BOUND TO HIS SHADOW
CHAPTER 1: The Moment Everything Breaks
AMARA'S POV
I had always believed that peace came from control; Control over time, Over- choices and over one's heart.
At twenty-five, I had it all; a steady job at a big firm, a well- furnished and quiet apartment in the city that never slept. But lately, that control has started slipping.
It began as a whisper of unease, the feeling of being watched, when I inserted the keys to my door, shadows stretched longer than they should.
Once I caught my reflection in a window and swore that someone was standing behind me. When I turned there was no one. Telling myself that I was overthinking, probably work stress but the unease kept growing.
One night, after staying late at work, I stepped out into the cool evening air. The streets were half empty, the street lamp flickering. I walked faster than usual, hugging my bag close.
Then I felt it; a heavy gaze on my back, I turned and my heart nearly stopped, across the street, a man stood still, black coat. I couldn't see his face clearly, but his eyes… They glowed faintly under the street light, like molten gold reflecting the night. He didn't move. Didn't speak. Just watched me.
The world went silent for a second, but my heart was beating too loud… "Can I help you?" I asked, voice shaky.
He didn't answer, just tilted his head slightly, like he was memorizing me. Then, a blink and he was gone. My breath hitched. The world felt unreal for a second, like I'd stepped into a nightmare while still awake.
My phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket, snapping me back. I jumped. "Mom." I answered, trying to steady my voice.
"Hello?" Amara! Why do you never pick up immediately? Anyway, your sister, she's getting married. mom's excitement was sharp and piercing
"Oh… wow. That's fast." Yes! And the wedding is next month. I hope you 're coming home."
"Of course, I 'll come." Good and Amara, please don't come alone this time." Her tone shifted, " your sister is younger than you. Everyone will ask why you 're still single. Bring a man, pretend if you have to." I froze again, staring at the empty street, Pretend boyfriend?
Great. I'll handle it, "I muttered.
Mom hung up, leaving a sting of frustration and pressure I didn't need. Two problems now; a man watching me from the shadows… and a mother demanding a boyfriend I didn't have.
Increasing my pace which could have been mistaken for running. After walking for a few minutes my apartment building loomed ahead, inside I pressed the elevator button and waited, tapping my finger against my Fendi bag.
The elevator door opened with a soft ding bringing me out of my thoughts, stepping in. As it ascended, my mind wandered to the message I had received earlier that day, from an unknown number; "I've been watching you.
My stomach had dropped, my first thought was that it was a prank, one of the office idiots had too much time in their hands. But a tiny part of me remembered the shadow at the coffee shop last week, the man who looked at me, too carefully before disappearing into the crowd. I shook my head trying to convince myself it was nothing.
By the time I reached my floor the unease had grown into a low hum in my chest. I unlocked the doors to my apartment and stepped inside, dropping my bag by the sofa, the space was quiet, almost empty. I checked the windows, closed the curtains, tried to convince myself I'd imagined it.
After freshening up and having a light meal for dinner, I set to work, opening my laptop and trying to distract myself. Typing, scrolling, anything just to distract myself from the thought of me being unsafe.
Hours passed, maybe minutes, the line between reality and exhaustion blurred. My head dropped onto my keyboard for just a second.
When I woke up, it was dark outside, rain had started tapping against the window, a soft, persistent rhythm. My heart raced as I tried to shake the dream from my mind, a dream so vivid, it clung to my skin. Sleep dragged me into a world wrapped in mist.
I found myself walking down a narrow street where the shadows stretched towards me like they knew my name. Then I saw him, blending into the fog. His eyes locked onto mine with a familiarity that made my chest tighten, as if he had been waiting for me... watching me.
He didn't speak. He simply reached out, his hand hovering inches from mine, warm… almost comforting.
Just before our fingers touched, the entire dream trembled and collapsed into darkness. I jolted awake, breathless.
My fingers are still tingling from his touch. Too scared to go back to bed, I cuddled my teddy looking at nothing in particular, trying to stay awake. I told myself not to close my eyes again, not after that dream…
But the room felt heavier with every breath, like something unseen was pulling me back under. My eyelids slipped shut for a second and in that second, I felt it.
A warm breath in my ear, whisper I couldn't quite catch. His presence … waiting. And before I could fight it, sleep swallowed me whole again, dragging me straight back to him.
CHAPTER 2: THE WOLF KING IN THE SHADOWS
Kael's POV
I should have stayed in my realm. The council warned me, the Oracle warned me, even my own wolf snarled at the risk but none of it mattered. Not when her scent… warm vanilla, soft jasmine, and something ancient that called to the deepest part of me.
"My mate."
I had been watching her for seven moons, slipping through the thin points between realms, stepping into her world only when necessary.
The portals were unstable, thin as glass, easy to shatter if used too often. But for her, I opened them anyway. I always would. Tonight, she finally saw me.
I stood across the road, cloaked in shadows, watching her hurry down the dim street. Her aura shimmered faintly, her power waking far earlier than expected. That alone terrified me more than any enemy.
My wolf pushed forward in my mind, restless, possessive.
Mine.
Her eyes lifted. The moment they landed on me, everything inside me went still.
She wasn't supposed to see me this soon. Humans looked past shadows. They blinked, dismissed, and rationalized. But she… she looked directly at me, as though her soul recognized me before her mind could. The golden heat in my eyes flickered, betraying my presence.
She whispered, "Can I help you?"
Help me?
If only she knew that the reason I stood there, silent and unmoving, was because several creatures in my realm already sensed her existence. They felt my bond ignite. They felt my claim. And they wanted her dead before the bond sealed fully.
I tilted my head, studying her, my heart pulling, my wolf roaring, the mate bond tightening around my chest like a chain. Her fear rolled through the air, sharp and trembling, but beneath it… curiosity. Recognition.
Just as she stepped closer, a dark ripple brushed against my senses.
My Shadow beasts, nearby.
"Too near."
I didn't have time to linger. I tore open a portal beside me with a single swipe of my hand, a swirling rip of silver and black mist and stepped through just as she blinked. The human street vanished, the scent of iron and forest rushed into my lungs.
"Back in my realm." I landed on the moss-covered stone floor of my throne hall, my Beta, Rowan, waiting with tense eyes. "You crossed again," he said. "Kael, this is reckless."
"I don't care." He flinched, my voice came out deeper than intended, the wolf too close to the surface. Rowan swallowed. "You know what they're saying. Word is spreading. The moment your eyes glowed, every creature who follows the Shadow Queen felt it. They know you found your mate." His words sliced through me.
The Shadow Queen, the one enemy powerful enough to challenge me, the one who would kill Amara without hesitation. "I told you," I growled. "No one touches her."
"But she's human," Rowan whispered. "She has no defences here or there."
My jaw clenched. Exactly why I watched her, from the shadows. Anywhere danger crept nearby.
And tonight, when she fell asleep on her desk, I slipped through the veil and stood beside her window, cloaked in darkness, just watching her breathe. My wolf calmed only when I knew she was safe.
I shouldn't have let myself get that close, but the bond pulled like gravity.
"Mine."
And then she dreamed of me again, pulled into the echo of my world. I felt it. Our souls brushed like sparks in the dark.
That was when I lost control, her name nearly slipped from my lips. My hand almost touched her cheek and when she startled awake, eyes wide with fear…
I vanished before she could turn.
Now, pacing the length of the throne room, I dragged a hand through my hair. The beast under my skin paced with me, massive and rumbling. If I shifted now, I'd tear the stones from the floor. "She saw me," I muttered.
Rowan went still. "Already?"
I nodded once. "That means her power is awakening, earlier than we predicted." Earlier… and dangerously fast. My wolf growled low, a warning, a promise. "Then I'll watch her even closer," I said, Rowan stared. "Kael, if the council finds out"
"I am the king," I snapped. "Let them try to stop me."
A long silence passed between us. "You know what happens when a mate bond snaps into place," Rowan said quietly. "You'll be uncontrollable around her. Possessive. Ruthless." I bared my teeth in a humourless smile.
"I already am." And as the torches flickered and shadows curled at my feet, I felt it, a ripple, Something-crossing into her world. Something hunting.
My vision sharpened, my eyes burning gold. "I have to go," I growled, already opening a swirling portal back to her world. Rowan grabbed my arm. "Kael, wait! At least take warriors with you!"
"No," I snarled. "If they see her… if they even look at her" my voice dropped to a dangerous growl "I will kill them myself."
The portal expanded, silver winds whipping around me, her scent brushed my senses again. Jasmine, Warm, Frightened, the bond pulsed hard. She needs you, without another word, I stepped through.
"Back to her world". Back to the shadows surrounding her window and the moon goddess help anyone who tries to take her.
CHAPTER 3: SHADOWS IN THE CROWD
Amara pov
I woke up Friday morning trying to pretend yesterday never happened. No glowing eyes, no strange man watching me from across the street. No cold, heavy ripple in the air like danger was breathing down my neck.
It had all been… stress. That's what I kept telling myself. Work was a blur, I forced smiles, answered emails, and laughed at things I didn't really find funny. But my stomach kept twisting, and every shadow in the office made me jump.
By the end of the day, I knew my friends had noticed. Talia, Mira, and Jade, they always notice everything. "Amara, you look like a zombie," Talia texted me first, and I rolled my eyes before answering.
By six, we were on FaceTime, each of us grinning and fussing like it was normal. "Okay, what are you wearing tonight?" Mira asked. "We can't let you show up like a dead fish."
"I don't even feel like myself," I admitted. "Exactly why we're saving you," Jade said. "Tonight is a fun night. Tomorrow, existential dread. Deal?"
"Deal," I laughed, feeling a little lighter for the first time that day. Talia held up a sparkly top to the camera. "You need something like this. Not drab, okay?"
I frowned. "Sequins? Really?"
"Yes, really," she said, laughing. "It's perfect. You're going to shine. Literally."
We argued about shoes, hair, makeup, and joked about office gossip. Even if I wasn't fully myself, the laughter helped. I was almost normal again.
The club was loud, flashing, overwhelming. Lights bounced across faces, bodies pressed together, music vibrating in my chest. For a few minutes, I let myself forget. I danced. I laughed. I felt… almost alive.
Then someone handed me a drink. Sweet. Fruity. Harmless. Or so I thought. I sipped it, and the room tilted. My limbs grew heavy. My heart slowed. My vision wobbled. "Guys… I… I need the bathroom…" I murmured.
"! We'll be right here!" Talia called. The hallway to the restroom felt like it stretched forever. My fingers trembled on the door handle. Something wasn't right. Then a man grabbed me.
"Easy, sweetheart. I'll help you," he said. His smile wasn't kind. His grip wasn't gentle. He dragged me toward the darker corner of the hall. My hands flailed, my voice rose, but my body wouldn't obey. Panic cut through the fog in my head.
And then… something changed. The shadows shifted. A low growl rolled through the hallway.
The man froze.
A figure emerged from the darkness, strong, silent, impossibly fast. His golden eyes glowed faintly, cutting through the dim light. "He… he saved me," I thought, even though the words made no sense to my foggy brain.
The man moved with terrifying precision. In seconds, the attacker was gone, thrown back, screaming, and vanished into nothing.
Then he turned to me. "Amara," he said softly, almost whispering. "You're safe now." I blinked, dazed. My hands shook, my heart raced, voices echoed down the hallway. "Amara? Where are you?" My friends appeared; worry written all over their faces. "There you are! You've been in there forever!" Jade exclaimed, pulling me into an arm.
I tried to explain, pointing toward the shadows. "H‑he… he saved me… that man… the one who stalks me…"
But there was nothing there. Just an empty hallway.
"Amara, you're drunk," Jade said, almost laughing at how fragile I looked.
"Probably scared yourself," Mira added gently. "There's no one here," Talia insisted. My protest died on my lips.
My friends guided me toward the exit, but just before I fully stumbled away, I caught a glimpse of him again, half in shadow, half in moonlight watching me, and then he vanished. I had no idea I'd just been saved from something less, worse from what was coming.
CHAPTER FOUR: EYES IN THE DARK
The darkness pressed against my eyelids long before the nightmare started.
It wasn't like other dreams, this one felt real, heavy, warm, close.
Too close. There were eyes in the dark. I couldn't see the face, but the gaze pinned me like a hand on my spine. Hot breath brushed the back of my neck, sending a shiver down my arms.
I wanted to turn, I wanted to run, I wanted to scream but my body wouldn't move. A deep voice whispered through the shadows, low and rough.
My name. "Amara…"
It curled around me like smoke, like heat, like something I should run from, but my heart didn't listen. It reacted, it pulled, fingers, warm, careful, hovered just inches from my skin.
Not touching me.
Just close enough to make my breath hitch. Then darkness swallowed everything. And I woke up with a gasp. My room was silent, but I wasn't alone.
I felt him. My skin tingled like his breath was still on my neck. My heart beat too fast, too loud. I pressed a hand over it, trying to calm the frantic rhythm. "Why do I feel like you're here?" I whispered to the empty room. But the room didn't answer. Something else did, a warmth on my shoulder, like a touch without fingers. I yanked the covers up to my chin, trembling. I didn't want him here; I didn't want nightmares but deep down…
I wasn't afraid of him. Not the way I should have been.
Not the way any sane person would be. There was something familiar in that voice that whispered my name. Something that made my body respond before my brain understood. I squeezed my eyes shut. It was just a dream, just a nightmare, just stress.
Just.
A whisper slid through the dark again, not out loud. Inside me.
Close, too close.
"Amara…"
My eyes flew open and miles away, in another realm entirely, the king who whispered my name felt the mate bond pulse like fire through his veins. I hadn't meant for her to hear, I hadn't meant to lose control, not tonight. Not so soon.
I braced my hands against the cold stone wall, breath sharp, heart pounding like a wild animal trapped in his chest.
I have been watching her sleep from the veil, unseen, unheard, invisible to her world but when she shifted, when she whispered something soft in her dream, the bond had snapped inside him.
Her fear.
Her trembling.
The way she curled into herself.
It tore at something primal inside me. I leaned closer through the thin tear between realms, unable to stop myself. Her scent filled him again, warm jasmine, soft vanilla and before I could stop
My wolf, her name escaped my lips. "Amara…" It wasn't meant to reach her. But she did. I felt it when her dream shifted, I felt her confusion, her fear.
Her pull toward me.
The bond was strengthening.
Too fast.
Too early.
I dragged in a breath, fighting the instinct to open the veil completely, to step into her room, and stand beside her bed. To touch the skin, I 'd only imagined. My claws dug into the stone; control was slipping. Every time she dreamed of me; the bond tightened. Every time she whispered my name, even unknowingly, I felt it like a summons. I shouldn't want her this much, I shouldn't crave her fear, her voice, her warmth in his dreams. But I did; I always would and tonight, for the first time… She felt him too.
Chapter 5: No Escape Route
AMARA POV
Days passed, nothing strange, no shadows shifting behind me, no footsteps echoing too close, no cold prickle at the back of my neck.
Everything went back to how it was before I felt I was being watched. Or at least… that's what I told myself. And then the letter burned in my hands, edges crisp with my anger.
Fear didn't crawl this time; it struck hard, turning into fire that swallowed every breath I took. This wasn't the quiet fear from before. This was the kind that took action. The kind that told me there was no more pretending. I dialled the police, fingers trembling but determined. "I want to report harassment… someone's been following me… sending letters, messages…"
The line was polite, professional but dismissive. "Ma'am, unless there's a direct threat, we can't act."
I slammed the phone down. Threat or not, the shadow had been inside my building. Inside my space. Every dimly lit hallway whispered his presence. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't wait for them to believe me. I started watching. The elevators, the stairwells, the quiet corners of my building, they all became battlegrounds. And then… I saw him. Not hiding, not creeping. Standing casually in the lobby, the sort of calm that made my chest twist. I recognized him from the photos I'd pieced together, the angles in the letters, the subtle handwriting, the way his coat hung just so.
My pulse thundered, I confronted him; voice sharp: "You. I know it's you sending these. All of it."
He laughed, low, almost amused. "I don't know what you mean."
My hands shook. "The letters, the messages, stop lying. I have proof."
His denial was infuriating. My anger flared hotter than fear. Every sleepless night, every glance over my shoulder, they were all riding on this confrontation.
I called the police again. They came slower this time. I showed them the notes, the messages, the moments I'd seen him in the building and then it happened.
They didn't believe me. One officer even smirked. "Maybe it's a misunderstanding, ma'am. He lives here too, it's a coincidence."
Humiliation burned through me like ice in my veins. The fire inside me didn't die. It sharpened but the sting of disbelief twisted something hard inside.
He watched. Calm, unflinching, like a predator savouring a small victory. The faint tilt of his head, the curve of his lips… I could see it all.
There was no escape route. Not from him, not from fear, and now… not from the helplessness of others' dismissal. And then I snapped, not with tears, not with begging, but with a promise to myself. I would not let this shadow claim me. I would fight. And when the fire turned into action, he would see. Deny it all he wanted, but I would be ready.
The streets, the hallways, the elevators, all paths I had walked freely before had changed. Every step carried awareness, suspicion, determination.
He lived in the same building.
But the next time I saw him, I would not be the girl trembling in the corner.
I would be the storm.
Chapter 6: Echoes That Follow
Kael's POV
She moved again, a new apartment, new street, new locks she triples‑checked before bed. I stayed back, as I always do. Far enough she couldn't sense me directly, close enough to step in if she needed it.
My presence was a shadow in her life, silent and unseen. The pain struck first. I felt it even before she did like a ripple through the air, sharp and twisting, making her curl in on herself.
Carefully, I reached toward her. Not to frighten, not to scare. Just enough to ease it. My touch was almost a thought, a warmth she couldn't see, but it soothed the ache. I held it there until it melted away, she never saw me. She only felt the relief and the strange, unexplainable comfort, and I stayed hidden, letting her believe she was alone.
I moved with the shadows, always keeping my distance. Mirrored in silence, protecting without ever letting her know.
The danger is real. The Shadow Queen's reach spreads farther than she can imagine, and if anyone touches her… the cost would be mine to bear but she doesn't need to know that.
She must not see me as a threat. She must not feel hunted. So, I remain quiet. Still. Watching. Waiting. Protecting her in ways she will never understand.
Every night, I was there, unseen, a steady presence keeping harm at bay. Even if she never knows, even if she never sees me.
I am Kael, the Wolf king. And nothing, not the Queen, not her agents, not the dangers that move unseen will reach her while I am here.
Chapter 7: The Golden Eyes
AMARA'S POV
After work, I dragged myself into my car, completely exhausted. I started the engine and let out a small breath of relief, just a short drive home, I told myself. Then I could rest. A few minutes into the drive, the engine coughed once. Then again.
And then it died completely. I tried starting it again, but nothing. The headlights flickered weakly and then dimmed until the whole road ahead disappeared into darkness. I looked around. Tall trees surrounded both sides of the road. The forest felt darker than usual, too still, too cold. As I stepped out, a strange feeling crawled up my spine. The hairs on my arms stood up. I kept glancing over my shoulder even though I couldn't explain why. I tried to breathe normally, but each breath felt tight. Something wasn't right. I could feel it deep inside my chest.
My steps slowed as I walked deeper along the path. The last bit of sky behind the tall branches faded, leaving everything dim. I kept telling myself I just needed to reach the main road. Just a little more. Just a few more minutes. Then I heard it. A low growl, deep, rough and too close.
I froze.
At first, I tried to convince myself it was just the wind or a falling branch. But then it came again, louder this time, shaking the air around me. My heart jumped so hard I felt it in my throat.
My fingers trembled as I slowly turned my head. I didn't see anything… But I felt it, something was watching me. Heavy, Dark, Waiting.
My mouth went dry. My breath turned shaky. I stepped backward, careful not to make sudden movements. My pulse hammered so loudly I could barely hear anything else. And then everything happened at once.
A massive dark shape dashed out of the bushes behind me. Before I could run or even scream, the creature slammed into me with full force. I hit the ground so hard all the air was knocked out of my lungs. Pain shot up my chest. The wolf's claws dug into my back. Sharp, brutal. I felt my clothes tear and then my skin. The burning pain made my eyes water instantly. I tried to speak, please but nothing came out.
Its heavy weight pressed me down until it felt like my ribs were going to snap. I pushed against the ground, dragging myself forward inch by inch, but it was useless. It was too strong. Its claws raked down my arm, deep and merciless. I cried out as the pain shot through my shoulder. Warm blood ran down my arm, thick and terrifying.
Before I could even breathe, the wolf bit into the back of my jacket, lifted me like I weighed nothing, and threw me. I flew for a second, then crashed into a tree. My back hit the trunk with a loud crack. Every bone inside me screamed. I slid down to the ground, choking on air, vision blurring. My ribs hurt. My shoulder burned. My arm throbbed. Everything felt like fire. I tried moving my leg but nothing, it trembled and refused to hold me. Even lifting my head sent sparks of pain through my skull.
The wolf stepped closer, claws scraping the ground, growling rumbling deep. Its eyes glowed. It wanted to finish me. Tears filled my eyes not because I was weak, but because the pain was too much and there was nowhere left to go.
I pressed my back against the tree, trying to make myself small, my fingers dug into the dirt. My heartbeat raced uncontrollably, every breath hurts.
The wolf jumped and then, something hit it from the side, a dark blur, Fast, Violent, Strong. I blinked, trying to clear my cloudy vision. The pain made it hard to focus. But I could see two shapes fighting across the forest floor, slamming into trees, tearing up the ground.
Someone, something had appeared out of nowhere and attacked the wolf with unbelievable strength. For a second, I thought it was another wolf. But then I noticed the way it moved. The way it fought.
He was fighting for me.
The wolf snapped its teeth, but he blocked every attempt, pushing it back again and again. It lasted seconds but to me it felt like forever.
Then the wolf backed away and disappeared into the shadows.
Silence fell.
My whole body shook, my breathing came in sharp gasps. I couldn't lift myself; everything hurt too much. He turned toward me slowly, his steps were soft… careful. As if he knew I was scared and hurting. He stopped right in front of me, lowering himself so he wouldn't tower over me. I stared at him, heart racing. I didn't know who or what he was. But he waited. He didn't move closer until I relaxed the tiniest bit.
Only then did he lean in.
He tilted his head slightly, studying my face. His eyes weren't cold. They held something I never expected, concern, worry.
He sniffed the air around my wounds. When I winced, he paused, pulling back a little as if asking silently if it was okay for him to be this close.
I didn't push him away, he seemed to understand.
He lowered his head to my injured shoulder. I sucked in a breath as his warm tongue touched my torn skin. It stung sharply at first, but then a strange relief washed through me. The pain didn't vanish but it softened.
He moved to the long cuts on my arm, licking them slowly, carefully, as if he didn't
want to hurt me any more than I already was.
His warmth steadied me. I didn't understand why… but my fear slowly eased.
My body still burned. My ribs still ached. My clothes were torn and sticky with blood. But somehow, his touch made me feel less alone, less afraid. When he lifted his head and our eyes met, I understood one thing clearly: He wasn't here to hurt me, he had saved me. Later, when the ambulance arrived and I was rushed to the hospital, my friends panicked and asked a thousand questions. Their voices were loud and blurry, but my mind wasn't with them.
All I could feel was him, still in the shadows, still watching. Close enough to protect me and at that moment, I knew he had been there all along. Even when I didn't see him, even when I didn't know his name or had an idea who or what he really was.
Chapter 8: Gone Like Smoke
AMARA'S POV
I woke up in the hospital two days later, pain stabbing through my side. The room was too bright, too white. My head throbbed.
A doctor stood by my bed, flipping through a chart. "You 're lucky, "he said.
"Looks like a wide animal attack… maybe a wolf. We cleaned the wound and stitched the tear. You should heal fine, but you need rest"
I nodded, but the word wolf didn't sit right. Nothing about that night felt like a random attack. My memories were scattered, glowing eyes, the creature pinning me down… and then the man that hit the wolf later became a wolf itself, these memories were flashing through my mind like broken pieces I couldn't fit together.
After I was discharged, my friend Mira immediately moved in to take care of me. "You scared me to death, "Mira said as she folded the couch. "Don't even think of being alone. I didn't argue. I didn't want to be alone either. Especially now. Ever since the attack, the man who had been following me had vanished too. Everything went silent at the same time and that scared me more than being watched.
That night, unable to sleep, I sat on my bed with my phone, typing in the one thing I had been avoiding. Wolf attack. Pages loaded. News articles, videos, survival guides. Then something at the bottom of the page caught my eye.
A link.
"Wolves… or something else? Understanding the werewolf theory. "I blinked. Werewolves? Ridiculous, but clicked anyway. The page opened to a short article about myth, history, sightings… and then, at the end. "For more records and documented cases visit. The Hollow Ridge Public Library- Special Archives Section."
My stomach tightened. The address was only thirty minutes from home. A small line under it read: "For those seeking truth, come before sunset."
I froze.
I didn't believe in werewolves or monsters, but I believed in what attacked me. And I believed in the man I kept seeing. For the first time… the pieces felt like they were trying to fit.