BLOOD MOON

Chapter 2

Haliya

The morning sun filtered through the window like a lie.

I sat on the edge of the bed, legs curled up to my chest, my father’s broken pendant clutched tightly in one hand. My eyes had barely closed during the night. Every creak of the wood, every sigh of wind made me sit up and listen.

Kieran said we’d talk today. He said I’d get answers. But as the minutes stretched into hours, I remained alone.

Until the door finally opened.

I stood quickly, spine straightening, expecting him.

But it wasn’t Kieran.

It was a woman.

She stepped in quietly, almost cautiously, holding a wooden tray with a bowl of soup, a small loaf of bread, and a cup of something steaming. Her outfit resembled something between a maid’s uniform and a healer’s robe: simple, faded fabric, a little worn at the sleeves, but neat.

She didn’t meet my eyes as she placed the tray on the table.

“Where’s Kieran?” I asked immediately.

She flinched slightly at the name.

My wolf stirred.

“Sir Kieran isn’t available at the moment,” she said softly, voice delicate but careful. “He instructed me to bring you breakfast.”

“That’s not what he said yesterday,” I snapped. “He said we’d talk today. I want answers.”

The woman hesitated. Her gaze flicked up, just for a second, and I caught a trace of pity or was it warning?

“I only do as I’m told,” she murmured, bowing her head before turning to leave.

“Wait... please,” I called after her. “Just tell me where we are. Please.”

She paused at the door, her hand on the frame, shoulders stiff.

“I’m sorry,” she said, barely a whisper. “I cannot say anything more.”

And with that, she left. The door locked behind her. I stood in the middle of the room, fists clenched, breath heavy.

What the hell is going on?

I looked at the tray on the table. It was the first real food I’d seen since the night of the ceremony, but it felt wrong to eat. Like feeding meant I was settling into captivity.

I sat down anyway, picking at the bread, my mind swirling.

He’s avoiding me.

Kieran knew I had questions. He promised answers. So why wasn’t he here? Was this some twisted game to make me doubt myself?

Or maybe… he was hiding something.

That seemed more likely.

I rose to my feet and began to pace. My eyes darted around the room again, this time with sharper focus. Every plank, every groove in the wall. Was there something hidden? Something I hadn’t seen yet?

I knocked on the walls. Nothing but solid wood. I pressed against the window. Still too high, still too narrow to escape.

Damn it.

I moved to the table and picked up the cup. Tea. Still warm. Fragrant, with a hint of lavender and… something else. Something almost herbal.

My eyes narrowed.

Are they drugging me?

I pushed the cup away, heart racing again.

What if this isn’t just about the bond? What if he wants something from me... something tied to my bloodline?

What if… I wasn’t just the daughter of an Alpha?

What if I was the secret?

I dropped back onto the bed, my mind spiraling. I'm going crazy.

The more questions I have, the louder they scream inside my head: twisting, clawing, tangling into something I can’t untangle. It was easier when I only had to worry about shifting. When life was just about the moon, the pack, and proving myself worthy of the title I was born into.

Now, it felt like everything I knew was a cracked mirror, and the pieces weren’t fitting back the way they used to.

I curled onto my side, fingers threading into my hair. My wolf stirred again, this time with a soft nudge, a wave of unease, almost like she didn’t know how to comfort me either.

“Where are you?” I whispered into the still air. “You said we’d talk today.”

But there was only silence.

No heavy footsteps. No lock clicking open. No voice in my head like last night.

He was gone.

Why?

I slammed my fist against the mattress in frustration. “Damn it, Kieran! Come out and say whatever it is you’re hiding!”

Nothing.

My chest ached. Anger simmered under my skin. I didn’t know whether I wanted to scream or cry or punch through the door.

What was I supposed to do to summon him?

You felt him reach into your mind, my wolf whispered. So reach back.

I sat up slowly, heart skipping.

Was it possible?

I closed my eyes and tried to remember the way it felt when he entered my thoughts, like a shadow sliding over water, smooth and unexpected. I had felt it, not just heard it, but felt it in my bones.

If the bond was real, even in the early stages, maybe I could call to him. The way mates could. The way destined ones were tied by something beyond their will.

I took a slow breath.

Kieran, I whispered in my mind. If you can hear me… come.

Nothing.

Kieran, if you’re playing games, I swear I’ll—

But then… something flickered. A chill, crawling down the back of my neck. My eyes flew open and I froze.

The air in the room shifted. Thicker. Heavier. Like someone had just walked through the wall. My wolf stiffened inside me.

And then—

“You called?”

The voice slithered into my head, smooth and amused. I shot to my feet, breath caught halfway in my throat.

“Kieran,” I whispered aloud, spinning to the door. But it didn’t open.

“Interesting,”he said, still in my mind. “I wasn’t sure you were ready to reach for me.”

“Why aren’t you here?” I demanded, speaking both aloud and through the mind link. “You said we’d talk today. Where are you? Are you playing with me?”

There was a pause, a long one that prickled under my skin like needles.

"I have some urgent matter to attend. I'll come back soon. Please be patient."

Patient?

My jaw clenched. My fists curled.

“Why do I feel like you’re lying?” I hissed. “Not that I trust you. You’re a stranger to my life. I don’t even know who or what you really are.”

No answer.

Just quiet.

Cold and deliberate.

“Just let me out of here,” I said. “I don’t need your saving.”

"I can't do that."

And just like that his presence vanished.

The connection cut off like a blade slicing through string. I gasped softly, suddenly aware of how hollow the room felt without his voice lacing through it.

He blocked me.

He actually blocked me.

“Coward,” I muttered through gritted teeth. “Lying coward.”

My chest heaved as I paced, faster and faster. My gaze darted once more around the room for what had to be the thousandth time.

Same old walls. Same old silence. I threw a hard punch at the one nearest me.

Crack!

Pain bloomed in my knuckles, but the wall didn’t even flinch. Not a dent. Not a crack. Just the dull thud of my hopeless attempt.

It looked weak. Weathered wood. Flaking in corners. But no, whatever it was made of, it wasn’t giving way. Not from punches. Not from kicks. Not from desperation.

I sank down against the wall, wincing as I cradled my bruised hand.

My father used to train me before I even had my wolf. We’d spar until our muscles screamed and the sky went dark. He always said, “The best wolves fight with their minds first. Teeth and claws come second.”

So where did that leave me now?

Caged. Alone. Lied to.

I exhaled slowly, trying to rein in the panic.

Kieran said he’s saving me… but everything about this feels like a trap.

He kept avoiding me. Refusing to let me out. Giving me crumbs of answers only to yank the truth away again.

No. I can’t sit here and wait for him.

I stood up again, ignoring the sting in my knuckles.

If brute strength wouldn’t work, I’d need to be smarter. Look closer. Think deeper. There had to be something in this room that wasn’t what it seemed.

I moved to the window again. Still too high, too narrow. But maybe... maybe there was something hidden beneath the furniture? Behind the walls? Under the floor?

My wolf stirred faintly, restless and alert. She wanted out too. She didn’t trust Kieran any more than I did.

I dropped to my knees and began feeling along the edges of the wooden planks, dragging my fingers across the floorboards, listening for a hollow sound.

Because one thing was certain:

If Kieran wouldn’t set me free… I would find a way to free myself.

My fingers brushed over one of the floorboards near the bed and stopped.It felt different. Smoother. Warmer. I pressed down.

Click.

A faint pop echoed beneath me, and the board lifted ever so slightly. My heart leapt. I wedged my fingers underneath and slowly pulled it up, revealing a narrow crawlspace. It was dark and dusty but open.

Without thinking, I slid inside. It was cramped, barely wide enough for me to move. I crawled forward, ignoring the way the wood scraped my knees and elbows.

After what felt like forever, I reached a grate. I pushed it open and stepped into a dim hallway. It was unfamiliar and lined with old stone, completely different from the wooden room I’d been held in.

I didn’t wait.

I ran.

Footsteps pounded behind me moments later, echoing down the corridor.

“Stop her!” a woman’s voice shrieked from behind. “She’s not allowed out—stop her!”

I pushed harder, ignoring the burn in my legs, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

But as I turned the corner, I froze.

Someone was there.

Waiting.

And it was...Kieran.