BENEATH THE MOON'S BITE

LUCA

Rafe froze mid-step, his shoulders squared and he folded his fists like he was ready to fight the door itself. The knock came again. It echoed like war drums in the silence of the room.

"Stay here," he said, his voice went low, and lethal, that wasn't a suggestion.

I sat up slowly, the bed sheets slipping from my chest, and my heart pounding as I strained to hear more. I didn't imagine it, that voice, it was rough, older, and familiar in the worst way possible, and now it had clawed its way out of my memories and slammed itself into the present.

My brother was dead.

I saw the coffin....I saw the blood.

I remember screaming myself hoarse while they lowered it into the ground.

Rafe reached the front door and paused, sniffing the air like it might offer answers. His knuckles hovered over the handle.

"Rafe....wait," I whispered, fully sliding out of bed. My legs were weak, and still trembling from earlier, but I couldn't sit still. "What if it's not real? What if someone's messing with me?"

He didn't respond. His whole body was like a statue, but the energy rolling off him was Alpha level.

Then he opened the door.

A man stood there, tall, broad, and draped in a black hoodie soaked from the night drizzle, his eyes locked onto mine over Rafe's shoulder.

And my breath left my lungs.

"Zayne," I croaked in shock, as the memories hit me like a sick realization.

There were bruises under his eyes and a fresh scar across his cheek.

"Hey, little brother," he muttered.

Rafe stepped forward, deliberately blocking the doorframe, "Explain, now."

Zayne gave him a long, slow once over, then looked past him again. "It's not your business, big dog, I need to speak to Luca."

Rafe growled, literally growled. His body shifted slightly, enough that the light caught the faint shimmer of fur crawling up the side of his neck. He was close to snapping.

"Rafe," I said quickly, coming up behind him and grabbing his arm. His skin was burning, and tense. He didn't look at me, but I felt the restraint in him, I felt it unraveling.

"It's okay," I murmured, squeezing his arm, "Let him in."

He didn't move at first. Then, with a noise that sounded like a curse, he stepped aside.

Zayne walked in like he owned the place, dripping water all over the hardwood, and his eyes never leaving me, "You look older, taller and you smell....different."

Rafe let out a warning sound and I threw him a quick glare and turned back to Zayne.

"You died," I said in anger or confusion, I couldn't quite place how I felt.

"They wanted you to think that and I let them, it was the only way to keep you safe."

"From what?"

Zayne ran a hand through his hair, then looked at Rafe again. "Can you give us a minute?"

"Not a chance," Rafe bit out.

I stepped between them, the tension was making it hard to breathe. "Zayne, just talk, why now? Why come back now?"

His eyes softened, just a little.

"Because the protection I gave you is wearing off and you...you're triggering something, Luca....oh and it's big, whispers and rumors are spreading fast. Packs are on their edge, the moment you turned, they felt it and it wasn't just your first shift that rang the alarm. It was something else."

My mouth went dry, "What do you mean by that?"

Zayne's gaze turned to Rafe again, "He didn't tell you yet?"

Rafe looked away and refused to say anything making his silence thunderous.

Zayne's expression darkened, "You didn't tell him what he is?"

Rafe's voice dropped to a whisper. "It's not your place."

I looked between them, and felt my stomach twist, "Tell me what?"

No one answered.

Zayne folded his arms. "When did it happen? I mean the shift."

"Last night," I said. "In the woods, I blacked out and Rafe brought me back."

Zayne swore under his breath. "Then we don't have much time. The others....our kind, they'll start coming. They'll sniff you out and know you're different."

"Different how?"

Neither of them spoke, for the second damn time, Rafe finally turned away, pacing, and running a hand through his hair, he only does that when he is freaking out.

Zayne narrowed his eyes back to me, "You didn't answer my earlier question."

"What question?"

He stepped closer, "You smell different. What did you do? Who did you bond with?"

I flushed, and suddenly my throat felt tighter, "What are you talking about?"

Zayne sniffed the air again, then let out a bitter laugh. "You didn't just shift last night, you mated."

My heart skipped.

I looked at Rafe, and he wasn't denying it, he was just standing there, staring out the window like if he didn't look at us, the truth would eventually vanish.

Zayne cursed again, "Do you know what you've done?"

"Don't talk to him like that," Rafe snapped, now stepping forward.

"Then you talk to him," Zayne shot back. "He's not just any omega, He's..."

"Don't," Rafe barked, but his voice was shaky.

Zayne shook his head slowly. "You should've told him, he has the right to know."

I grabbed Rafe's arm, "Know what? Rafe, please."

He looked at me, he really looked at me and I saw it then, the storm in his eyes, it was fear, pure fear.

"You're an omega, Luca. But not just that, I've heard of it in the old tales, thought by the packs to be extinct."

I swallowed. "What are you saying?"

Before he could answer, Zayne's head snapped toward the window. "We've got company boys."

Rafe was already moving, "Get him to the basement, now."

"What....why?" I asked, my heart going up again like a loud gong in my chest.

"Because if they see you," Rafe said darkly, "it won't matter who your brother is, you'll be hunted."

Zayne grabbed my hand, "Move."

I looked over my shoulder as Rafe turned to face the door, his eyes were already shifting.

And in that moment, I realized that whatever I was... it wasn't safe anymore.