Lunar Claimed

Chapter 3

I needed money and a reason to stay out of the house, so I took the first job I could find.

The Howling Moon Diner sat on the edge of town like a tired old sentinel, its neon sign flickering weakly against the darkening mountain sky. The parking lot was half-full with trucks and a few motorcycles. I could already smell greasy food and coffee from outside.

I walked in still wearing my school clothes, heart still racing from the hallway encounter with the twins. My wrist hadn’t stopped tingling since Damien touched it. Every time I remembered the way they’d caged me against the lockers, heat crawled up my neck.

A middle-aged woman with tired eyes and a messy bun looked me up and down from behind the counter. She wiped her hands on a stained apron and raised an eyebrow.

“You the new girl Elias called about?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “Nova Kane.”

She studied me for a long second, like she was searching for something. “I’m Martha. We’re short-staffed and the pay is s**t, but tips can be decent if you’re fast and don’t talk back. You start now. Uniform’s in the back room. Try not to break anything on your first night.”

I nodded quickly and disappeared into the small staff room. The uniform was simple — a tight black t-shirt with the diner’s howling wolf logo on the chest and black jeans that hugged my hips a little too closely. I changed fast, tied my long hair into a ponytail, and stared at myself in the cracked mirror.

You need this job, Nova. Just survive the night.

The first hour was brutal. I nearly dropped a full tray of drinks, spilled hot coffee on my hand, and mixed up two orders within the first thirty minutes. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Every time the bell above the door rang, I half-expected the twins to walk in.

But they didn’t. Not yet.

By the time the dinner rush really hit, I was starting to find my rhythm. I moved faster, smiled politely, and kept my head down. The diner was loud with clattering plates, country music, and overlapping conversations. It almost felt normal.

Until the bell chimed again.

My stomach twisted violently.

Darius and Damien walked through the door like they owned the place. Sienna Voss and another beautiful dark-haired girl followed right behind them. They didn’t even look at the hostess — they headed straight for my section and claimed the large corner booth.

I grabbed four menus with slightly shaking hands and forced my legs to carry me over.

“Evening,” I said, keeping my voice as steady as possible. “What can I get you to drink?”

Sienna looked me up and down slowly, then let out a sharp laugh. “Oh my God. That uniform is tragic. Did they give you the kid’s size or did you just shrink in the wash?”

Darius leaned back in the booth, eyes dragging slowly over my body. His smirk was pure sin. “I think it looks good on you, little moon. Real good.”

Damien said nothing. He just stared. Those stormy gray eyes tracked every movement I made, intense and unreadable. It felt like he was peeling my skin back layer by layer.

I wrote down their drink orders, cheeks burning with embarrassment and something hotter. Every time I turned around to head back to the counter, I could feel their eyes on me. Especially Darius’s.

When I returned with the drinks, Sienna leaned forward with a cruel smile. “Careful with those creepy eyes of yours. People might think you’re a freak. Or maybe you’re just trying to get attention?”

I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to taste blood and stayed silent.

Darius suddenly knocked his soda over the second I set it down. Dark liquid spilled across the table and straight into his lap.

“Oops,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. His silver eyes sparkled with mischief. “Clean it up for me, would you, sweetheart?”

I grabbed a fresh rag and leaned over him to wipe the table. Darius didn’t move back. Not even an inch. His face ended up inches from mine. His scent — pine, rain, and pure masculine heat — flooded my senses so strongly I felt dizzy.

My breath caught.

Up close, his silver eyes were even more striking. Dangerous. Beautiful. The kind of eyes that could make someone forget every warning bell in their head.

“Smell good, don’t I?” he whispered so quietly only I could hear. His breath brushed my cheek. “Bet I taste even better.”

I straightened up so fast I nearly stumbled. My face was on fire. Damien’s gaze burned into the side of my face the entire time, heavy and possessive.

The rest of their meal was absolute torture.

Sienna made snide comments every single time I approached the table — about my hair, my eyes, my “trash” last name. Darius kept finding excuses to touch my hand when I refilled drinks or cleared plates. Little brushes that sent electricity racing across my skin. Damien watched everything in silence, like he was memorizing every reaction I gave.

I hated how aware I was of them. Hated how my body responded even while my mind screamed danger.

When they finally stood up to leave, I let out a shaky breath of relief and moved in to clear their table.

A thick wad of cash under Damien’s plate caught my eye. I picked it up. Almost two hundred dollars for a seventy-dollar bill. Tucked inside was a small folded note.

My fingers trembled as I opened it.

We’re not done with you.

My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it hurt.

I finished the rest of my shift in a complete daze. My legs ached. My mind was exhausted. The obsession in their eyes, the way my stupid body reacted to their scent and touches — it all terrified me. I didn’t understand any of it.

The parking lot was pitch dark when I finally stepped outside, the only light coming from the flickering diner sign. I headed straight for Grandpa’s old Jeep, desperate for the safety of home and the quiet of my room.

A shadow detached itself from the side of the vehicle.

Darius stood leaning casually against the driver’s door, arms crossed over his chest. His silver eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight, almost unnatural.

I stopped a few feet away, every nerve in my body suddenly on high alert.

“Move,” I said.

He didn’t. Instead, he pushed off the Jeep and stepped closer, slowly backing me up until my back hit the cold metal. His body was so close I could feel the heat radiating from him.

“You’ve been avoiding us all evening,” he murmured, voice low and rough. “But you can’t avoid this forever.”

I pressed my hands against his chest, trying to create space. It was a mistake. The moment I touched him, that same electric heat flared between us.

Darius looked down at me with dark hunger. “Your grandfather didn’t tell you what you are, did he?”