The quiet didn’t last long. As the minutes ticked by, the tension in the room grew heavier, and I couldn’t stop glancing at the clock on the wall. Midnight was less than two hours away, and I knew what that meant.
Logan leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed. His sharp eyes didn’t leave Mal for a second, as if he expected her to snap at any moment. “You know this is only temporary,” he said, his voice low but firm. “When the moon is full, she’ll lose control again. Completely this time.”
Mal flinched, her hands trembling slightly as she set the empty glass on the table. “I don’t want to hurt anyone,” she said, her voice cracking. “I’m trying to fight it, but…” She trailed off, her glowing amber eyes flicking toward the window. Outside, the night was growing darker, the stars barely visible through the thick clouds.
“You can’t fight the moon,” Logan said, his tone softer now, almost resigned. “It’s not just hunger, Mal. It’s who you are now. When the moon is full, it’s like… it calls to you. There’s no running from it.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?” Mal whispered, her voice breaking. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking.
Liam stepped forward, his expression filled with determination. “We’ll figure something out,” he said. “You’re not alone in this, Mal. We’ll keep you safe-and everyone else, too.”
Logan scoffed, but there was no real malice in his voice. “You sound awfully optimistic for someone who just watched her tear into a raw deer like it was candy.”
Liam shot him a glare. “She’s still Mal. She’s still her. We just need to figure out how to help her through this.”
I nodded, backing Liam up. “He’s right. Mal, we’re not giving up on you. Whatever happens, we’ll be here.”
Mal slowly lowered her hands, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “You don’t understand. When it’s midnight… when the moon is full…” She swallowed hard, struggling to find the words. “I won’t just be hungry. I won’t be me anymore.”
A heavy silence followed her words, broken only by the faint ticking of the clock.
Logan pushed off the wall, his expression unreadable. “Then we make a plan,” he said. “We can’t stop the transformation, but we can contain it. Liam, grab the chains from the shed. We’ll reinforce the locks on the basement door.”
Mal shook her head, panic flashing across her face. “No! Please, don’t lock me up like some kind of monster!”
“You’re not a monster,” I said quickly, kneeling beside her. “But we need to make sure everyone’s safe-including you. It’s just for tonight. Just until we know how to help.”
Her breathing quickened, but she didn’t argue further. Instead, she turned her gaze back to the window, her eyes reflecting the faint glow of the rising moon.
Liam hesitated. “Are you sure chains will hold her? I mean, we’ve seen what she can do-”
“They’ll hold,” Logan said grimly. “They have to.”
I didn’t like the cold certainty in his voice, but I knew he was right. Midnight was coming, and with it, the full moon’s pull. Whatever Mal was facing, we couldn’t risk underestimating it.
As Liam left to get the chains, I stayed close to Mal, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll get through this,” I whispered. “I promise.”
Her glowing eyes met mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of hope. But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by the same fear I felt deep in my chest.
The minutes dragged like hours, the tension in the air almost suffocating. Mal sat on the edge of the couch, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. Every so often, her fingers would twitch, and I could see the strain on her face as she fought against whatever was stirring inside her.
When Liam returned with the chains, they clanked loudly in the silence, the sound making all of us flinch. “These were the heaviest ones I could find,” he said, setting them down on the table. He glanced at Mal, his expression full of guilt. “I’m sorry.”
Mal didn’t respond, her gaze fixed on the floor.
Logan inspected the chains, testing their weight in his hands. “They’ll do,” he said after a moment. “Now let’s get her downstairs before it’s too late.”
“Wait,” Mal said suddenly, her voice shaky but firm. She looked up at us, her glowing eyes filled with a desperate kind of resolve. “Promise me… if I lose control-if I hurt anyone-you’ll stop me. No matter what it takes.”
“Mal, don’t-” Liam started, but she cut him off.
“Promise me,” she said again, her voice stronger this time.
I swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. “We’ll do whatever it takes to keep you and everyone else safe,” I said, sidestepping the harshness of her request.
Logan, however, didn’t sugarcoat it. “If it comes to that, we will,” he said bluntly.
Mal flinched, but she nodded, accepting his words with a quiet resignation.
The trip to the basement was tense and silent, the only sound the faint rattle of the chains as Logan carried them. The basement was cold and damp, the air heavy with the smell of old concrete. It wasn’t a place anyone would want to spend the night, but it was the safest option we had.
Liam and I helped Mal sit on the cot we’d set up in the corner, her movements slow and reluctant. Logan worked quickly, securing the chains around her wrists and ankles, his hands moving with practiced efficiency. The clinking of metal against metal echoed in the confined space, each sound more final than the last.
Mal didn’t resist, though her trembling hands betrayed her fear. When Logan tightened the last lock, she glanced up at him, her glowing eyes searching his face for any trace of compassion. If she found it, he didn’t show it.
“This is for your own good,” Logan said, his voice flat but resolute.
Liam crouched beside her, his expression softening. “We’ll stay close,” he said, his tone full of reassurance. “If anything goes wrong, we’ll be here. You’re not alone, Mal.”
Her lips quivered, but she didn’t reply. Instead, she leaned back against the cold wall, her eyes flicking to the small window high above them. The moonlight was faint now, but it would grow stronger soon.
“We should go,” Logan said, his gaze darting to the clock mounted on the wall. “We’ve got about twenty minutes before midnight.”
“I’m not leaving her,” I said firmly, planting myself next to Mal.
Logan turned to me, his brow furrowing. “It’s not safe-”
“She needs to know we’re here,” I interrupted. “That she’s not some… thing we’re just locking away.” I reached for Mal’s hand, but her chains stopped her from taking it. Her gaze softened slightly, the faintest hint of gratitude shining through her fear.
Logan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. But the second things go sideways, we’re out.”
Liam nodded, standing beside me. “We’re staying,” he said.
Logan muttered something under his breath but didn’t argue further.
As the minutes ticked closer to midnight, the tension in the room became unbearable. Mal’s breathing grew heavier, her glowing eyes brighter. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her muscles began to twitch uncontrollably.