Chapter 1 Shadows and Scents

The air around the school gates felt too thick, charged with a static electricity that made the fine hairs on my arms stand up. I rubbed my temples, trying to massage away a headache that had been thumping behind my eyes all afternoon.

"Earth to Luna! Are you even listening to me?"

Zara's voice snapped me back to reality. My best friend was walking backward in front of me, her grey eyes narrowed in that suspicious way that usually meant I was in trouble. Her golden hair was escaping its messy bun, whipping around her face in the wind.

"Prom," I said, anticipating the accusation. "You were talking about Prom. Again."

"It's three weeks away, Luna!" Zara groaned, throwing her hands up. "And you've turned down three guys today alone. You need a date, or I'm going to drag you there in a leash."

I forced a smile, though my stomach churned with an anxiety I couldn't explain. "I could just go with you. We'd be the hottest couple there."

"I am going with Julian," she said firmly, pointing a manicured finger at me. "And as much as I love you, no third wheels allowed. Julian has been planning the after-party for a month."

"Fine. I'll ask Levi."

Zara snorted, covering her mouth to hide a grin. "Luna, honey, stop trying to date the gay guys. Besides, Levi is definitely taking that cute barista he's been stalking. You're on your own."

I sighed, clutching my bag strap tighter. "Can we discuss this later? I just want to go home and-"

The scent hit me before I heard the voice.

It was a rich, overwhelming wave of fresh pine, crushed mint, and something darker, like rain on hot asphalt. My heart hammered against my ribs, a physical reaction so violent it nearly knocked the wind out of me. The chatter of the students around us seemed to fade into a dull buzz.

"Luna?"

The voice was deep, vibrating through the air like a low growl.

I spun around. The crowd of students seemed to part instinctively, creating a path for the man leaning against a sleek, black BMW.

He was tall, impossibly tall, clad in a fitted black t-shirt that strained against broad shoulders, dark jeans, and a leather jacket that looked like it cost more than my life savings. But it was his eyes that pinned me in place. They were a warm, melted chocolate brown, flecked with gold, and they were locked on me with an intensity that felt dangerous.

"Liam?" The name left my lips as a breathless whisper.

My brother pushed off the car, a bouquet of pristine white roses in his hand. He grinned, and the dangerous edge softened into something familiar, though the intensity remained.

"Hey, Lu."

He closed the distance between us in three long strides. Before I could process that he was actually here, he pulled me into a crushing embrace. His arms were like steel bands, lifting me slightly off the ground. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply.

A strange jolt of electricity zipped through my skin where he touched me. It wasn't a static shock; it was a connection, hot and instantaneous.

"Liam, you're crushing me," I laughed nervously, patting his back.

He pulled back, but his hands lingered on my shoulders, his thumbs brushing my collarbone. "Sorry. It's been too long."

"Hey, Liam!" Zara chirped, stepping up beside me with a blush creeping up her neck. Even taken, she wasn't immune to the Prescott charm.

Liam flashed her a dazzling smile, but his eyes barely left mine. "Good to see you, Zara."

"I... uh, I should go. Julian is waiting," Zara stammered, looking between us. "Happy early birthday, Luna! Bye!" She practically sprinted toward the parking lot, glancing back once with wide eyes.

"So?" I looked up at him, feeling dwarfed by his height. The scent of pine and mint was intoxicating this close up. "You're back early. Does Mum know?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "I wasn't going to miss your eighteenth birthday. Not this time."

He handed me the roses. Their thorns had been meticulously removed.

"My birthday is tomorrow," I reminded him, taking the flowers. "And Dad bought you a new car?"

"Something like that." He opened the passenger door for me, his hand guarding my head as I slid in.

As he walked around to the driver's side, I watched him through the windshield. Liam had always been good-looking, but he had left for his internship a boy and returned... different. He moved with a predatory grace, a lethal fluidity that made him seem bigger, stronger.

He slid into the driver's seat, and the small space was instantly filled with his presence.

"So," he said, glancing at me as the engine purred to life. "Big plans? A party?"

"Just a family lunch tomorrow. Mum, Dad, Levi, Zara. And you, I guess."

"Just family," he repeated, his grip tightening on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. "Perfect."

The next day, the house was filled with laughter, but the tension from the day before hadn't dissipated, it had just gone underground.

"Happy Birthday!" Levi and Zara shouted in unison as I walked into the kitchen.

Levi hugged me, his dimples popping. "You look eighteen. Older. Wiser. More wrinkly."

"Shut up," I laughed, shoving him.

Lunch was a chaotic affair. Mum had baked a towering cake, and Dad was cracking terrible jokes. My parents were forty-six, yet they looked unnervingly young. Mum's golden-brown hair was vibrant, her blue eyes sharp and clear. Dad, with his dark hair and strong jaw, looked more like Liam's older brother than his father.

I loved them fiercely. Dad was my hero, the man who used to sneak me out for 'secret missions' to the candy store, moving with a speed that always baffled me as a child.

But there was a hole at the table. Liam was missing.

"He had urgent business," Dad explained, though he exchanged a guarded look with Mum. "He'll be back for dinner."

After Levi and Zara left, the house fell quiet. I helped Mum clear the plates, the silence stretching thin.

"Luna," Mum said, not looking up from the sink. "Do you know where Liam is taking you tonight?"

"No. He just said to be ready."

Mum scrubbed a plate harder than necessary. "He's staying, you know. He's moving back to the city permanently. Getting his own apartment."

"He didn't tell me," I said, a pang of hurt striking my chest. We used to tell each other everything.

"He... has a lot on his mind," Mum said vaguely. She turned to me, wiping her hands on her apron. Her eyes were watery. "Why don't you go get ready? Wear something nice."

"Mum, it's just Liam. We're probably getting burgers. He won't care if I wear sweatpants."

Mum laughed, but it sounded brittle. "Humor me."

I went upstairs, escaping the sudden heaviness in the kitchen. In my room, I stood before the full-length mirror. My reflection stared back; blue-green eyes wide, brown hair falling in waves.

I leaned closer to the glass. My skin seemed to hum, a faint, almost imperceptible glow radiating from within. I felt restless, my skin too tight for my body, my senses dialed up to eleven. I could hear the faucet dripping downstairs. I could smell the lingering scent of Dad's cologne from the hallway.

Something was changing. And as I looked at the bouquet of white roses Liam had given me, sitting on my vanity, I had the sinking feeling that my boring, normal life was about to end.