Luna Revealed

Chapter Thirteen

There, on the far side of the courtyard, amongst the dense trees, is a dark figure. Their face is obscured by the shade, but I recognize it all the same. My heart rate sky-rockets and my breath catches in my throat, fear gripping my spine. I shoot up from the bench, knocking my book and cup of tea onto the ground. I take off towards the street and begin sprinting up the sidewalk away from the city, my wolf trying her best to push her way to the surface.

Get out!

I hear the voices of Mikhail and Phoenix calling after me as I move further away from the college and into the trees at the edge of town. The trees begin to grow closer together the further I go, so I don't shift, knowing I would get trapped.

I don't relax until I am deep into the forest. The trees are silent, giving no indication that someone is around. My wolf's raw instinct is still rolling through my body and all of my senses are heightened, taking in every movement around me.

It seems like I'm alone. Oh god, what do I do now? I begin to shake as the adrenaline dump begins, the fear crawling back in. My ears begin to ring and I stagger forward, my breath heavy. Just as I begin to fall, I see a hand flash in front of me, covering my mouth.

I try to scream, but the sound is muffled by the large hand and I'm exhausted. Suddenly, there is a sharp pain in the back of my head, and I struggle to keep my eyes open, the blow rattling my brain in my skull. The hand leaves my mouth and I am turned forcibly to face my attacker.

The cold, dark look on his face doesn't match the woman he resembles. He has turned her gentle, brown eyes hard, like the bark of a tree. His straight, black hair is pulled up into a tight bun, exposing the olive tone of his skin.

I whimper when he reaches out to touch my face again, this time with soft hands. I step back quickly, tripping over the small root of a surrounding tree. I fall to the forest floor, reaching back to touch the wound on my head. It's already healing, but the pain is intense.

He crouches down and reaches for my face again, softly stroking my cheek. His dark eyes are glazed over and I can smell the sweet scent of cheap rum on his breath. He smiles – or attempts to smile – but his teeth are clenched together, turning it into a grimace. He takes one of my messy, black curls in his hand and meets my gaze, causing my heart to jump back into my throat.

It is silent for a long time, just the sound of my pained breathing and our heartbeats filling the air. Finally, he grasps both sides of my face, scaring me.

"My sweet sister. Where have you been?"

His voice is venomous, hate dripping from every word. However, like flipping a switch, his expression changes. The hate melts from his eyes and he strokes my face again, as if soothing a small child. "Dahlia." This time, his voice is softer, quieter.

My fear turns to fury and I tremble in anger. How dare he touch me like this? How dare he touch me with such gentle hands after all these years of abuse. And he had just attacked me moments ago.

He notices my anger and his eyes soften, turning into a soft, familiar brown. "I'm so sorry." His apology does nothing but anger me further. He's sorry? He should've been sorry ten years ago after he helped our father beat me for the first time.

I begin to struggle against his hands, willing my legs to support me as I stand. Once on my feet, I step further back from him, poised to run, and glare at his saddened expression.

"How dare you call me your sister! In what world does a brother treat a sister the way you have?" My voice oozes venom and I can tell that my eyes have gone from soft gold to molten amber. My wolf is just on the surface, begging to be released to kill the monster of a man in front of us.