Fated By The Moon

Calm Before the Storm

Luna stacked her books on the shelf, straightening the crooked titles like a nervous habit. Shadow trotted in, sniffed her shoes, and barked once before leaping onto the bed.

“Down,” Kael said from the doorway, arms crossed, watching. His voice was calm, but every word carried authority.

Shadow rolled onto his back at the command, paws in the air. Luna blinked. “He listens to you?”

“Most of the time,” Kael said, stepping into the room. “Don’t touch him without permission. He bites if provoked.”

Luna raised her hands. “Noted.”

He glanced around her room, lips pressed into a line. “Your room’s… fine. Don’t get used to leaving your stuff lying around. That’s my only rule for now.”

Luna frowned. “Only one rule? That’s generous.”

Kael smirked just a little. “Yeah. For now.”

She felt her cheeks warm. Something in the way he looked at her made her stomach twist—annoying, confusing, and not unwelcome.

Shadow barked again, this time at something outside the window. Luna froze, following the sound.

“Probably a raccoon,” Kael said without looking. Then he noticed her gaze. “Or a crow. Birds are loud.”

“Yeah, right,” Luna muttered, not believing him for a second.

Kael tilted his head, dark hair falling slightly over his eyes. “You’ll get used to this place. Eventually.”

“Eventually,” she repeated, unsure if she was comforted or irritated.

He turned to leave, pausing at the door. “I’ll show you the kitchen next. Don’t get lost.”

Luna’s lips twitched. “I’m seventeen. I can find the kitchen.”

Kael didn’t answer. Just walked out, leaving Shadow running after him,and Luna staring after him.

She set her jaw and unpacked a little more, trying not to think about how tall he was, or the way his eyes seemed to see too much.

Then came a faint scratching at the window. Luna froze, heart racing. Shadow perked up instantly, growling low.

Kael appeared behind her in a heartbeat, silent as a shadow. “Stay calm,” he murmured.

She swallowed. “It’s… nothing,” she whispered.

Kael’s gaze didn’t leave the window. “Nothing usually comes this close to my house,” he said, voice tight.

Luna felt a shiver run down her spine. Something in this house wasn’t ordinary. And Kael… he already knew it.

She didn’t like that. Not one bit.

But at the same time, she couldn’t look away.

Luna’s fingers hovered over the window latch. Shadow growled low in her lap, ears pinned back. Her heart thudded in her chest.

“Don’t,” Kael said behind her, voice calm but sharp. He stepped closer, and she realized he had moved without a sound, like a predator in the shadows.

“I—” Luna started, but he held up a hand.

“Just… watch,” he said, leaning slightly over her shoulder. Shadow’s growl softened, tail stiff.

Outside, the moonlight cast long, trembling shadows across the yard. The scratching had stopped, but something—something alive—had moved just out of sight. A faint shimmer on the garden wall caught Luna’s eye.

“Did you see that?” she whispered, almost forgetting to breathe.

Kael didn’t answer. His jaw was tight, eyes sharp. Slowly, he turned, scanning the hallway behind them as if expecting someone or something to appear at any moment.

“You’re… very cautious,” Luna said, trying to break the tension.

He smirked, almost imperceptibly. “I have to be. This house… my life… it doesn’t leave much room for surprises.”

She frowned, studying him. “ That’s a surprise

Kael’s eyes flicked to hers, dark and unreadable. “You’re not… me,” he said, voice low. “And I don’t… give second chances easily.”

The words made her pulse quicken, though she didn’t understand why.

Shadow barked suddenly, darting toward the hallway. Kael’s head snapped in that direction, and before she could think, he was moving, swift and silent.

“Stay here,” he called over his shoulder.

“I’m not staying!” Luna said, but her legs didn’t obey. She wanted to follow him, wanted to see… whatever had him so tense.

Kael didn’t wait. He disappeared around the corner. Luna followed cautiously, three steps behind, heart hammering.

The hallway was dim, polished wood reflecting the pale moonlight from the windows. Shadow padded beside her, tail low, nose twitching.

Then came the sound again: a faint scraping, almost deliberate, from the staircase. Luna froze.

Kael appeared at the top of the stairs, leaning slightly, body coiled like a spring. “It’s nothing,” he said, though his tone didn’t convince her.

“Nothing?” she whispered. “You’re telling me it’s nothing, but your body says otherwise.”

He gave her a sidelong glance. “You see too much.”

She felt heat rise to her cheeks. “And you don’t see enough,” she shot back.

A pause. Then a soft laugh—Kael’s. Almost a whisper, but there. “You’re bold. I like that. Don’t ruin it.”

Luna’s stomach twisted. That small, quiet acknowledgment did something to her chest she wasn’t ready to name.

Shadow barked again, louder this time, running up the stairs toward something unseen. Kael followed instantly, and Luna, driven by a mix of fear and curiosity, sprinted after them.

At the top of the stairs, she froze. Kael was crouched near the landing, eyes focused on a shadow moving just beyond the railing. Shadow growled low, hackles raised.

Luna peered over, heart racing. For a split second, she thought she saw… nothing.

But then—

A flash of silver fur, darting across the hall and vanishing behind a door she didn’t even know existed.

Kael’s eyes snapped to hers. “Did you see that?” he hissed.

“I—yes,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Kael’s jaw tightened. “Stay here.”

Luna bit her lip. She knew she should obey. She knew better than to argue. But the pull to follow him, to see it again, was almost too strong.

Something was in this house. Something alive. Something that even Kael didn’t fully control.

And Luna… she had a feeling she was going to be dragged into it whether she wanted to or not.