BLOOD MOON

Chapter 8

Haliya

I wasn’t able to convince Kieran.

No matter how I tried, his mind was set like a locked gate, stubborn and sealed shut. And I had a feeling… the more I pushed, the more determined he’d become to keep me inside.

So maybe I needed a different approach. Gentle. Little by little. I’d chip at the wall instead of trying to knock it down all at once.

With a sigh, I glanced at the small note he left on the side table. His handwriting was sharp, clean, like the way he carried himself.

Just heat up the food once you're awake.

I wasn’t sure if he cooked it himself or had someone else prepare it. Either way, it didn’t matter. The food was decent; steamed rice and a few slices of fried meat that were still soft enough to chew. I ate slowly, then washed everything in the sink.

The room was silent.

Kieran had left early. Probably off to do whatever mysterious business he buried himself in every day.

I stood in the center of his space and looked around again, this time more carefully.

Everything was... perfect. From the way the chairs were aligned to the exact angle of a framed sketch near the bookshelf. The cushions were fluffed, the glassware polished, and even the stacks of papers on his desk were sorted in rigid, organized piles.

I crossed the room and wandered toward the desk. Just a peek. I wouldn’t mess anything.

The top drawer was locked. Of course it was. I opened another—only scrolls, parchment, and some kind of black journal I didn’t dare flip open just yet. My hand hovered over it.

I could feel my heart racing. If Kieran walked in now—

Click!

My breath caught.

The door.

It sounded a soft creak as if someone was twisting the handle slowly. Panic shot through me. I dashed back across the room and threw myself onto the couch, landing hard against the cushions. I tugged the throw blanket over myself and shut my eyes quickly, pretending to sleep.

The door opened fully now. I didn’t move. Boots stepped in. A pause. Then slow, measured steps across the stone floor. I forced my breathing to remain steady.

Closer.

Closer.

And then…

A hand gently pulled the blanket up higher, covering my shoulder. There was a pause, then the soft rustle of clothing as the figure walked away again.

The door closed. I opened my eyes in a flash with a pounding heart.

That was close. I calmed my racing heart and counted the seconds until I was sure Kieran had left for real. When I finally stood, the silence returned like a whisper. My eyes drifted back to the drawer.

I moved slowly this time, cautious not to make a sound.

But just as I took a single step toward it. The door flew open with a violent crack, hitting the wall as if someone had kicked it. I jumped, nearly stumbling over the edge of the couch.

“I heard you brought her into your room!”

A woman’s voice echoed through the space. My gaze snapped to the door. Another woman.

Tall, fierce, and absolutely fuming. Her dark hair was pinned up messily, and her eyes burned with something close to rage when they landed on me.

Another sister?

She didn’t look like Amara. But the fire in her expression told me she had just as much, if not more, hatred buried inside her.

Then, from behind her, Kieran appeared. His jaw was clenched, his steps heavy, and his brows furrowed in irritation.

“Enough, Kali,” he growled.

Kali? Who is she?

She pointed accusingly at me, her entire body trembling. “See? She’s here! You lied to me!”

“I told you—” Kieran tried, but she was already storming across the room toward me.

I took a step back instinctively, bumping into the edge of the couch. “What is going on?”

Kieran stepped in between us with a speed I couldn’t track.

“Do not touch her,” he said coldly like a warning.

“She’s our en—”

“That’s not your concern anymore,” he cut in sharply, shutting her down before she could finish.

My heart skipped. What was she about to say? Enemy?

I blinked, stunned, the word looping in my head. Was I their enemy? Was that what I’d become?

I wanted to ask her. I wanted her to finish that sentence. But instead, I stood there frozen while they talked around me, like I wasn’t even in the room. Like this entire conversation was about someone else entirely. But it wasn’t. It was me.

“You promised me,” the woman snapped and her voice cracked. “You said you’d only—”

Kieran didn’t let her finish.

He reached for her wrist and gripped it tightly, pulling her toward the door. She stumbled but didn’t resist. Not really. Her eyes stayed locked on mine even as he dragged her out.

And then the door slammed shut. The sound echoed in my chest. I stood in the silence that followed, barely breathing.

What did he promise her?

I sank onto the edge of the couch, my hands shaky. She didn’t look like his sister. Not like Amara. No, this one felt different. More intimate.

A lover?

I hated how much that thought twisted in my chest. I hated the ache. It had to be the bond... this cursed invisible thread between us that tugged at my heart without permission.

Later that night, Kieran still hadn’t returned. I waited. I watched the door. But nothing. Not even a shadow passing by.

Instead, it was another servant omega who came in, carrying a tray of food. She looked almost identical to the one who brought me food the first time but something about her was softer. Calmer. She didn’t seem afraid of me… or maybe she just wasn’t as tightly wound as the others.

She moved to the small table near the kitchen and began setting the tray down.

“Hi,” I said gently, watching her work. “If you don’t mind… who is Kali?”

She paused briefly.

“Miss Kalista?” she asked, turning slightly to look at me.

Kalista. I'm not sure if that's her real name but it sounded right. So, I nodded slowly.

The girl glanced toward the door, as if checking if anyone might be listening, then went back to arranging the dishes.

“She’s our beta’s daughter,” she answered simply. “You haven’t met her before?”

“No,” I said. “Not until today.”

She didn’t ask why, and I appreciated that. She didn’t treat me like a prisoner or like a monster.

I liked her already.

There was something refreshing about the way she spoke. Open, but not reckless. Respectful, but not fearful. She wasn’t walking on eggshells like the guards or the others. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to answer my questions. Maybe she didn’t care. Either way… I needed her.

“Are you allowed to talk about people here?” I asked carefully.

She shrugged one shoulder, lips twitching. “No one told me not to.”

I leaned in just slightly, voice lowered. “Is Kalista… close to Kieran?”

There was a flicker of something maybe hesitation or discomfort but she didn’t look away.

“She used to be,” the girl replied. “Before you arrived.”

Before I arrived?

I sat with that thought for a second, stomach tightening. I wanted to ask more, but I knew I was already pushing the line.

“Thank you,” I said instead.

She gave me a small, polite nod and pushed the plate closer to me.

“Eat while it’s warm, Miss Haliya.”

Miss Haliya. Everyone here said it the same way. Like they’d been warned or trained. Still… this girl was different. And I had a feeling she could be the key to the answers Kieran refused to give.

“By the way, what’s your name?” I asked just before she reached the door.

She paused, turning slightly over her shoulder with a small smile. “You can call me Mira,” she replied.

And with that, she slipped out and closed the door behind her.

Mira.

I found myself hoping Kieran wouldn’t come back tomorrow not because I wanted him gone, but because I wanted Mira to return.

She talked to me. She didn’t flinch at my questions. She didn’t treat me like an outcast. She saw me.

I let out a breath and leaned back against the couch.

I could cook, if I really wanted to. It wasn’t like I’d never stepped into a kitchen before. But when I checked earlier, Kieran’s fridge was nearly empty. No meat. No vegetables. Just a few glass containers of dried herbs and one bottle of water that looked untouched.

So I guessed food would be brought to me, at least until he returned.

Not that I was complaining.

It gave me a reason to see Mira again.

And maybe, just maybe, she could help me uncover more of this place than anyone else was willing to.

Tomorrow, I’d ask her more.

Just a little at a time.

The same way I planned to break down every lie this place was built on.