All Chapters of Beneath The Moon: A Dawnblood Prophecy: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

HAYLEY. The cafeteria is teeming with noise and movement as I stand in the short line for lunch. When it’s finally my turn, the lunch lady hands me a tray with sandwiches, salad, two apples, and a bottle of water. “Thank you,” I murmur, though her attention is already on filling the next tray, barely noticing me. As I turn to leave, my eyes land on the last person in line and my heart stutters. Axel. We hold each other's gaze for a brief moment. Then he says it. “Hi.” “Hi,” I reply stiffly, before brushing past him and heading straight to a table in the corner of the room. It's been like this between us for the past week—cold, distant and awkward. Besides the daily forced “hi,” we don’t speak at all. And it hurts. All of it hurts. From the childhood crush I’d nursed for years, to the excitement that filled me at seeing him again. And then, there was the kiss… I’d spent days trying to understand why he'd kiss me if he didn’t feel the same way. Did he ever feel anyt

AXEL. Tonight is the first game of the school's football season. The stands in the field are packed with students from both schools, and the sound of drums and trumpets fill the air as the Greystone Cheerleading Team performs. The locker room is equally alive with emotions running high in the team. Some of the older, experienced players exude calm as they discuss about plays and formations, while a couple of freshmen at the edge of the room don their gear silently, all in anticipation for what is a huge game against our local rivals; The Ridgeclaw Raptors. As I sit quietly on a bench in the corner, the noise all around pales in comparison to the storm raging on the inside of me. And rooted at the center of my anger is one person—Shane. Ever since things got awkward between myself and Hayley, he's stepped in like some knight in shining armor, getting significantly close to her and spending so much time with her, much to the notice of basically everyone in school. And it irks

HAYLEY. The first weekend of autumn has rolled by, and my mind is fixated on the only plan I've got for the day: a movie outing with Corey. Desperate for any form of distraction to help push thoughts of Axel and our awkward fallout to the back of my mind, I've agreed to go out with her. It’s been over a week now since that invisible wedge was drawn between myself and Axel. Whilst it hurts everytime I think about it, it would seem like that distance has brought something, or rather someone else my way. Shane O’Connor. It still feels strange that someone like him would take interest in me. He’s everything I’m not; the typical popular figure, and the kind of guy people always whisper about. I know we’re total opposites, but somehow, we get along perfectly. Corey thinks it’s a little bit odd how Greystone High’s bad boy has suddenly taken a liking to me. I know she’s not Shane’s biggest fan, but still, I wouldn’t call his attraction to me weird. I mean, it was surprising at

HAYLEY. As I make my way through the halls this morning, Greystone High is its usual rowdy self, with students moving to and fro in every direction, bumping into each other like poorly remote controlled figures. But I’m used to this hallway madness. What I'm not used to, is the sense of unease that now claws at me as I walk past clusters of people. I find myself subconsciously glancing over my shoulder every few seconds, and there's a nagging feeling in my belly that I'm being watched with every step I take— watched by those golden, feral eyes that pursued me two nights ago. Folding my arms tightly across my chest, the memory of that night drifts into my mind. I’d never been that scared before in all my life. From the size of the creature, to how fast and big it was... And then there was the howl. A part of me wants to believe it was just a wolf, maybe one of the others I spotted in the woods. But this creature stood on its hind legs, like a bear. And yet, even while it

AXEL. The hallways are empty as I arrive in school this morning—a clear indication of how late I am. Again. The absence of students loitering around makes the halls almost as silent as a graveyard, and in that small quiet, one thought burns through my mind, like hot metal on flesh: Ivy Watson saw me shift into my wolf. Now that I think of it, shifting in school was a totally reckless thing to do. Stupid, even. I’ve spent the entire weekend simulating multiple scenarios in my head on what would happen if that secret were to slip out. And the more I think about it, the more my thoughts circle back to a single, jarring conclusion: my secret must not go beyond Ivy. It can't. And I'll make damn sure of it.. When I stumble into class, Mrs Cooper is halfway through her morning briefing. She pauses as I enter, and every head in the classroom turns in my direction. “You’re late again, Mr. Grey,” she announces, lifting her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose. “I... yes. So