CHAPTER 1

The house is very quiet, which is the first thing that strikes me.

Not calm and peaceful.

Being still and watching.

It looks like the house grew out of the rock. The dark stone and tall windows make me feel like they are judging me. The air feels cooler than it should, even though the sun is still out.

My mom gives me a light squeeze on the hand and says, "This is home now."

Home.

I say "yes," but my chest hurts. There are too many dark and thick trees behind the house. The trees lean against the walls, casting long shadows that look like fingers.

It's not good for me.

The front porch door opens and a tall man leaves. My stepfather. Rich. Strong. He smiles like this spot has always been his.

The man says, "Welcome." "The boys are in there."

Boys.

It doesn't sound right.

It hits me as soon as I walk in the door.

Stress.

Heavy, but not on my skin. Heavy like the air itself. My heart beats faster. The chandelier up there dances a few times and then stays still.

Then I see them.

Three guys are standing at the end of the hall.

They don't look anything alike, but they both feel the same. Like two sides of the same storm.

The main one is the first one to go.

A lot of height. Wide shoulder blades. Dark hair pulled back in a neat way. His gray eyes look right at me and are very sharp and critical.

Kael.

How did I get to know his name? I do it.

He meets me and says, "This is Selene." "Your sister."

Kael's jaw gets tight.

The person next to him smiles slowly. His hair is golden brown and falls into his warm amber eyes. His face tells me he's up to no good; it looks like he's already enjoying how stupid I look.

"And this must be the girl who smells like the moon," he says in a light voice.

I get stiff. "Excuse me?"

Kael looks at him to warn him.

That third guy doesn't smile.

From behind, he watches me. His eyes are a deep blue color that makes them almost look black. It looks like he's taking me apart piece by piece when he looks at me.

Draven.

That's all he says: "You shouldn't be here."

It gives me chills.

"I don't think that's up to you," I say with a raised chin.

He has a brief flash of something in his eyes. Wow, what a shock! An interest. Something bad.

There are soft creaks in the house when we move.

"Rules," Kael says out of the blue. "You'll be safe if you follow them."

I ask, "What are the rules?"

He gives it some thought. "Don't ever go into the woods by yourself." Do not leave the house at night.

Thorne turns around and smiles even more. "And don't believe what you hear at night."

It dries out my mouth. "Why?"

No one talks.

That night, I lie awake in my new room and look at the roof while the moonlight falls on the floor. A buzzing sound is made by the air. It feels like something under my skin is trying to wake up because it's warm and tense.

Then I hear it.

A soft sound.

Not wind.

Not something living.

Whatl.

As I sit up, my heart beats fast, and I can hear the sound in the forest. It's deep, strong, and close.

After that, someone else takes it.

One more.

Three sounds.

Everybody is calling to the moon.

As I move to the window and pull back the curtain, my hands start to shake.

At the edge of the forest below, three big shapes move into the moonlight.

I'm having trouble breathing.

Since they aren't men anymore.

And one of them slowly turns his head to look at me.---