Lost.
For a second I simply watched.
Then she staggered backward.
A gasp escaped her lips.
Fear crossed her face.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
I took a step forward.
Instinct screamed at me to help.
To protect.
To—
The forest exploded with a distant howl.
Luna froze.
I froze.
My wolf surged violently inside me.
Not in anger.
Not in fear.
Recognition.
The sensation hit so hard my knees nearly buckled.
Impossible.
The feeling vanished before I could understand it.
But one thought remained.
Something was waking.
Something that should have stayed asleep.
And somehow…
Luna Blackwood was at the center of it.
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