Blood moon; the first curse

hollow rhythm in the vast, empty hallway of the Hartman mansion. He paused at the top of the grand staircase, his gaze drawn downwards to th

ircle near the entrance, their anxious glances and whispered voices betraying a ripple of unease. Something w

laced with a worry that tightened his gut. She beckoned him closer

in his stomach. He followed Mrs. Jenkins through the labyrinthine corrid

the intricate tapestries adorning the walls – a stark, unsettling contrast t

seemed to cut right through him. "Damien, darling," she began, her voice soft b

n brothers, Alex and Lucas, sprawled on the sofa nearby, glued to the glowing screens of their handheld gaming devices. Their moth

ily meeting, not a playground. Show some respect." Her gaze then swung back t

o the human school," she announced. Her words hung

motions threatened to overwhelm his senses, but he bit back his retort. H

. His thoughts were consumed by one burning question: How could they do this to him? They knew how much h

ifling and suffocating, droned on about the transfer to a human school for him and his brothers. He truly couldn't be

dge was his sanctuary, a place where he could truly be himself, free from fear or judgment. He remembered the comforting press of the forest floor beneath

s continued their conversation, completely unaware of the turmoil churning inside him. His mother, poised and serene, and his father, stern and unyielding, spoke of "o

to whisper, his voice raw.

her eyes filled with a complicated mix of concern and firm resolve. "Damien, we believe this is t

a tremor in his chest. "I don't want to understand it! I h

tting off any further argument. "Damien, this

r him. They knew how deeply he cherished Moonridge, how much he n

idly: the central building with its ivy-covered walls, the dormitories that had become his second home, and the spr

and accepted. But in the human world, werewolves were the most reviled. They were hunted, killed immediately if discovered. This

ered control over his transformations, where he had immersed himself in the rich history

ls digging painfully into his palms. "You don't understand," he choked

unable to bear her touch. "Damien, we just want what'

," he retorted, his voice thick wi

rd, he stormed out of the drawing room, his heart a heavy, aching stone of anger and sorrow

crushing thought of leaving Moonridge, of being forced into a world that would never truly understand him, was almost too much