Daughter Of The Moon

CHAPTER 2 - UNWANTED ATTENTION

Once we managed to get our luggage inside we saw that all of our furniture had been delivered and set up in the house. Everything that we had sent ahead of us so it would be here when we got here.

I walked around the bottom floor of the house and even though there are so many of us, we had never lived in a house this big or nice before.

I looked out the windows on all the bottom floors of the house and we were surrounded by forest on three sides of the house.

It was really calming. It was quiet and isolated. Just the way we liked it. It’s usually the making of a good horror film, but when we’re the beasts that humans have to be scared of, it’s perfect for us.

We all found our bedrooms on the top floor of the house, and each one of us actually had our own rooms, which was also kind of strange. Two of the boys always had to share a room because we never had enough bedrooms in the past, but they had made sure we didn’t have to here. It was… impressive, really, and slightly intimidating.

Boxes were stacked everywhere, some half-opened and already spilling clothes and random junk onto the floor. I was in my room, trying to pretend I was being productive while the rest of the boys turned the hallway into a complete circus.

“Hey, Kael.” Jace’s voice echoed down the hall, teasing as always. “You planning to glare the furniture into place, or actually move something?”

“Shut up and lift the damn box.” Kael’s grumble carried just enough irritation to be funny.

“That’s not what he said last night.” Ryn added, and the loud crash that followed was probably Kael throwing something at him.

Soren’s calm, annoyingly smooth voice cut through the chaos. “You’re all idiots. Ryn, that’s my bag you’re kicking.”

“Then move faster, old man.” Ryn shot back, his words bouncing off the walls.

“You’re two minutes older than me idiot.” Soren muttered.

I could hear Jace laughing so hard he nearly choked on his own joke. “Careful, Soren. He’s got muscles now. One and a half, maybe two.”

A solid thump followed by a howl of pain—definitely Ryn—made me smirk. I shook my head, folding another shirt and smiling despite the chaos. “New house, same idiots.” I mumbled to myself, the faint smell of cardboard and fresh paint surrounding me like a weird kind of comfort.

Then Jace yells, “Hey, Kaia! Which room’s yours? I need to know which one to avoid when you start howling at the moon!”

I throw a shoe at the wall in the hallway, narrowly missing his head. “Keep it up and I’ll make sure you’re the one howling first!”

Dad had already gone out to scout the area. He had to make sure that we were safe out here. And as soon as I finished unpacking my room and I had it the way I wanted it I went to the kitchen to get a coffee and I sat on the front veranda looking out at the road in front of us and then the forest on the other side of the road.

There were a few kids that slowed down as they walked past the house from the forest. I assumed they’d been out for a run or they were wandering through the forest like normal werewolf kids…or they were just snooping.

I smiled and nodded at them, being as polite as I could while they stared at me, but that just made them walk faster past the house without saying anything to me. While whispering to each other.

I just took a deep breath and let it out, not letting anyone know that it was already starting to get to me. Even though we’d only been here a few hours, the unfamiliar smells, the strange noises from the woods surrounding the house, and the quiet tension under our family’s forced smiles were already settling in like a weight I couldn’t shake.

We hung around the house that day, helping Mom with anything she needed. I even ended up helping her in the kitchen to make dinner, chopping vegetables and stirring sauces while she hummed quietly to herself, the familiar rhythm comforting in its own way. Every now and then, I caught a glimpse of the guys laughing too loudly over some small joke, trying to mask the nerves I knew we all felt.

Finally, we all sat down as a family to have dinner. The guys were talking away, mostly Jace, about how excited he was to be here—new people, new faces, new friends. I glanced at Kael, and we both knew silently that it wasn’t going to be that easy. New places, especially this one, didn’t welcome outsiders overnight. We just hoped Jace wouldn’t get himself into trouble thinking people were going to accept us immediately.

It was going to take a while.

When dinner was finished, Soren and Ryn cleaned the kitchen while I slipped out the back door. The cool evening air hit me, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. I wandered across the backyard to the fence and leaned against it, staring out into the shadowy forest. My mind kept replaying everything I’d seen so far, analyzing each sound, each movement in the trees, trying to convince myself I wasn’t anxious.

I hadn’t been standing there for long before something caught my eye—a movement in the forest. My heart skipped a beat as a familiar face slowly emerged from the shadows. The Alpha’s son.

“So, are you planning on actually talking to me or are you just going to keep staring?” I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.

He stood there for a moment, his eyes locked onto mine, a smirk playing across his lips. Then, as if testing me, he slowly faded back into the darkness, leaving only the whisper of leaves rustling in the wind. I swallowed hard, wondering how long this silent game was going to last—and what it might cost me.

I just shook my head and stayed where I was. ‘Freak.’ The word bounced around in my head, heavier than I wanted to admit, but I didn’t move. I didn’t argue. I didn’t want to give anyone the satisfaction of a reaction.

When I eventually went back inside, I slipped quietly into my room and closed the door, the click of the latch sounding far too loud in the sudden silence. The house was massive, with four bathrooms. One was attached to my parents’ bedroom, and another ensuite was in my room. Lucky me. It was designed that way, a little private sanctuary in the middle of all this chaos.

I stepped into my ensuite, feeling the cool tile under my bare feet, and turned on the shower, letting the warm water wash over me. My long blonde hair clung to my back as I scrubbed, trying to scrub away the weight of the morning. The steam filled the room, fogging the mirror, but I didn’t care. I just let the water carry away the tension.

When I finally stepped out, I wrapped a towel around myself and caught my reflection in the mirror. For a split second, my eyes seemed to shimmer silver, catching the light in a way that reminded me of the moon. It was brief, almost a trick of the steam, but it made me pause. I blinked, staring a little longer, wondering if anyone else could see it too, if anyone would ever see.

I had to look back but when I did they were back to their natural blue color.

I thought I was going a little crazy at first, but I just shook it off and assumed it was because I was tired.

I went into my bedroom and I got dressed into a loose fitting shirt and a pair of shorts before I sat on my bed.

My wolf started scratching at the inside of my head, she was getting really restless.

“You are bound.” She whispered.