Prologue
"W-What… what is h-he?" Sofía whispered to herself, her voice barely more than a broken breath.
Her entire body trembled, each shudder rattling her bones as though she might come apart. The thing standing before her was not a man. Not truly. It was a beast a massive black wolf, its form powerful and unnatural, its presence filling the forest with a suffocating dread. She had watched it happen. She had seen him shift, flesh and bone twisting beneath her horrified gaze.
Panic seized her, sharp and merciless.
She bolted from the trees, lungs burning, terror driving her legs forward only for it to end moments later. A brutal force slammed into her from behind. She screamed as the ground rushed up to meet her, but before she could crash into the dirt, he moved with inhuman speed. Their positions shifted mid-fall, and she landed hard against his body as he absorbed the impact, his back striking the rough forest floor.
Sofía shrieked and scrambled away, staggering back on shaking legs. When she looked again, he was gone.
Her frantic eyes darted around wildly until her breath caught in her throat.
He stepped out from between the trees in his human form.
Bare-chested except for the loose pants hanging low on his hips, his skin was marked with dark, ominous tattoos that only added to his threatening presence. Moonlight carved sharp shadows across his powerful frame. She couldn't look away not from him, not from his face.
Fernando's eyes those furious, piercing green eyes held her captive where she stood.
"W-What a-are… y-you?" she stammered.
His jaw twitched, the smallest movement betraying the rage simmering beneath his otherwise cold, unreadable expression. He didn't answer. He wouldn't.
He didn't want her to know the truth.
Didn't want her to know he was a beast.
A sudden icy wind swept past her, threading through her hair and biting into her skin. The fine hairs at the nape of her neck rose instinctively, her body reacting before her mind could catch up.
Still, he said nothing.
The silence that enveloped them was thick and malevolent, heavy with unseen dangers lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike. It pressed down on her chest, stealing her breath.
And yet… she couldn't move.
Something burned beneath her skinman unfamiliar heat that made no sense, that betrayed her fear. Looking into his dark eyes sent a strange calm through her body, even as her mind screamed at her to run. His face, bathed in moonlight, was dark and brooding and devastatingly handsome.
"You're in heat."
His voice was deep, rough, a baritone that vibrated through the clearing. The words came strained, as if dragged from him with effort, as though he were fighting something powerful something painful.
The truth slammed into her all at once.
He wasn't human.
He wasn't a man.
He was a creature.
A werewolf.
Her legs gave way beneath her, terror finally overwhelming her body. Then instinct took over. She spun around and ran, sprinting blindly in the opposite direction with every ounce of strength she had left.
A ferocious growl tore through the forest behind her.
Her heart stuttered violently, fear threatening to paralyze her, but she didn't stop. She could feel him closing the distance, his presence looming closer with every step. Twigs snapped beneath her bare feet, dry leaves slicing into her skin, drawing blood but she didn't slow.
She just needed to get away.
A shrill scream ripped from her throat as a powerful hand clamped around her arm, yanking her off balance. The world spun violently before she was hauled up and thrown over his shoulder.
"NO! Let go!" she cried, pounding weakly against him, thrashing in sheer panic.
One savage growl rolled from his chest, deep and dangerous.
Her body froze instantly, terror locking her in place.
"I won't be gentle anymore," he snarled, his voice raw, feral utterly inhuman.