BLOODBOUND:BENEATH THE MOON

The whisper came first,not loud, it wasnt dramatic,it felt wrong.

Noah was in the middle of a board meeting, seated at the head of a glass table that probably cost more than most people's cars, when he heard it.

"...don't trust him..."

Soft,thin,Like breath sliding through cracks in a wall.

************

He froze.

Around him, twenty executives kept talking.

About profit margins,expansion plans. Some people explaining why Singapore was still behind schedule.

But the whisper wasn't coming from the table.

It was coming from the wall behind him.

Noah's pen stilled between his fingers, trying to figure out whats happening to him.

He slowly turned his head.

The wall was solid marble, there was no vents. No doors. Nothing.

"...he's watching..."

He felt an ache in his stomach, but no one else reacted, or even pause

No one even blinked.

Noah's heart started racing.

Okay, no,nope. Absolutely not.

He straightened, forced his face into calm, and focused back on the meeting.

"You were saying?" he said coolly, cutting into the CFO's rambling.

The man jumped. "I-uh-yes, sir. As I was saying.....

...run...

There it was again, this time it was much clearer and closer.

Noah's fingers tightened around the pen until it cracked.

That was it.

He stood up so fast his chair scraped loudly across the floor.

Everyone shut up, he yelled out loud.

Twenty pairs of eyes snapped to him.

The whisper vanished immediately,and silence filled the room.

Noah forced a breath.

"Take five," he said evenly. "I need fresh air."

No one argued,they never did.

He walked out like nothing was wrong.

But inside?

Inside, his mind was on fire.

*************

By the time he reached his office, his hands were shaking.

He shut the door, locked it, and leaned back against it like a man running from ghosts.

Okay,lets be logical, he hadn't ,had a proper rest in forever.

He worked too much.

He drank too much coffee.

Stress hallucinations were a thing, right?

He pushed away from the door and went to his desk.

That's when he smelled it.the rain,fresh,and clean.

The scent of wet asphalt and cold wind.

Noah frowned,maybe he was overthinking it.

He walked to the window and looked out.

The sky was clear and not a single cloud in sight.

*******

About 30 minutes later, thunder cracked so loud the building shook and there comes the rain so heavily,it slammed down in sheets.

Noah just stared.

"...what the hell...

**************

The rest of the day got worse.

He heard someone say his name when no one was near.

He answered a question someone hadn't asked out loud.

Once.

Later that day, he had convinced himself of one thing.

I am officially losing my damn mind.

So when his driver pulled up that evening, Noah didn't argue.

"Take me home," he said tiredly.

He rested his head as they past he city, the tinted windows made no one notice the stress he has undergone today.

Ethan's voice echoed in his head.

You're lonely, boo.

You don't belong in your own skin.

Noah closed his eyes.

"...shut up," he muttered, not sure if he meant Ethan or his own thoughts.

*************

The penthouse was silent when he got home.it felt so empty,of course he was alone in the big house.

He kicked off his shoes, loosened his tie, and poured himself a glass of water he forgot to drink.

*************

His reflection in the kitchen mirror looked wrong, but still very handsome and looking sharp.

But his eyes looked older, tired in a way sleep didnt fix.

He leaned both hands on the counter.

"What is happening to me..." he whispered.

No one answered,just the sound of the refrigerator.

He sighed and flopped onto the couch, staring at the ceiling.

That's when his phone buzzed

Dating app.

The cursed thing Ethan had installed.

Noah groaned.

"Oh dang , I forgot about you..."

He unlocked his phone, stared at the icon for a long second, then sighed.

Fine. One look. Then I delete this and pretend it never happened.

He opened it,profiles flooded the screen with smiling men, hot and sexy looking guys,

Bathroom mirror disasters.

He swiped,left,left and left,he paused at one nah

"Too young... no... why are you holding a fish... sir please put your shirt back on..."

He stopped on one.

Lucas,32 years, tall,has broad shoulders,cute smile, Noah tilted his head.

"...hmm."

Then squinted,his too pretty,it seems like a fake

"Nah," he muttered, swiping left.

More scrolling, an hour passed, then two

His phone battery dropped to forty percent.

He sighed and tossed the phone onto the couch.

"I told Ethan this was a waste of time..."

He rubbed his face.

At least it distracted him from the whispers.

Just as he was about to stand up,then he heardhis phone ping,a notification.

He froze.

Slowly picked up the phone.

You have a new match.

His heart jumped like he'd been caught stealing.

"...what?"

He opened it.

The profile loaded

And then........

He stopped breathing.

Dark hair,very sharp jawline,he is smoky hot

Soft eyes that looked like they hid too much.

A crooked half-smile that did illegal things to Noah's nervous system.

Name: Louis, 31

Bio: New to the city. Likes late-night coffee and bad movies. Looking for something real.

Noah stared for some minutes.

And then whispered, very softly, very stupidly:

"...oh. This one. Yes."

He smiled at his phone like an idiot.

Typed something then he deleted it typed again and deleted again.

"Don't be weird, don't be weird..."

Finally he sent a message Noah: Hi 🙂

Three seconds passed, five,ten,and then the response came back.

Immediate reply.

Louis: Hey. Didn't expect a match with you 😉

Noah's heart did a full backflip.

"...he knows who I am??"

He typed back fast.

Noah: Guilty 😅 Hope that's not a problem.

Louis: Not at all. Kind of exciting, actually.

Noah bit his lip, already blushing so hard.

Yessssss.

Ethan was going to be unbearable about this.

They talked,about work,movies,

About how Louis had just moved into the city.

He was funny.

Smooth, but not cocky.

Flirted just enough to make Noah blush like a teenager.

For the first time all day ,Noah was relaxed,he laughed out loud

In his empty penthouse.

Maybe...

Maybe Ethan was right.

**********

Far away.

In a marble chamber soaked in candlelight and old blood...

Marcus Blackwood lowered the phone from his face.

The fake profile glowed in his hand.

Louis, 31.

He had chosen the pictures carefully.

Chosen the tone,chosen every word.

Across the hall, Elara watched from the shadows.

"Well?" she asked softly I think he bought it

He answered.

A slow, dangerous smile curved her lips.

"The prophecy child has taken the bait."

Marcus looked back at the screen.

At Noah's name.

At the last message glowing there.

Something twisted in his chest,not guilt, just curiosity..

"Phase one," Elara said quietly.

Marcus swallowed hard

"...activated."

****************