The forest had never been silent before. But that night, after Kade vanished into the trees, the stillness wrapped around Aria like a second skin—tight, suffocating, full of unspoken things.
She stood rooted for a moment, her breath catching in the cool night air. Her fingers trembled as she pulled her phone from her pocket and turned on the flashlight, the beam cutting through the darkness like a blade.
Nothing but trees.
No wolf.
No Kade.
Like they had both been illusions.
But they weren't.
The memory of those silver eyes—first in the wolf, then in him—was burned into her skull. And that one word… Mine… kept echoing like a drumbeat in her chest.
---
By the time she got home, her aunt was pacing on the porch, a shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders.
"Where were you?" she demanded, relief and fear bleeding together in her voice. "I told you not to take the forest path."
Aria looked down. "I'm sorry. I didn't think—"
"No," her aunt snapped, softer this time. "You didn't. Those woods aren't safe, Aria. Not after dark. Not for someone like you."
"Someone like me?" Aria frowned. "What does that mean?"
Her aunt hesitated, her eyes shadowed. "Nothing. Just… promise me you won't go there again."
Aria nodded, though a knot was forming in her stomach. Everyone in this town was hiding something.
---
The next day, school was worse.
Whispers trailed her every step. People stared, not just out of curiosity—but like they knew something she didn't. The kind of stares that made your skin crawl.
And Kade?
He wasn't in class. Not in the halls. Not even in the cafeteria.
But his absence was louder than any presence.
She sat by herself during lunch, picking at a sandwich she couldn't taste. Then, just before the bell rang, a tall girl with icy-blond hair and eyes the color of steel dropped into the seat across from her.
"You don't belong here."
Aria blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I'm being kind," the girl said. "Turn around, pack your things, and leave Blackridge. Before you ruin everything."
Aria narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"
The girl leaned in, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "I'm someone who knows what you are. And what he is. And trust me—you're not ready for either."
"Who's he?"
The girl stood, smoothing her leather jacket. "You'll find out soon enough."
---
That night, Aria couldn't sleep.
The wind whispered against her window like it was trying to speak her name.
She tossed and turned, restless. That wild hum was back in her chest—just under the surface, like a second heartbeat.
So she got up, dressed, and slipped out into the night.
She didn't mean to walk to the forest.
But her feet carried her there anyway.
She barely stepped into the clearing before a voice stopped her cold.
"You never listen."
Kade stood in the shadows, shirtless again, his skin bathed in moonlight. The edges of his form shimmered with tension, as if his body was barely holding something back.
"I needed to see you," Aria said, breathless.
He stepped closer. "Why?"
"Because you're not just some boy in my school. You're not normal. And neither am I."
Kade's jaw tightened. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"I saw you—shift. Into that wolf."
"You didn't see me," he said sharply. "You saw what I can become. What I try every day not to be."
Aria stared at him. "But why me? Why did you say I was yours?"
Silence.
Then, softly, he answered, "Because fate doesn't care if we're ready."
She stepped closer. "Explain."
He looked away. "There's a bond—rare, ancient. Stronger than love, deeper than blood. When a wolf finds their fated mate, they feel it in their bones. It's not a choice. It's… destiny."
"And you think I'm yours."
"I know you are," he said, his voice a low growl. "The moment I saw you. Even before that… I dreamed of you."
Aria's breath caught. Her heart thudded.
"I don't remember who I was before the fire," she whispered. "But ever since I got here, it's like something in me is waking up."
Kade stepped forward, so close now she could feel his heat. "Because it is. You're not just a girl, Aria. You're something else. Something more."
"Then tell me what I am."
He opened his mouth—but the wind suddenly shifted. The forest changed.
Kade tensed. "We have to go. Now."
"What is it?" Aria asked.
But it was too late.
A howl split the night.
Not a wolf's. Something… wrong.
Kade grabbed her hand. "Run."
They sprinted through the trees, the sound of crashing branches and snarls behind them.
Then, from the shadows, a massive figure lunged.
Not a wolf. Not a man.
Something twisted. Deformed. Eyes burning red.
Kade let out a roar and shoved Aria behind him.
"Stay down!" he barked.
The creature leapt, and Kade shifted midair—a blur of black fur and bone-cracking power. He slammed into the beast, and they tumbled into the underbrush.
Aria crawled backward, heart in her throat.
She could only watch—helpless—as the two monsters fought beneath the bleeding moonlight.
---
When it was over, Kade was covered in blood—his and the creature's. He limped over to her, panting.
"I told you," he rasped. "This town… this world… is full of monsters."
Aria's voice trembled. "So what does that make you?"
He looked her dead in the eyes.
"The one trying to protect you."