Moonlight Awakening

CHAPTER SIX

6: The Rules

Elena sat on the edge of the bed, arms crossed, her mind racing. The fire in the hearth crackled softly, casting flickering shadows on the wooden walls of the cabin. She had barely slept, and every time she closed her eyes, she saw Marcus’s piercing blue gaze, felt the terror of being hunted, and then Kieran’s touch—warm, steady, grounding.

Now, she was here, in a pack of werewolves, bound to them by some unspoken rule she didn’t even understand.

Kieran stood across the room, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. His golden eyes, sharp and unreadable, studied her.

“You should eat something,” he said.

Elena scoffed, shaking her head. “Really? You expect me to just sit down and have breakfast like everything is normal? Like I’m not being told I have to stay here because of some… pack rules?”

Kieran exhaled, his gaze shifting toward the door. “I told you last night, Elena. The pack has rules for a reason. If you break them, it won’t just put you in danger—it puts everyone in danger.”

She let out a humorless laugh. “Right. Because I’m so important.”

Kieran’s jaw tightened. He took a step closer, his voice low and firm. “You don’t understand what you are yet.”

Elena’s breath caught in her throat. “What I am?” she repeated. “I’m human, Kieran. I don’t have glowing eyes, I don’t have claws, and I certainly don’t have some weird ‘pack bond’ that lets me talk to people in my dreams.”

Kieran clenched his fists, as if forcing himself to be patient. “You don’t know that,” he said. “Not yet.”

Elena pushed off the bed, stepping toward him. “Then explain it to me. Stop giving me cryptic warnings. Stop telling me I have to stay here without telling me why.”

For a moment, he hesitated. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he sighed.

“Sit down,” he said.

Elena hesitated but relented, sinking into a chair near the fireplace. Kieran sat across from her, his gaze unwavering.

“There are three rules you need to know,” he said. “Rules that aren’t up for negotiation.”

Elena’s pulse quickened, but she nodded.

“One,” Kieran began, “you can’t leave the pack’s territory without permission. Ever.”

Her brows furrowed. “That’s ridiculous.”

“It’s necessary,” Kieran countered. “Marcus’s pack is dangerous. The moment you step outside our boundaries, you’re fair game to them. And they will come for you.”

The weight of his words settled on her chest, and she shivered.

“What’s the second rule?” she asked.

Kieran’s gaze darkened. “You can’t tell anyone about us. No humans can know.”

Elena’s stomach twisted. “And what happens if I do?”

Kieran’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Then we have to make sure that secret doesn’t get out.”

The implication sent a chill down her spine. “You mean—”

“We do what we have to do,” Kieran interrupted, his voice unreadable.

Elena swallowed hard, gripping the armrests of the chair. She had just stumbled into a world with rules she hadn’t agreed to, consequences she wasn’t ready for.

“And the third rule?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kieran leaned in, his golden eyes locking onto hers. “You don’t challenge the Alpha’s authority.”

She frowned. “Why would I—”

“Because packs work in a hierarchy,” Kieran said. “Elias is our Alpha. His word is law. If anyone especially an outsider questions his authority, it’s seen as a challenge. And challenges have only one outcome.”

Elena’s fingers tightened around the chair. “A fight,” she murmured.

Kieran nodded. “To the death.”

Her stomach churned. “That’s barbaric.”

“It’s survival,” he said simply.

Elena stared into the fire, trying to make sense of it all. She wasn’t a werewolf. She wasn’t part of this world. And yet, here she was, bound to them by forces she didn’t understand.

Silence stretched between them. Finally, she lifted her gaze. “And if I break the rules?”

Kieran’s expression didn’t waver. “Then I won’t be able to protect you.”

The weight of his words pressed down on her. He wasn’t making an empty threat. He was telling her exactly how things worked, how dangerous this world was.

She took a slow, steady breath. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll follow the rules. For now.”

Kieran studied her for a moment, then gave a small nod. “Good.”

But deep down, Elena knew one thing for certain.

She had never been good at following rules.

The next few days passed in a blur. The pack was wary of her, watching her every move with guarded expressions. She learned their faces, their names—Lila, the fierce second-in-command; Elias, the powerful Alpha; and the others who formed the tightly woven bond of their pack.

But they didn’t trust her. Not yet.

And she wasn’t sure she trusted them, either.

One night, as she stood outside the cabin, staring up at the moonlit sky, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned to find Lila watching her, arms crossed.

“You’re not one of us,” Lila said bluntly.

Elena stiffened. “I never said I was.”

Lila’s eyes glowed in the dark. “You should be careful,” she said. “Being Kieran’s problem doesn’t mean you’re safe.”

Elena narrowed her eyes. “Is that a threat?”

Lila smirked. “It’s a warning.”

Then she turned and disappeared into the shadows.

Elena exhaled, gripping the railing of the porch. This wasn’t just about following rules.

It was about survival.

And she wasn’t sure how long she’d last.