THE HEIRS OF THE CURSED MOON

Episode 2

The Man Who Didn’t Belong

Elena’s POv

Sleep didn’t come easy. Every time I closed my eyes I felt the man’s arm against my chest again, the way I couldn’t breathe, the sudden heat from the pendant, and that howl that shook the windows. Mum had stayed with me on the couch until I finally dozed off. She didn’t talk much. She just kept getting up to check the locks.

When morning came, my body felt heavy. Dark bruises had already formed on my arms. Mum saw them the moment I walked into the kitchen. She didn’t say anything, but her face tightened.

“You should stay home today.”

“I’m fine.”

She didn’t push, but the worry stayed in her eyes.

The café felt different when I unlocked the door. The shelves had been cleaned up, but the scratches on the wall were still there. Customers came in like nothing had happened. None of them knew what took place here last night.

I was putting out pastries when the door banged open.

“I’m finally back!”

Serena rushed in, grinning, then stopped when she saw me properly.

“You look terrible.”

“Thanks.”

She hugged me, then noticed the bruises. Her smile dropped.

“What happened to your arms?”

“I fell.”

She stared at me. “That’s a lie.”

Before she could ask more, customers started coming in. We got busy, but I could feel her watching me the whole morning.

Around mid-morning, a regular leaned on the counter.

“Saw that black SUV again. Near the edge of town.”

The surrounding conversation dipped for a second, then someone changed the subject. I kept my head down and kept working.

Just after midday, the bell rang.

A man I had never seen before walked in. In a town like Ashridge, that alone made people look. Everyone knew everyone here, so new faces stood out immediately. He was tall, dressed in dark clothes, and quiet. He didn’t look around like a visitor. He went straight to the window table and sat down.

I walked over.

“What can I get you?”

He looked up. His eyes were a strange light grey, almost silver.

“Black coffee.”

I brought it to him. When I set the cup down, his fingers brushed mine. The pendant against my chest went warm, sudden and sharp. I pulled my hand back.

He noticed.

“You felt that,” he said, voice low.

“Felt what?”

He didn’t answer. He just looked at me for a moment, then picked up the cup.

I went back to the counter with my heart beating too fast. Serena raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

He stayed for a long time, barely drinking. Every now and then, I caught him watching me, not in a normal way, more like he was trying to figure something out. When he finally stood up and left, the café felt strangely quiet.

A few minutes later, Maya and Brooke walked in. Maya’s eyes went straight to the bruises on my arms, and a small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth.

“Rough night, Elena?” she said sweetly. “You should be careful. This town isn’t as safe as it looks.”

Brooke laughed under her breath.

I didn’t answer. Something about the way she said it made my stomach turn. They took their drinks and left.

Not long after, Mum came out of the kitchen. At the same time, a black SUV pulled away from the opposite side of the street. Mum stopped walking. Her face went pale. She watched the car until it disappeared, then turned away quickly, but not before I saw her hands shaking.

“Mum?”

“I’m fine.”

She wasn’t.

That night sleep still wouldn’t come. Every sound made me tense. I got up and looked out the window. The street was empty under the moonlight at first, then I saw something across the road near the trees. It was large and completely still, watching the café. It looked like a wolf.

My heart slammed against my ribs. I stared at it, frozen. It didn’t move. It just stood there looking straight at the building. I couldn’t tell if I was more scared or shocked. I just couldn’t breathe right.

Was it real?

I needed to know.

I pulled on a hoodie and quietly opened my door, moving down the stairs carefully so I wouldn’t make any noise. When I reached the bottom, I stopped.

Mum was standing alone in the dark café by the front window, one hand pressed against the glass. She didn’t notice me.

Then I heard her voice, very quiet.

“It’s starting.”

I went still. She said it like she already knew. Like she’d been waiting for this.

I stepped back without thinking. My foot made a soft sound on the floor. Mum’s head turned slightly. I didn’t wait. I turned and went back up the stairs as quickly and quietly as I could, my heart beating hard.

When I reached my room, I went straight to the window again. The wolf was gone. The street was empty.

I sat on the edge of the bed, breathing fast, trying to understand what I had just seen and heard. Was the wolf real, or had my mind played a trick on me? And what did Mum mean?

By “It’s starting”?

I didn’t know.

But the fear in her voice stayed with me long after I lay back down.