Daughter of the Moon

Chapter 6– part 2

[Luna pov]

I startled, my hands gripping the blanket tighter. My gaze darted around the unfamiliar room. “Who’s there? Who are you?”

A man’s voice, calm and deep, answered from the shadows near the window. “I heard you’ve been looking for me. My name is Marcus Kane.”

Marcus Kane sat in a high-backed leather armchair near the window, a faint halo of light catching in his amber eyes.

In daylight, there was no mistaking him. He was tall,easily over six feet,with the kind of presence that made the room feel smaller. His hair was dark but threaded with silver at the temples, not from age but from something heavier, like he’d been carrying battles far longer than most men lived. His features were sharp, cut from aristocratic angles: strong jaw, straight nose, high cheekbones. But it was the way he looked at me, steady, assessing, like he could see both my wolf and the girl underneath ,that made my pulse skip.

There was a quiet authority about him, the kind you didn’t challenge unless you were prepared to lose. My wolf stirred, conflicted, half wanting to push back, half wanting to bow her head.

“How long was I out?” My voice was rasped raw.

“Just under twelve hours,” he said, rising from the chair. He moved with a controlled, deliberate grace, like every step was calculated. He handed me a glass of water, his fingers brushing mine briefly. “Pushing yourself that hard after your first shift took a serious toll.”

The last thing I remembered was the black cat leading me through the city, the hum of magic as I stepped past the threshold,then darkness.

I tightened my grip on the glass. “I just… collapsed?”

A faint smile curved his mouth, but it didn’t soften the sharpness in his eyes. “You pushed your limits. But no, you didn’t hurt anyone.”

He crossed to the windows, pulling the heavy curtains wider, and for a moment the entire city seemed to bow beneath us.

“This,” he said, “is the top floor of Kane Tower. My sanctuary. Heavily warded. No one finds you here unless I allow it.”

“Why are you helping me?” I asked, my grip tightening on the blanket. I could still hear the spectral wolf’s warning about trust in my head.

He turned toward me, expression unreadable. “Because I made a promise to your mother. And because what the Council plans to do with you is an abomination against everything our kind stands for.”

“My mother?” The word caught in my throat. “You knew her?”

“Elena was…” He hesitated, something flickering in his eyes before he went on. “She was a dear friend. Like you, she discovered her true nature late. I helped her understand her powers,but I failed to protect her in the end.”

Before I could press him, a knock at the door drew my attention. A woman stepped inside, moving with the kind of controlled grace that spoke of both elegance and danger. She had long black hair streaked with silver, pulled back to reveal high cheekbones and eyes like polished obsidian. Her black suit fit like armor, every line precise.

“The Council is gathering,” she said, her voice as smooth as glass. “And Alpha Blackwood is demanding answers about his daughter’s whereabouts.”

My father. My chest tightened, cold and hot all at once. Had he known? Had he been part of whatever the Council was planning?

“Thank you, Iris,” Marcus said, his tone clipped but respectful. “Prepare the training room. Luna will need to begin learning control immediately.”

“Training room?” I echoed once Iris left.

Marcus’s gaze locked with mine, all warmth gone. “Your exhaustion is only the beginning. Your powers are dormant for now, but not for long. When they wake, without training, they will consume you,and everyone near you. The Council knows this. It’s why they want to bind you, control you, before they ever give you a chance to stand on your own.”

“I want to learn,” I told him, my voice steady. “Everything. About the Moonborn. The Council. My mother. No more half-truths.”

He studied me for a long moment before nodding. “Very well. But first, you eat. Regain your strength. Then we begin.”

Right on cue, my stomach betrayed me with a loud growl. His mouth curved into a rare smile, and it did something strange to my heartbeat.

“Food first,” he said. “Then we talk. Because make no mistake, Luna,the Council won’t stop hunting you. And what they plan is far worse than death.”

He led me down a short hallway, past a set of double doors carved with crescent moons. The air shifted as we entered warmer, scented with something rich and savory.

The kitchen was nothing like I expected. It was open and sprawling, all black marble counters and sleek steel appliances, but softened by touches of wood and plants that spilled green over the edges of high shelves. A row of enchanted lanterns hung over the island, casting a soft, golden light that made the place feel… lived in.

My eyes caught on details: a knife rack with blades etched in old runes, jars of herbs that pulsed faintly with stored magic, a steaming pot on the stove even though I hadn’t heard anyone cooking.

“This place doesn’t look like it belongs to a man who lives alone,” I murmured without thinking.

Marcus glanced at me over his shoulder. “It doesn’t.”

Before I could ask what he meant, Iris appeared, silent as a shadow, carrying a tray laden with food. A bowl of stew, thick with meat and vegetables. Fresh bread still warm from the oven. A glass of water and a small plate of fruit. She set it in front of me without a word, but her gaze lingered assessing, as though weighing more than just my strength.

I slid onto one of the stools at the island, hesitating only for a second before picking up the spoon. The first bite sent heat curling through me, chasing away the last chill of exhaustion.

I realized, mid-mouthful, that Marcus was watching me, not with judgment, but with the strange stillness of someone cataloguing every movement.

“What?” I asked, wiping at my mouth with the back of my hand.

“You eat like your mother did,” he said quietly, almost to himself.

Something in my chest tightened, but I didn’t ask him to explain. Not yet.

When the bowl was empty and the bread nothing but crumbs, I leaned back, warmth settling into my limbs. For the first time since shifting, I didn’t feel like I was on the edge of collapse.

I thought about Cayden. My father. Sarah’s calculating eyes. “Will I see them again? My pack?”

His expression softened, almost imperceptibly. “That depends on the choices they make. And the choices you make in the days to come.” He moved to the door, then paused. “Your mother once told me that being a Moonborn isn’t just about power,it’s about purpose. But purpose is dangerous, Luna. It has a way of getting people killed.”

As he left, movement in the hall caught my eye,the black cat from the alley, lounging lazily, its golden eyes glinting. It winked before melting into the shadows.

I turned toward the window, the city sprawling endlessly beneath me. Somewhere out there, Cayden and my father were looking for me. But were they trying to save me… or cage me?

For the first time since this all began, a flicker of hope sparked in my chest. Maybe here, in this strange tower with its guarded master, I could find the truth.

And maybe, just maybe… I could find myself.