BLOOD MOON ALLIANCE

Amber knew she had made a mistake the moment the gates opened. Not a small mistake. She knew she made a life-changing one. Because nothing about this place said home.Everything about it screamed power.⸻The SUV rolled into a compound that looked less like a residence and more like a fortress. High walls. Armed guards. Cameras that followed movement like hungry eyes. Amber swallowed slowly.“You live here?” she asked, her voice steady—but her fingers betrayed her, curling tightly into her palms. Raymond didn’t look at her. “I rule here.”That difference mattered. And Amber felt it.⸻ The car stopped. The door opened.Amber stepped out, her bare feet touching cold marble instead of wet pavement because she’s isn’t wearing slippers. The contrast made her uneasy. Too clean. Too controlled. Too… him.Before she could take in more, a group of men approached. Large. Silent. Dangerous.They stopped a few feet away and lowered their heads slightly. Respect. Fear. Loyalty.Amber’s eyes flick

Raymond didn’t answer. And that was the answer.Amber felt it in her chest first. A slow, sinking dread.Because silence, from a man like Raymond Perry, was never empty. It was calculated. Controlled.Dangerous. ⸻ “Say it,” Amber demanded, her voice low but shaking at the edges. Raymond’s jaw tightened slightly. “Not here.” That was enough to ignite her anger. “Not here?” she snapped. “You drag me into this, force me into your house, your world, your war—and now you won’t talk?” Her voice echoed against the cold walls. Sharp. Alive. Real.Behind them, the chained man chuckled softly. “Told you… this would be fun.” Raymond didn’t even look at him this time. But his hand moved slightly. Just slightly. And one of the guards stepped forward and struck the man hard across the face. Silence.Immediate. Obedient. ⸻ Amber’s eyes flicked to the scene. Then back to Raymond. “You think you can control everything.” “I can control enough “That’s not the same thing.” “It is when the stakes are this

Time didn’t slow. It shattered. Amber saw the blade too late. A flash of silver. A strike meant for her heart. But it never reached her. Raymond stepped in front of her. The blade sank into him. A sharp, wet sound. Too real. Too close.Amber froze. Her breath stopped. Her mind refused to catch up. Raymond didn’t make a sound. Not at first. His body stiffened—but he didn’t fall. Didn’t step back. Didn’t break.The attacker barely had time to react. Because Raymond’s hand shot forward— Gripping his throat.Tight. Unforgiving.“You chose the wrong side,” Raymond said quietly.Then, He snapped his neck. The body dropped. Lifeless. But Raymond… He swayed. Just slightly. Amber’s world rushed back all at once. “Raymond—” She caught him before he could fall. Her hands pressed against his chest— Warm. Wet. Blood. Her hands were covered in it.“No… no, no—” her voice broke. “Why would you—”“Because you don’t watch your surroundings,” he said, his voice low, strained—but still controlled. Amber

The scent of blood lingered in the air long after the fight ended. Amber could still feel it. Not just in the room. In her chest. In her throat. In the way her hands hadn’t stopped trembling since he disappeared.Her father. He hadn’t lost. He had left. And that was worse. Because it meant This wasn’t over. “Sit.”Raymond’s voice cut through her thoughts. Low.Controlled. But there was strain beneath it now.Amber turned. He was standing near the edge of the room, one hand pressed against his side. Blood seeped through his shirt. Dark. Spreading. Her stomach tightened instantly. “You’re bleeding.”“Observation noted,” he said dryly. But he didn’t argue. That alone told her how bad it was.Amber moved toward him without thinking. “Sit down.” This time, her voice carried authority. He looked at her. Really looked. Like he was measuring something. Then… Slowly, He sat. Amber exhaled.Good. At least he wasn’t stubborn enough to bleed out just to prove a point. She moved closer. Careful.B

Night came quietly. But nothing about it felt peaceful. Amber stood by the window again. Same position. Same silence. But she wasn’t the same.Everything felt… louder now. Not the world outside—But inside her. The training. The stares. Selene. Raymond. Especially Raymond.Her fingers brushed lightly against her arm… Where he had held her earlier. Firm. Steady. Too familiar.Amber exhaled slowly. “This is getting dangerous,” she murmured. Not the war. Not her father. Him.A soft knock came at the door.Her body tensed slightly. She didn’t need to ask who it was. “Come in.” The door opened. Raymond stepped inside. And just like that—The air shifted.Again.It always did.He closed the door behind him.Silently. Amber turned to face him.“You have a habit of showing up uninvited,” she said. “And you have a habit of not stopping me.” A pause. That was true. Too true. Amber crossed her arms slightly. “What do you want?”Raymond didn’t answer immediately. Instead. He studied her. Carefully.L