BLOOD MOON REIGN

BLOOD MOON REIGN Chapter 1: The House Behind the Iron Gates Some doors lead to a new beginning. Others open into a destiny that should have remained buried. The night Seraphina Vale arrived at Blackthorne Manor, the moon was red. She noticed it before anything else. Beyond the rain-streaked window of her mother's black sedan, a crimson circle hung above the mountains, bathing the endless forest in an eerie glow. The trees seemed darker beneath its light, their twisted branches resembling fingers reaching toward the sky. Seraphina pressed her forehead against the cold glass. "Mom," she whispered. "Is the moon supposed to look like that?" Elara Vale glanced upward. For one brief moment, the color drained from her face. Then she looked away. "It's just an atmospheric phenomenon, sweetheart." "You sound like you're trying to convince yourself." "Seraphina." One word. A warning. Seraphina sighed and returned her attention to the passing forest. She had learned long ago that certain questions turned her mother's expression into a locked door. Her father was one of those questions. Her childhood before the age of five was another. And now, apparently, the moon had joined the list. Three weeks ago, Elara had announced that she was marrying Darius Blackthorne. Three weeks ago, Seraphina had learned that she would be leaving their little apartment behind and moving into a mansion belonging to one of the wealthiest families in the country. She had expected an uncomfortable adjustment. She hadn't expected the mansion to look like something out of a nightmare. The car slowed. Two enormous iron gates stood between the road and a sweeping driveway. Silver wolves were carved into their black surface, their jaws open beneath a crown of thorns. As the headlights illuminated the crest, a strange sensation crawled across Seraphina's skin. The crescent-shaped birthmark on her wrist began to burn. She jerked her hand beneath her sleeve. "What is it?" Elara asked. "Nothing." Her mother studied her for a second before looking toward the driver. "Open the gates." ached the vehicle he saw the Blackthorn. A guard approached the vehicle. The moment he saw the Blackthorne insignia on the hood, he bowed and spoke into a radio. The gates opened slowly. And somewhere deep within the forest, a wolf howled. Not an ordinary howl. This one sounded almost like a warning. The Alpha's House :- Blackthorne Manor rose from the mountainside like a fortress built to survive the end of the world. Its dark stone walls were covered with climbing ivy. Narrow windows glowed with golden light, and two enormous staircases led to a set of carved oak doors. Beyond the mansion stretched a private forest, a lake reflecting the crimson moon, and a collection of buildings that looked more like a royal estate than a family home. Seraphina stepped out of the car. Cold air brushed her cheeks. For reasons she couldn't explain, the moment her shoes touched the ground, the strange pressure in her chest intensified. She felt watched. Not by the guards standing beside the entrance. By something inside the house. "Welcome home, darling." Elara's voice sounded hopeful as she joined her daughter beside the car. Seraphina looked at her. "Is it really home if I've never been here before?" Her mother didn't answer immediately. Before she could respond, the front doors opened. A tall man emerged, accompanied by two servants. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, and sil- ver threaded through his dark hair at the temples. His face was handsome in a severe, intimidating way, with pale grey eyes that seemed to evaluate everything they encountered. Darius Blackthorne. The man who had become her stepfather. "Elara." His expression softened as he approached her mother. "The journey was long?" "Long enough." Elara smiled and accepted his embrace. Darius kissed her forehead before turning toward Seraphina. "So," he said, "you must be Seraphina." "Yes, sir." "There's no need for that. You may call me Darius." Seraphina nodded politely. He examined her for a moment. His gaze paused briefly on her face, then moved to her wrist, where the edge of her sleeve had slipped upward. His expression changed. Only slightly. But Seraphina noticed. "Is something wrong?" she asked. "No." Darius straightened his cuffs. "You resemble someone I once knew." "Someone you liked?" "Someone I should have remembered better." Before she could ask what that meant, he turned toward the entrance. "Come inside. The staff have prepared your rooms." As Seraphina followed him, she glanced back at the gates. For one impossible second, she thought she saw a shadow standing among the trees. A pair of golden eyes shone in the darkness. Then lightning flashed. The forest was empty. The Boy Upstairs The mansion smelled of cedarwood, expensive perfume, and something metallic that Seraphina couldn't identify. The entrance hall was enormous. A chandelier hung above a black marble floor, and portraits of stern-looking men and women lined the walls. Each portrait carried the same silver wolf crest. At the far end stood a staircase that divided into two separate flights. Darius gestured toward the portraits. "These are the leaders of our family. The Blackthornes have governed the Nightfall estate for gen- erations." "That's a lot of portraits," Seraphina remarked. "They represent our history." "Do they all look this unhappy?" Elara gave her a warning look. But Darius laughed. A genuine laugh, Seraphina thought with surprise. "You're observant. I suspect you'll find this house interesting." "I'm already finding it strange." "Strange things are not always dangerous." Before Seraphina could respond, a voice came from the upper landing. "Some things are both." She looked up. A young man leaned against the banister. He wore a black shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, dark trousers, and an expression of ab- solute indifference. His hair was untidy in a way that looked deliberate. His amber eyes rested on Seraphina, studying her as though she were an unexpected problem someone had left at his door. He was, irritatingly, beautiful. That was Seraphina's first thought. Her second was that he looked like the sort of person who knew exactly how beautiful he was. "Kael," Darius said. "Come down." The young man descended the staircase with unhurried confidence. Seraphina had heard the name before. Kael Blackthorne. Her new stepbrother. The future Alpha of Nightfall. According to her mother's description, he was disciplined, intelligent, and respected by everyone who knew him. No one had mentioned that he looked at strangers as if deciding where to bury them. Kael stopped in front of her. "You're the human." The words were quiet, but the insult was unmistakable. Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "And you're the welcome committee?" Elara inhaled sharply. Darius's mouth twitched. Kael's expression remained unchanged. "Do you always answer questions with questions?" "Only when the original question is rude." For the first time, something flickered in his eyes. Interest. It disappeared almost immediately. "Father," Kael said, turning away, "you didn't mention that she had a mouth." "And you didn't mention that you had manners," Seraphina replied. Silence filled the entrance hall. One of the servants suddenly became fascinated by a nearby vase. Darius cleared his throat. "Enough. Seraphina will be living here from now on. I expect both of you to treat each other with respect." Kael looked at Seraphina again. "Of course." His tone suggested that he had no intention of doing anything of the sort. Then he leaned closer-not enough to touch her, but close enough that she noticed the unusual warmth of his presence. "One piece of advice, little stepsister." The word sounded like a challenge. "Stay away from the east wing. And if you hear anything calling your name after midnight, don't an- swer it." Seraphina stared at him. "Is that supposed to frighten me?" "No." His amber eyes seemed to brighten beneath the chandelier. "It's supposed to keep you alive." He walked away before she could respond. Seraphina watched him disappear up the staircase. "Charming," she muttered. Darius sighed. "He has a tendency to be difficult." "That's one way to describe him." Elara touched her daughter's shoulder. "Give him time. You are both adjusting." Seraphina doubted time could improve a boy who introduced himself by insulting her humanity. But she had a more pressing concern. "What exactly is in the east wing?" Her mother and stepfather exchanged a glance. It lasted barely a second. It was still long enough for Seraphina to notice. "Nothing you need to worry about," Darius said. For the second time that night, someone had given her an answer that sounded suspiciously like a lie. A Room Full of Secrets Seraphina's bedroom was larger than the entire apartment she had shared with her mother. A four-poster bed stood beneath a vaulted ceiling. Tall windows overlooked the forest, while a fire- place illuminated the dark wood furniture with a gentle orange glow. Fresh flowers rested on a dressing table, and a silver key had been placed beside a handwritten welcome note. It was beautiful. It was also suffocating. Seraphina dropped her suitcase beside the bed and approached the window. From here, she could see the academy buildings in the distance, their towers rising above the trees. A narrow path wound through the forest toward a lake that reflected the blood-red moon. Something moved near the water. A wolf. It stood at the edge of the lake, staring directly at her window. Seraphina blinked. The animal was enormous, its fur black as midnight. Even from this distance, she could see the faint golden glow of its eyes. She stepped away from the glass. When she looked again, the wolf was gone. A knock interrupted her thoughts. Elara entered carrying a small velvet box. "I wanted to give you this before tomorrow." Inside lay a delicate silver necklace. Its pendant was shaped like a crescent moon surrounded by seven tiny stars. Seraphina recognized the symbol immediately. It was identical to the birthmark on her wrist. She looked up. "Where did you get this?" "It belonged to your father." The room seemed to grow colder. "My father?" Elara's fingers tightened around the box. "I should have told you more about him. I know that. But there are things about your past that you aren't ready to understand." "How can you decide that for me?" "I am trying to protect you." "From what?" Her mother opened her mouth. Then closed it. Seraphina laughed bitterly. "Of course. Another secret." She pushed the box away. Elara looked as though Seraphina had struck her. "Please," she whispered. "Whatever happens, promise me you won't trust everything you hear in this house." Seraphina's anger faltered. "Not even Darius?" Her mother didn't answer. Instead, she placed the necklace on the dressing table and left. Seraphina stood motionless long after the door closed. Outside, the wolf howled again. This time, something inside her answered. Not with a sound. With a feeling. A strange, aching recognition, as if some forgotten part of her had finally awakened. She pressed her hand against her chest. "What is happening to me?" The crescent on her wrist glowed beneath her sleeve. And somewhere in the mansion, a door slammed shut. ### The First Warning At midnight, Seraphina woke to the sound of scratching. Three slow strokes came from the other side of her bedroom door. She sat up, her heart pounding. "Hello?" Silence. Then a whisper. "Seraphina." She froze. The voice sounded like a woman speaking from the bottom of a deep well. She remembered Kael's warning. If you hear anything calling your name after midnight, don't answer it. Another scratch. "Seraphina, open the door." Her hand moved toward the silver key on the bedside table. Something stopped her. A cold certainty settled over her mind. Whatever stood outside wasn't her mother. Seraphina backed away from the door. The whisper changed. It became angry. "YOU DON'T BELONG HERE." The lights flickered. A shadow slid beneath the door, stretching across the floor like black smoke. Then, suddenly, everything stopped. Seraphina waited, barely breathing. Footsteps sounded in the corridor. A door opened somewhere nearby. Then came a low, furious growl. Not human. The shadow vanished. Seraphina rushed to the door and unlocked it. The corridor was empty except for Kael, standing several feet away in the darkness. His hair was disheveled, and his amber eyes glowed with an unnatural intensity. For a moment, neither spoke. Then his gaze fell to her wrist. The crescent birthmark shone through her sleeve. Kael went completely still. "Where did you get that mark?" Seraphina pulled her sleeve down. "Why do you care?" He took one step toward her. "Answer me." "No. You don't get to order me around just because your father married my mother." Something dangerous flashed across his face. Then his expression changed. Beneath the anger was something Seraphina couldn't identify. Fear. He stared at her as though she had become someone else entirely. "What did you hear?" he asked. She hesitated. "A woman calling my name." Kael's jaw tightened. "What did she say?" "That I don't belong here." For several seconds, he said nothing. Then he looked toward the far end of the corridor, where the shadows gathered beneath an an- cient wooden door. "The east wing," he murmured. Seraphina followed his gaze. A thin line of crimson light glowed beneath the door. "What is this place?" she whispered. Kael turned back to her. For the first time since they had met, he looked less like an arrogant prince and more like a boy standing on the edge of something he couldn't control. "I don't know what you are, Seraphina." His voice dropped to a near whisper. "But whatever came looking for you tonight has been dead for eighteen years." Before she could ask what he meant, a deafening howl shook the mansion. Every light in the corridor went dark. And in the blackness, Seraphina felt Kael seize her hand. His fingers tightened around hers. Not possessively. Desperately. Then a voice echoed through the darkness-a voice that came from everywhere and nowhere at once. "THE FORBIDDEN HEIR HAS RETURNED." Kael stopped breathing. Seraphina felt the crescent on her wrist burn like fire. And far above Blackthorne Manor, the Blood Moon turned a deeper shade of crimson.