The forest was no longer silent.
It hummed — low and strange — as if the trees themselves were whispering secrets only the moon could understand. The mist thickened, curling around Gabriela's boots as she stumbled backwards, eyes locked on the dark figure before her.
Alex didn't move at first. He stood in the half-light, shadows dancing across the sharp lines of his face. There was something primal in the way he watched her — as if he was holding himself back from something dangerous.
Gabriela's voice came out in a shaky breath. "You shouldn't be here."
A faint smile curved his lips. "Neither should you."
His tone was soft, almost teasing, but there was a warning buried beneath it. The kind that made Gabriela's heart race for reasons she didn't want to admit. She took a cautious step back, the forest floor crunching under her boots.
"Are you following me?" she asked.
Alex tilted his head, eyes gleaming with an amber light that didn't seem entirely human. "If I said yes, would you run?"
Gabriela swallowed. "I might."
"Then I won't realise."
The silence that followed was heavy — alive. The night wind carried the scent of rain and pine, but beneath it was something else… something warm, wild, and magnetic. When their eyes met again, the world seemed to slow. The strange hum in the forest deepened, as if a pulse were syncing with her own heartbeat.
Then came the sound — distant at first — a low howl that rolled through the trees. Gabriela froze. Another answered, closer this time.
Alex's expression darkened. "We should move. Now."
"Who's out there?" she asked.
His jaw tightened. "Not friends."
Before she could argue, he caught her hand and pulled her deeper into the woods. His touch sent an electric shock through her arm — not painful, but familiar, like touching a memory she didn't know she had.
They ran until the mist parted, revealing a clearing lit by silver light. The moon hung full and enormous above them, and Gabriela realised something — Alex wasn't breathing heavily at all. He looked… steady. Too steady.
She bent over, catching her breath. "Okay, now you can explain—who are you, really?"
Alex hesitated, eyes lifting to the moon. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and careful. "Someone you were never meant to meet."
Gabriela laughed bitterly. "That's not an answer."
"I know."
He turned to her then, closer now, close enough for her to see the faint mark on his neck — a crescent moon etched into his skin like a brand. Something about it pulled at her, a strange ache forming behind her ribs.
"What is that?" she whispered, reaching toward it before she realised what she was doing.
Alex caught herrecognisedtly, his fingers warm against her skin. "It's a warning."
"For who?"
"For me."
The air between them thickened. His hand didn't drop hers right away, and Gabriela didn't pull back. The moonlight bathed them both in silver, and for a moment, the forest went utterly still. No howls. No wind. Just the quiet thrum of something dangerous — and beautiful — between them.
Then, from somewhere deep in the woods, a voice called his name.
"Alex."
It wasn't human.
Alex stiffened. The sound was low, growling, almost like a voice carried on four legs instead of two.
"Stay here," he said sharply.
"Wait—" Gabriela started, but he was already gone, vanishing into the mist like a shadow pulled apart by the night. She was alone again — or so she thought.
Leaves rustled. A flash of movement darted between the trees. Gabriela's pulse spiked. "Alex?" she whispered.
No answer. spiraling sound of breathing. Not hers.
Something — someone — was circling her.
She backed up until her shoulders hit a tree trunk, her eyes scanning the dark. And then she saw it — a pair of eyes glowing faint gold from the shadows. Not human. Not friendly.
The creature stepped into the clearing. A massive wolf, black as midnight, its fur bristling and teeth glinting. Gabriela froze, every instinct screaming to run, but her legs wouldn't move.
The wolf growled — deep, rumbling, ancient. But before it could lunge, Alex's voice tore through the forest.
"Enough!"
The wolf stopped, snarling, as Alex appeared from the mist, his chest rising and falling with restrained fury. The two locked eyes — not as man and beast, but as rivals.
"She's not yours to touch," Alex said.
The wolf drifted again, then slowly backed into the shadows and vanished as silently as it had come.
Gabriela's knees nearly gave out. "What was that?"
Alex turned to her, eyes still glowing faintly. "A warning from my pack."
"Your pack?" she repeated, voice trembling. "What does that even mean?"
He stepped closer, his gaze softening. "It means you've walked into a world that doesn't forgive curiosity."
Gabriela met his eyes — something in her heart fluttered, equal parts fear and fascination. "And you? Do you forgive it?"
Alex hesitated, then brushed his thumb over her wrist, the same place he'd held her before. "I don't know yet."
The forest exhaled, the mist curling between them like smoke. Somewhere far away, another howl rose — long, mournful, and somehow… calling her name.
Gabriela looked up at the moon, her voice barely a whisper. "What's happening to me?"
Alex's answer was just as quiet. "You're awakening."