Chapter 5: What Mother Left Behind.

Tamara woke up in a bed that smelled like a combo of pine and vanilla, but her head felt stuffed with cotton and buzzing bees. Everything ached, but in a weird far-away way.

“You're up.”

She turned slowly, every movement protesting. Kai was slumped in a chair beside her, looked like he hadn't caught any sleep in days. His eyes were all red, and his usually perfect hair was a mess.

“How long was I out?”

“Three days.”

“Three—” Tamara tried to sit up, but the room decided to become a carnival ride. “No, that's not possible.”

“That test almost killed you,” Kai said, his voice low. ‘Roman's lucky I didn't rip his throat out.”

“But...pack laws.”

“Forget the pack laws.” His voice was rough. “You were dying. Your light went out completely. I though—”... He cut himself off, jaw tight.

Tamara's heart did a dumb flutter thing. “You were worried about me?”

“Of course, I was worried! You're—” He stopped again, looking anywhere but at her.

“Your mate,” she finished for him. “Or am I? Lilith said…”

“Lilith says a lot of crap.” Kai stood and walked to the window. “Most of it's lies.”

Outside, the sun was going down, painting orange light over the trees. It seemed pretty, but wrong. The air tasted off, like metal and snow.

“Where is she?” Tamara asked.

“Gone. She left the first night you were unconscious. Said she had to prepare things.”

“prepare what?”

“I don't know, and I don't care.” He turned back to her. “Tamara, there's something you need to see.”

He helped her up. Her legs felt like they'd turned to jelly, but his arm around her was steady. They shuffled down a hallway packed with photos—wolves in human form, smiling for cameras. Pack celebrations. Birth. Weddings.

“Your mom took most of these,” Kai said.

Tamara stopped at one. Her mom, young and laughing, surrounded by a bunch of wolves. She looked happy. Free.

“I never saw her laugh like that,” Tamara said quietly.

“She was different back then,” Kai said. “before she bailed.”

They walked until they got to a door at the end of the hall. Kai pulled out a key.

“Roman doesn't know about this room,” he said. “Nobody does, except me and Marcus.”

“Why?”

“Because your mom wanted me to keep it a secret. Until you were ready.”

He opened the door. Inside was a small room stacked with boxes, books, and strange objects. Everything was dusty except for a box in the middle. Someone had opened it recently.

“I checked it after you collapsed,” Kai said. I wanted to find something to pull you back.

“Find anything?”

“Yeah.” He held up a beat-up leather book. “But I think you should read it.”

Tamara took the book, her hands shaking. Her mom's writing filled the pages.

*October 29th - Twenty years ago*

*She was born at midnight under the cracked moon, just like the freakin' prophecy said. I should be happy, but I'm so scared. He'll come for her. I know it. The Moon King doesn't let his kids go.*

“Moon King?” Tamara looked up at Kai.

His face was serious. “Keep reading.”

*November 3rd*

*I've hidden what she really is. It's a simple spell, but it hurts her. She cries every night, and her light tries to break free. But it's the only way. If the supernatural world knew what is—Moon king’s daughter, witches child, the Bridge Between—they'd either kiss her feet or kill her.*

Tamara's hands were shaking harder. “Bridge Between what?”

“No idea. She never told me that.”

She kept on reading, skipping ahead through pages with protection spells and worried notes.

*December 15th - Fifteen years ago*

*He found us today. Not in person, he can't cross over just yet, but his shadow was in her room. She is only five, playing with her toys, and his shadow tried to touch her. The wards held, but barely. We need to move again.*

“She moved us eight times,” Tamara said, remembering. “She always said it was for work, but…”

“She was running from him. Your dad.”

A picture slipped out of the book. Tamara picked it up and forgot to breathe.

The guy in the picture was beautiful. Skin like moonlight, hair like midnight, eyes that held every color and no color at once. He stood in what looked like a palace made of stars.

But that wasn't the scary part.

The scary part was what stood behind him. Creatures that shouldn't be. Things with too many eyes, too many teeth, too many wings. And they were all bowing to him.

“That's the Moon Realm” said Rosa from the doorway.

They both jumped. The old lady wolf stood there with a tray of food and sad eyes.

“You knew?” Kai asked.

“I've been around the block, I'm older than I look, Alpha. I remember when the walls between worlds were thinner.” She set the tray down and looked at Tamara. “Your father rules the space between dreams and nightmares. The Moon King they call him, because his power waxes and wanes with the moon itself.”

“But what is he?" Tamara asked.

“The first of the Moon Children. The Original. Some say he was human once, thousands of years ago. Others say he never was human at all.” Rosa touched the photo gently. “But everyone knows one thing: he’s been looking for a way back into our world for centuries.”

“Back?”

“He got banished,” Rosa said. “For falling for a mortal witch and breaking the old laws. Your mother.”

Tamara's head was spinning. “So, he's not so evil?”

Rosa and Kai traded looks.

“Read the last page,” Kai said quietly.

Tamara flipped to the end of the book.

*October 1st - Three months ago*

*I'm dying. The poison is slow, but it's getting me. The Hunters think they're smart, mixing wolfsbane with silver and moon-root. But I know who really sent them.

He's coming, baby girl. When I'm gone, my magic won't hide you. When you're twenty, he'll come for you. Not 'cause he loves you. But because you're the key.

The Bridge Between doesn't mean between worlds, my darling. It means what is and what he wants to be. You can make him fully mortal or fully monster.

Don't let him trick you. The Moon King doesn't know how to love. He just wants to own.

Find the Silver Crown before he does. It's the only thing that can stop—*

The entry cut off. Dark stains covered the rest of the page. Blood.

“She died that night,” Kai said. “Keeping the Crown's location safe.”

Tamara stood up, the journal falling from her numb fingers. “I need some air.”

She took a dive to the window, yanking it open. The night air hit her face, cold and sharp. The moon hung up high, and the crack was bigger. As she watched, something moved. Something huge.

“He's coming,” she whispered.

“Not yet,” Rosa said. “The crack isn't big enough. You have about a week.”

“A week until what?”

“Until the Moon King returns to claim his daughter.” Rosa's voice was gentle but firm. “And you'll have to choose—save the world that feared you, or join your father who wants to rule it.”

Thunder hit, which made no sense. The sky was clear.

Except it wasn't thunder.

It was laughter. Coming from the crack in the moon.

Her father’s laughing.

And despite everything, despite the warnings and the fear, some dark part of Tamara wanted to laugh back.