BOUND TO HIS MOON

CHAPTER THREE

Kael watched the last of the injured men limp away into the darkness, their curses fading under the steady rain. He flicked the blood from his hooked blades with a sharp motion before sheathing them.

His golden eyes then dropped to the girl still slumped against the alley wall.

Serene looked utterly exhausted — soaked, barefoot, and trembling. Her thin nightdress clung to her body, and her dark hair stuck to her face. Kael wrinkled his nose in clear disgust.

“Human,” he muttered. “Completely human. What a waste.”

He stepped closer, towering over her. “Get up, kitten. I didn’t bother killing those fools just to watch you freeze to death in an alley.”

Serene slowly pushed herself up, using the wall for support. Her legs shook badly. “Who… who are you?” she asked, voice hoarse.

“You don’t need to know me,” Kael replied coldly, not even looking at her. “Just be grateful I was in the mood to interfere.”

He started walking without waiting for her. Serene had no choice but to stumble after him through the rain-soaked backstreets of Vienna. The city felt both familiar and alien at night — golden streetlamps glowing on wet Baroque buildings, the distant clang of a tram, and the faint scent of the Danube in the air.

Every step hurts. Her bare feet burned against the cold cobblestones.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked after a few minutes.

Kael didn’t answer immediately. “Somewhere safe for tonight. Stop talking so much, kitten. You’re already annoying enough.”

Serene clenched her jaw but kept following. After what felt like an eternity, Kael stopped in front of an old warehouse near the canal. He unlocked a heavy metal door and pushed it open, revealing a sparse loft inside with high ceilings and large windows overlooking the dark water.

“Get in,” he ordered.

Serene stepped inside cautiously. The moment the door closed, the pounding rain became a low rumble. Kael tossed a thick blanket at her without ceremony.

“You’re staying here tonight,” he said gruffly. “This isn’t my permanent place, but it’ll do. Dry yourself before you get sick and become even more useless.”

Serene wrapped the blanket around her shivering body. “Thank you… for saving me. But please — what happened to my grandmother? Those men took her. I need to find her.”

Kael leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his broad chest. “Not my problem.”

Serene stared at him, frustration building despite her exhaustion. “Who were those men? Why were they after me? And who are you really?”

Kael’s golden eyes narrowed. “You ask too many questions for someone who smells like a weak human. Go to sleep, kitten. You look like you’re about to collapse again. We’ll talk more tomorrow… if I decide you’re worth the trouble.”

He turned away from her, walking toward the large window. His tall, powerful frame cast a long shadow across the loft as he stared out at the rainy Vienna night.

Serene sat down slowly on the worn leather couch, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. She was safe for now, but everything she knew had been destroyed in a single night.