CRESCENT BOUND

The Warning

Elara's POV

The heavy oak door slammed behind me, and the entire room plunged into a dead silence. I remained frozen, my hand pressed against my medallion, closing the clasp before anyone could see inside. The man behind the desk—Alpha Roderick Blackwood—watched my every move. His eyes were the same amber as Kaelen's, but colder, sharper, as if he could read me like an open book.

"Sit down." His voice was low, like grinding stones.

I sat. Kaelen sat stiffly beside me, staring straight ahead, his fists clenched on his knees.

Roderick leaned forward, elbows on his desk. "Kaelen. Leave us. Wait outside. Don't listen. Don't speak to anyone until I call you."

Kaelen stood up immediately. "Father—"

"Now." The word was not a request.

Kaelen walked out without looking at me. The door slammed. Now, there were only the two of us.

Roderick fixed his gaze directly on my throat. "Open it."

My fingers tightened. "It's just a medallion. My mother's."

"It is not nothing. That symbol belongs to this family. No one else wears it. No one else possesses it." He stood up and walked around the desk, stopping right in front of me. "Tell me your mother's name."

"I don't know it." It wasn't a complete lie; Mara had never told me. "My grandmother gave it to me. Her name is Mara."

Roderick froze. "Mara." He pronounced the name slowly, as if remembering it. "And why did you come here? We don't accept outsiders. Not without a reason."

"I needed a school. She said this was the ideal place."

He studied me for a long moment, searching for something he couldn't see. "Listen to me carefully, Elara. You are here now. You follow our rules. Rule number one: You do not speak of anything you see here. Rule number two: You never go into the West Woods after nightfall. Rule number three—" He leaned closer, his voice dropping low and harsh. "You stay away from my son. Kaelen is betrothed to another. His path is set. You are not part of it."

"I'm not interested in your son." I raised my chin. "He started it. Not me."

"It doesn't matter who started it. It ends now." He returned to his chair. "If I see you near him again—if I see that medallion open—you will be gone before morning. Do not test me. I do not ask twice."

I stood up. "Understood."

"Good. Get out."

I walked out quickly, breathed hard, and pulled the door shut behind me to find Kaelen leaning against the wall right next to it. He detached himself from the wall the moment he saw me.

"What did he say?" He stepped in front of me, blocking my path. His voice was dry, angry—not worried. "Tell me."

"He told me to stay away from you." I tried to walk around him. "And that's what I intend to do. So move."

Kaelen didn't move. He grabbed my arm—hard, his fingers sinking in. "You think that's it? You think you can just show up here, wear something that belongs to my family, and leave like nothing happened?"

As we argued, Lila and the other students from the hallway paused, casting venomous glances our way. Lila stepped closer, crossing her arms with a bitter sneer. "Look at her, Kaelen," Lila scoffed, her voice dripping with pure disdain. "A pathetic stray wandering into places she doesn't belong, wearing trinkets she stole. She's a nobody, a useless little pest who doesn't even know her place."

"Shut up, Lila," Kaelen snapped at her, though his amber eyes flickered back down to me with equal fury. He turned his harsh gaze back to my face. "You heard her. You're nothing here. Less than nothing."

"I didn't ask for any of this!" I pulled away, but his grip didn't loosen. "And let go of me."

"Why should I?" His eyes flashed—bright, burning, something wild underneath. "You walked into my school. You sat in my seat. You're wearing something that isn't yours. And now my father is watching my every move because of you." He leaned in, his voice cold and cruel. "And if you think for even a second that I'll look at you or care about you, you're wrong. You're just a pathetic little nuisance, a total waste of space that I'm going to have to get rid of."

"Fine." My voice shook, but I didn't look away. "I hate you too. Now let me go."

He let go of me, so abruptly that I stumbled backward. "Don't speak to me. Don't look at me. Don't even breathe the same air as me. If my father sees us again—ever—it won't just be you in trouble. It's my problem. And I don't share my problems with outsiders."

"Believe me, I won't come near you." I turned to leave. "Ever."

"Elara."

I stopped but didn't turn around. For a heartbeat, I thought he might apologize. Maybe part of all this wasn't just hatred. But when I turned back, his face was hard, blank.

"Good. Because I'd hate to see you suffer. And next time, I won't stop."

He shoved past me and strode directly into the office, slamming the door behind him.

I stood there alone, my arm aching where he had gripped it. I held back my tears, angry with myself for letting him get to me. He is cruel. He is hateful. Stay away. That's easy enough.

I turned and walked down the corridor, leaving the building behind. The sun was setting rapidly, painting the sky in deep purple and gray. The air grew cold, sharp, laden with the scent of rain and pine. I pushed open the heavy front doors and stepped outside, pulling my jacket tightly around my shoulders.

I hadn't realized it was so late. The sky above was already ink-black, swallowing the last bruised streaks of twilight. The moon was rising—huge, silver, and full—suspended low over the jagged treeline.

I took a step off the stone porch, intending to head straight home when the wind shifted.

From deep within the shadows of the West Woods, a long, low growl tore through the heavy silence.

An icy shudder ran down my spine, freezing me in my tracks. And in the darkness between the trees, something heavy began to move toward me.