Elara ventured into the forest the next morning, drawn by curiosity and unease. The trees whispered secrets, and the path twisted like a serpent. She didn't see the wolf until it was too late—massive, silver-furred, eyes glowing amber. It snarled, and she stumbled back, heart pounding.
Then he appeared.
A man stepped from the shadows, tall and broad-shouldered, his eyes the same amber as the beast's. He raised a hand, and the wolf vanished into the mist. "You shouldn't be here," he said, voice rough like gravel. "Not during the moon's rise."
His name was Kael. He lived deep in the woods, alone. There was something wild about him—something that made her pulse race and her instincts scream. Yet she couldn't stay away.