Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Moonlit Trap

Noah’s

I couldn’t stop thinking about what Enzo had said the previous night. “One day, you’ll forgive me for the bad things I’m gonna do.” His cryptic words stuck in my head like a sharp splinter, constantly unsettling me.

What exactly did he mean by that? Was something terrible going to happen to me soon? The very thought sent shivers down my spine, feeling exactly like an inescapable warning I couldn’t safely ignore.

I glanced quickly at my phone, the screen showing the current date and a clear reminder: full moon tonight. I remembered seeing one years ago, when I was locked alone in my room at my dad’s house, staring out through a barred window while he yelled loudly downstairs.

Back then, it was just a pretty, distant light in the dark sky. Now, it felt like something much bigger, something incredibly heavy, like the entire air around me was actively pressing down on my chest.

I walked into school slowly, my stomach tightly knotted, my mood incredibly dark and hopeless. The hallways were loud with kids laughing and chatting, but I felt like a ghost, simply drifting through the crowd without genuinely belonging anywhere.

I sat down at my desk in the classroom, the same boring lecture droning on relentlessly, the teacher’s voice a confusing blur. I kept thinking constantly about Enzo—his surprising kiss, his strange apology, his disturbing, cryptic words. Why was he so surprisingly nice one minute and then so intensely scary the next? What major secret was he hiding from me?

At lunchtime, I slipped quietly out of the class, my bag slung heavily over my shoulder, my stomach loudly growling in hunger. I didn’t have any money or any food with me, exactly like yesterday. I was heading straight for the familiar stairs outside, hoping I could hide there until school finally ended, when someone loudly called my name.

“Noah!” I turned quickly, and there was Stan, the friendly senior who had generously given me the sandwich yesterday. He stood casually by the hallway wall, his hands tucked into his pockets, smiling widely as if we were genuinely old friends. “Hey, look who we meet again,” he said, walking right over to me. “You look really rough again today. Are you okay?”

I nodded once, my throat tight and dry. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, my voice flat and unconvincing. “Just… really tired lately.”

Stan tilted his head slightly, his persistent smile never fading. “Are you absolutely sure about that?” he asked with concern. “You look like you’re carrying the entire world on your shoulders right now. Do you want to talk about it with me?”

I shook my head quickly, gripping my bag strap tighter. “No,” I said firmly. “I’m good. Thanks again for yesterday, though. For the sandwich.”

“No problem at all,” he said, stepping closer to me. “Hey, are you free tonight? It’s the full moon tonight, you know. Everyone is going out to the field to gather and watch it rise. It’s kind of a big tradition around here. Do you want to come with me?”

I froze instantly, my heart racing wildly in my chest. The full moon. I desperately wanted to see it, to feel normal for once in my miserable life, to stand with other people and not constantly feel like a pathetic prisoner. But Enzo’s terrifying rules flashed in my mind: Don’t get comfortable. Don’t be late. “I don’t know if I can,” I said, my voice shaky and worried. “Someone’s always watching me closely. They… they can instantly track me down easily.”

Stan’s smile widened, like he already knew something huge I didn’t. “Don’t worry so much about that detail,” he said dismissively. “It’s honestly just a few short hours out there. No one is going to know where you went. Come on, Noah. Live a little and enjoy yourself.”

I hesitated, my hands trembling slightly with nerves. “I’m really not sure,” I said. “It’s honestly very complicated for me. I can’t just… go places freely.”

“Look, just listen,” Stan said, leaning closer, his voice suddenly soft but intensely firm. “You’re physically in school right now, right? You’re not currently locked up in any way. Come with me for a bit. It will be fun, I promise. Just a bunch of local kids staring up at the moon. What truly is the worst thing that could possibly happen to you?”

I swallowed hard, my chest feeling tight with anxiety. “I could get into huge trouble when I return,” I said. “You genuinely don’t know the guy I’m… staying with.”

Stan raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Staying with him?” he said slowly. “That sounds like a very interesting story, Noah. Come on, tell me. Who exactly has you so incredibly scared and locked down?”

I shook my head immediately, stepping back away from him. “I can’t tell you,” I said. “Just… forget I said anything at all. I really shouldn’t have opened my mouth.”

“Okay, okay, I understand,” Stan said quickly, holding up both his hands in surrender. “No pressure from me then. But the offer is absolutely still open. Meet me right after school ends if you finally change your mind. By the front gate, alright?”

I nodded quickly, just hoping to get him to leave me alone with my thoughts. “Yeah, sure, whatever you say,” I said, my voice barely audible. He smiled broadly again and walked off, leaving me completely alone with my rapidly spiraling thoughts. I knew I definitely shouldn’t go with him. I knew that with total certainty. But the appealing idea of seeing the beautiful full moon, of feeling truly free for just one single night, was simply too tempting for me to resist.

After school, I found myself slowly walking toward the front gate, my heart pounding loudly with fear and anticipation. Stan was already there, leaning casually against a large tree, his friendly smile instantly back in place. “I knew you’d show up eventually,” he said triumphantly. “Come on. My car is parked right over here.”

I followed him nervously, my stomach twisting with apprehension. “Where exactly are we going first?” I asked, my voice shaky.

“Just to my place first,” he said. “Then we will head to the field later. Just relax, Noah. It’s definitely going to be fine.”

We drove for a short while to a house I didn’t recognize, located not far from the school campus. I kept anxiously waiting for Ren’s black limo to suddenly pull up and stop us, for him to brutally drag me back to the house, but it never came. I followed Stan inside the unfamiliar house, my nerves completely on edge. He led me into a dimly lit living room, and I was about to finally sit down when loud footsteps made me sharply turn around. Dean stood there in the doorway, his creepy smile immediately back, his eyes intensely locked on me. “Well, look who actually showed up here,” he said, his voice smooth and unnerving. “What exactly are you doing in my house, Noah?”

I froze instantly, my heart racing uncontrollably. “Your house?” I asked fearfully, turning quickly to look at Stan. “You didn’t tell me this was his place!”

Stan shrugged casually, his smile never fading from his face. “It’s cool, man,” he said. “Dean’s my boyfriend. You are perfectly safe right here with us.”

I shook my head violently, stepping back quickly toward the door. “I shouldn’t be here with you both,” I said. “I seriously need to go home right now.”

Dean laughed, stepping slowly closer to me. “Relax, kid,” he said mockingly. “Just sit down for a minute. How are you holding up being under Enzo’s control? I know he’s got you on an extremely tight leash now.”

“I’m perfectly fine,” I said, my voice severely shaking. “I just… I really want to leave this house now.”

Dean’s smile widened, his eyes glinting sharply with mischief. “Enzo illegally bought you, didn’t he?” he said knowingly. “But if you’re actually scared of him, you can easily stay here with us. I will protect you completely.”

I stared at him, my blood instantly turning cold with terror. “Protect me?” I asked disbelievingly. “How can you? You’re his brother! And what is with all you people here? You keep talking about me like I’m some… thing you own!”

Dean chuckled softly, leaning casually against the wall. “Do you believe in werewolves, Noah?” he asked, his voice low and clearly teasing me.

I laughed loudly, but the sound immediately came out shaky and nervous. “What? That’s just a funny joke, right?” I said, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. “Werewolves? Come on, man, seriously.”

His face stayed intensely serious, his smile sharp and menacing. “Not a joke at all,” he said, his voice firm. “Just think about it for a second. Enzo is clearly not normal like us. You’ve definitely seen proof of that, haven’t you?”

I shook my head rapidly, my heart pounding loudly in my ears. “You’re absolutely crazy,” I said, backing toward the door again. “I’m leaving this place. Right now.”

Before I could move even one step further, Stan quickly grabbed my arm tightly, his grip instantly strong and painful. “Stay right here,” he said, his voice suddenly hard and commanding. Then everything around me instantly went black and silent.

I woke up much later, my head throbbing terribly, my entire body sweating and clammy. I was in a very small, dark room, completely locked inside. A small, cracked window let in a single sliver of light, and I saw it clearly—the full moon, bright and terrifyingly heavy in the night sky. I turned my head quickly, my eyes catching a small clock on the wall.

It clicked right to the exact moment of twelve, and a sharp, blinding pain instantly ripped through my entire body, feeling exactly like fire being poured directly into my veins. I screamed loudly, my voice ra

w and broken, as the entire world suddenly spun violently around me in the dark.