Luna Eclipse: Marked by the Moon

kitchen table, sixteen candles f

omething felt off. Wrong. Th

" her mother said f

ould hear them. Actually hear them. The tiny hiss and cra

arted hearing t

d her eye

her clapped. Miguel squeezed her shoulder from where he stood behind

ouch

ust slightly. Bu

y?" he w

looked up at him. "Ye

nd on her shoulder felt like hea

e. Chocolate with vanilla frosting

ed in front of her, the

oo strong. O

ggs. Butter. Vanilla extract. Even the baking soda. She coul

d across the table. "Girl, you

m f

you look like you'r

d. Her voice came out sh

hands. "Okay, ok

itched. She scratched at it absen

as wrong wi

e table and twisted her wrist toward the

ma

visible. But there. And t

leeding into it. Something sat at the center. An eye

was g

er w

ghter with

un

ow. Serious. Not his

look

e was staring at her lap. At

e your

Miguel straightened behind her. Jenna and the other friends looked b

oat tighte

na. Put it on t

trembling as she slowly lifted her right han

ed with pale

Sharp and broken. Like

hat? Is that a tattoo? W

is hand reaching toward

Her father's voice

rked his

t live in this house

enna stood up, her chair scraping

you need to go.

here. We haven'

ow

ft no room

shuffled toward the door, casting worried

her turned to fac

una's shoulder again. Gentler t

't have

yfriend. If something'

rs on her cheeks. When had she started crying? "Please just

ells me what that th

l it now. Not just see it. A pulse beneath her skin. Matchi

e came out small

beside her chair. His hand hove

ave you fel

ing. Everything's been wei

r se

no

houldn't hear? Smelli

her

mío. She's only sixteen. It's too early. She sho

ening anyw

ice rose. "Someone explain what

at Miguel. Really looked at him. Whe

wolf shifter. And she c

le

ete s

ed wrong. Forced. "That'

not j

rewolves? You're sayin

er body. Her instincts. Everything. If she doesn't learn to cont

ked away from the table. Fro

d to stand. Her leg

away f

s hit li

m still me.

s literally glowing. That's n

and it either. But I'm s

fore. "Because the Luna I know doesn't have weird marks

t I was n

m. "You need to leave now, M

safe

urt you without meaning to. The mark responds to emotion. To stress. Righ

ould see the fear in his eye

rned and w

nt door

The mark blazed so bright she h

rd Diego run from the room. Heard

pain. "You need to breathe. Slow and steady. The mark res

air into her lungs. On

eased.

g. In and out. F

er father's steady instructions. On any

the ligh

ting across from her with tears streaming down her f

Luna whispered. "Wha

skips generations sometimes. My grandmother had it. Your mother's abuela h

d for

lverwood Academy. To learn control

s a pac

living among humans. Packs with territories. Academies

faded to a dim glow. The pattern was clearer now. A

I have

ther s

for you tonight. You need to pack. Not much. The

goodbye to anyone. I haven'

eared. That means the change is startin

if I r

ithout meaning to. You'll hurt someone. M

N

arn control. And maybe, if you're

yb

g in the air

ne," Luna said. "

unset. That's whe

managed to walk. Out of the kitchen. Through

the door an

ers on the walls. Clothes on the floor. Books stacked

she was lea

indow and looked out

tood on th

gu

nding there. Not moving. His hands were i

rough the glass, she co

on. Fea

ething

she coul

hand. A small

her palm agai

on her wr

guel f

e'd fe

change in her from al

eyes l

of the