BOUND TO HIS MOON

CHAPTER SIX

Towards evening, the sky over the hills had turned a deep orange, casting long shadows across Kael's luxurious villa. Kael stood on the second-floor balcony, phone pressed to his ear, his expression dark.

"Rogues?" he said coldly. "That much was obvious. What about the one leading them? Still unknown?" He listened for a few seconds, jaw tightening. "Keep digging. I want a name by tomorrow."

He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket, irritation clear on his face.

His gaze dropped to the private garden below. There, wandering between the rose bushes, was Serene.

Kael's eyes narrowed. He descended the stairs and strode into the garden, his tall, powerful frame cutting through the evening light.

"What do you think you're doing?" he growled as he approached her.

Serene turned, startled. She was still in the oversized hoodie and sweatpants. "I just needed some air. I've been stuck inside all day."

"This garden is off-limits," Kael said sharply. "No one enters without my permission. Especially not you, kitten."

Serene crossed her arms. "I didn't know that. You can't expect me to follow rules you never told me about."

Kael stepped closer, towering over her. "Then listen carefully. Rule one: You do not leave this property. Rule two: Stay out of restricted areas like this garden. Rule three: Stop asking endless questions and stay out of my business. Break any of these and I'll lock you in your room. Understood?"

Serene stared at him, annoyed. *How can someone look this hot and be so damn rude?* The thought made her cheeks warm, but she quickly pushed it away.

"I'm not your prisoner," she replied, trying to defend herself.

"I don't care," Kael cut her off coldly. "You're here because it's safer than you running around like bait. That's all that matters."

"Fine," Serene said, lifting her chin. "Then at least talk to me like a person, Kael."

He stilled.

It was barely a second — a flicker, there and gone — but she caught it. The way his jaw tightened. The way his eyes, gold and sharp, cut into her like she'd said something she had no right to say.

"What did you call me?" His voice had dropped, low and edged with something she couldn't quite name. Not quite anger. Closer to suspicion.

"Kael," she repeated, slower this time, watching him carefully. "That is your name, isn't it?"

"Where did you hear that?" It wasn't a question so much as a demand, each word clipped.

Serene blinked, caught off guard by how seriously he was taking it. "I heard the maid call you that this morning. Lilian. She said 'Master Kael said you should eat' — or something like that. I just assumed it was your name. Is it... not supposed to be?"

For a moment he said nothing, studying her like he was trying to decide whether to believe her. The silence stretched long enough that she shifted on her feet, uncomfortable under the weight of it.

"It's nothing," he said finally, the tension easing from his shoulders, though his eyes stayed wary. "Don't use it again."

"Why not? It's your name."

"Because I said so." He turned slightly, putting his back to the dying light, his expression unreadable again. "Names have weight where I come from, Serene. People don't just throw them around."

She wanted to ask what that meant — what kind of person flinched at the sound of their own name — but something in his face told her this wasn't a door he'd open tonight.

So instead, she let it go. For now.

"What about my grandmother?" she asked instead. "Any news about her?"

Kael was quiet for a moment before answering. "Your grandmother is not who you think she is. She is stronger than you know."

Serene's heart raced at his words, but he turned away before she could ask more.

"Go back inside," he ordered, already walking toward the villa.

Serene couldn't rest.

Later that evening, she paced restlessly around her luxurious guest room. The soft lighting and plush bed did nothing to calm her racing mind. She kept thinking about her grandmother — whether she was hurt, or worse. The worry gnawed at her.

She pulled out her phone and tried calling her best friend Lawra. The signal was terrible — only one weak bar. She tried again and again, but the call kept dropping. Frustrated, she sent a quick text instead:

*Lawra, I'm okay but something bad happened. Call me when you can. Please.*

The message failed to send. She sighed and tossed the phone onto the bed.

A knock sounded at the door. Lilian entered with a tray of food.

"Master Kael said you should eat," the maid said gently before leaving.

Serene sat by the window, picking at the meal, her thoughts swirling. She was trapped in a beautiful cage with a rude, ridiculously attractive stranger who refused to give her straight answers — a stranger who'd gone strangely still at the sound of his own name.

And she still had no idea how to escape it.