BLOOD MOON

Chapter 9

Haliya

"Why are you here?" I asked, my voice hoarse with sleep as I blinked up at the figure beside the bed.

Kieran.

Arms crossed. Brows furrowed. Staring down at me like I’d just asked the dumbest question in the world.

"This is my room,” he replied plainly. “Why wouldn’t I be here?”

I groaned and rolled my eyes, pulling the blanket up to my chin. Typical.

But my mind didn’t drop it so easily. When did he even come back? I’d waited for him, stayed up nearly all night listening for footsteps, for the familiar sound of the door opening. I must have drifted off around midnight.

Was he with Kali all night?

My stomach twisted.

Sex? My thoughts spat the word before I could stop them. Of course. Probably. Who knows?

I grit my teeth. I don’t care.

Really? my wolf nudged, her voice low and smug in the back of my mind.

Yes. I don’t care. It’s his life. His choices. He can do what he wants. I didn’t accept this bond, and I never will. But maybe… maybe I cared just a little.

Unfortunately.

"What food do you want to eat?" Kieran asked suddenly, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts as he moved toward the small kitchen.

I squinted at him. "You don’t even have food stocked. Why are you asking?”

He glanced back at me, lips twitching slightly. “You checked.”

Caught.

“So?” I muttered, flopping onto my back and staring at the ceiling.

“I’ll have something brought,” he said simply.

“Then why ask? Just do it,” I snapped, more bitter than I meant to sound.

There was a pause, and for a moment I thought he might say something else maybe throw a sarcastic comment or roll his eyes.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he turned away and opened a drawer. Calm. Like he was used to people snapping at him and had long ago stopped taking it personally.

I hated that. I hated how unbothered he always was. Like none of this touched him.

I sat up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. “Where were you last night?”

Silence.

“Let me guess,” I added when he didn’t respond. “With Kali?”

He didn’t turn. “I had business to take care of.”

Business, my ass. Kalista could be his business for all I know. Or care. Except I did. And that pissed me off even more.

I narrowed my eyes. “What kind of business? Woman?”

He paused, just for a second, before glancing at me over his shoulder. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Why?” he said, voice low and teasing. “Jealous?”

I scoffed, loud and bitter. “You wish.”

He turned fully now, leaning against the edge of the counter with his arms crossed, that smirk still playing on his lips like he was enjoying this far too much.

“I don’t have time to entertain women, Haliya.”

Liar!

“Oh? So Kali just throws herself at you and you let her?”

His smirk faded. Touché. For a second, the silence between us turned heavier. Not playful anymore. Just awkward. Real.

“Kali is just a friend,” he said after a beat. “Don’t overthink it.”

I didn’t answer.

Because truthfully, I shouldn’t have said anything. I’d pushed it too far. Why did I even bring her up? What if he thought I was just some jealous, territorial mate?

Which I wasn’t.

Not even close.

I just didn’t like her. The way she looked at me, spoke about me as if she knew every version of me I hadn’t even met myself. She hated me for reasons I didn’t even understand.

Just like Amara.

Maybe worse.

I hated all of them. Hated how they walked around like they owned everything. They could all just vanish, for all I cared.

“You should clean up,” Kieran said suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts. “I brought you some clothes. They’re in the closet. I’m sure they’ll fit.”

I looked down at what I was wearing, old pajamas, not torn or filthy, but definitely used. Worn out. They weren’t mine. He gave them to me the night I first woke up here. And now, I couldn’t help but wonder—

Whose were they before? One of the women from those cold cells?

I didn’t want to know.

I stood and dragged my feet toward the closet. It opened with a soft creak, and I was greeted by a small but neat row of folded clothes: some simple, others surprisingly elegant. Dresses. Tops. Even shoes. A few still had price tags on them.

Had he just bought these?

There were undergarments, too. All clean. New. That, at least, I was grateful for.

I reached for the simplest things I could find, a white sleeveless top and a pair of black joggers. Comfortable, nothing fancy. It felt like me.

I headed to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Warm water poured out, steady and strong, and for a moment I just stood there, letting the heat sink into my skin, willing it to wash away the tight knot in my chest.

My thoughts had wandered too far, drifting in circles I couldn't escape from, when a knock at the bathroom door jolted me back to the present.

“Hali, still not done?” Kieran’s voice came through the door, calm but edged with impatience.

I blinked. Hali? Since when did he shorten my name? I turned to the small wall clock beside the cabinet, eyes widening.

It was almost past nine.

Shit.

Had I really been standing here for nearly an hour?

The water was still running, the steam thick around me but I hadn’t even touched the shampoo or scrubbed my skin. I’d just stood there… lost in my head.

“I’m almost done!” I yelled back, probably a little too defensively.

I grabbed the bottle of shampoo and lathered it into my hair with hurried fingers, scrubbing at my scalp like I was trying to wash away everything.

The warmth of the water wasn’t soothing anymore.

It felt like pressure.

I reached for the soap next, gliding it quickly over my arms, legs, and neck before rinsing off and grabbing a towel. I wrapped it around me and stood still for a second, trying to catch my breath.

I dried off quickly and dressed in the simple clothes I picked earlier. They fit well, too well. Which made me wonder again if he really had gone shopping just for me. Or someone did it for him? Kali?

As I stepped out of the bathroom, Kieran was sitting on the couch, arms resting on his thighs, head tilted like he’d been deep in thought himself.

He looked up the moment I walked out. His eyes swept over me once, nothing inappropriate, just quiet observation.

“Feel better?” he asked.

I gave a curt nod, drying my hair with the towel. “I lost track of time.”

He nodded. "It's fine. Let's eat.”

He walked toward the small dining area, where the scent of warm food lingered, something sweet and savory. The plates were already set, simple but neat.

I followed him silently, my bare feet brushing against the cold floor.

He pulled out the chair for me like it was the most natural thing to do. I hesitated for a second before sitting down.

“Don’t worry,” he said as he took the seat across from me. “There’s no poison.”

I rolled my eyes. “That wasn’t even on my list of worries.”

He let out a soft huff—was that amusement? I wasn’t sure.

We began eating in silence. I poked at the eggs, unsure of how hungry I actually was. Kieran, on the other hand, seemed comfortable. Calm. Like this was just another normal morning.

It made me feel out of place.

Again.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked after a moment.

“Does it look like I did?”

He tilted his head. “You look better.”

I gave him a deadpan stare. “That’s your way of flirting?”

He chuckled under his breath. “Not flirting. Just observing.”

I stabbed a piece of sausage and shoved it in my mouth to keep from replying. He was too calm. Too composed. And that only made my thoughts spin faster.

“When will you let me out?” I asked out of the blue.

He paused, fork halfway to his mouth. “You’re not done with that yet? I told you, I can bring you outside. Just… not now.”

“Why not? I’m bored here.”

Is this your gentler way of convincing him? This looks rushed, my wolf chimed in.

Is it? I wasn’t even sure. Maybe I really was just impatient. I didn’t know how much longer I could take being cooped up in these walls. Maybe if I just saw what was outside, I’d feel something again. Maybe even find answers.

“We’re eating, Haliya,” he said, dry sarcasm dripping from every word. “How are you bored while eating?”

I blinked at him, then narrowed my eyes. “Don’t play stupid, Kieran. You know what I mean.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, a ghost of a grin tugging at his lips. “Okay, okay. I hear you, little flame.”

“Then act like it,” I snapped.

“You’re lucky you’re cute when you’re angry.”

I nearly threw my fork at him.

“Say that again and I will stab you with this.”

His grin widened. “You’d miss.”

“You’d be surprised.”

He leaned back in his chair, arms crossing as he studied me with a new kind of seriousness. “Alright. If you're that desperate to see the outside…”

I paused mid-chew, lifting my gaze.

“I’ll take you out later,” he said, voice calmer now. “But on one condition.”

I squinted at him. “What kind of condition?”

He tilted his head slightly. “A deal. You come with me, no running, no escaping, and no… attitude.”

I stared. That's a lot of condition.

He raised an eyebrow. “Do we have a deal?”

I didn’t answer right away.

But deep down, I already knew, I’d agree. Even if it meant bending a little. I needed to see what was out there.

“Deal,” I muttered.