The trees whispered warnings, but Salina Clarke didn't listen.
She jogged deeper into the Blackpine Forest, earbuds snug in place, her ponytail swaying with every determined stride. The crisp evening air nipped at her cheeks as she moved along the trail, damp leaves crunching under her boots.
It was her favorite time to run, right before twilight, when the sun dipped low and cast everything in gold. But tonight, it fell too fast, and suddenly, the woods were swallowed by shadows.
She walked slowly, her chest rising with each breath, and tugged the earbuds free. The silence felt wrong.
Then came the sound.
Snap.
Not a bird. Not a squirrel.
A footstep.
She froze, her heart stuttering. Her eyes swept the tree line, but there was nothing. Just dense trunks, rustling branches, and darkness curling between them.
"Hello?" she called out. "Is someone there?"
There was total silence.
A chill crept down her spine. She gripped her phone tightly and glanced at the screen no signal. Of course.
Another crack. Closer.
pressure surged through her veins as she stepped back, trying to find a reason maybe another hiker? A deer? But her instinct said otherwise.
Something was watching her.
And then, he stepped out.
He moved like a shadow, silent and smooth, emerging from behind a moss covered tree. Tall. Broad shouldered. Dark jeans clinging to muscular thighs, a worn black shirt torn across one shoulder. His chest rose and fell like he'd been running, but not from exhaustion. From heat.
His hair was wild, the color of storm clouds. And his eyes...
They weren't human.
They were golden. Glowing faintly. Like molten amber caught in moonlight.
And his mouth… blood smeared the corner of his lips.
Salina took a step back. "Who the hell are you?"
He didn't speak immediately. Just studied her. Then a low, raspy voice finally broke the silence.
"You shouldn't be out here."
His voice held a roughness that curled around her spine. A warning and a whisper at once.
"Neither should you," she said, clutching her phone. "And, you're bleeding."
"It's not mine."
Her heart skipped. "Excuse me?"
He looked down at the stain on his shirt like it didn't matter. "There are things in these woods that hunt after dark. You're lucky I found you first."
"You're insane," she said, stepping backward.
He took one step forward. "No. I'm the only reason you're still breathing."
Salina's hand trembled. She considered running but he didn't move like someone she could outrun. He moved like a predator.
Still, her mouth worked faster than her brain. "Okay, creep. I'm leaving. Don't follow me."
"I wasn't planning to." But his eyes flickered, like part of him wanted to.
She turned sharply and walked, fast. She didn't dare glance back until she reached the trail's edge and the distant glow of streetlights came into view.
Only then did she turn.
He was gone.
~~~~
The next morning, Salina sat on the porch of her small rental cabin, clutching a mug of lukewarm coffee and staring at the edge of the woods.
What the hell happened last night?
She couldn't stop thinking about him. That voice. Those eyes. The blood.
Had she imagined it? Had the fading light played tricks on her? Was she losing her mind?
Or worse… was she drawn to him?
She shook her head and grabbed her phone. Still no signal out here. That's what she got for renting a cabin thirty minutes from town to "get away."
She didn't even realize she was slipping on her boots until she was halfway down the porch steps.
Just a walk. Just to prove it was nothing.
Right?
~~~~
The forest was quiet again. Too quiet.
No birds chirping. No leaves rustling.
Salina found herself back on the same trail against her better judgment. She slowed at the same spot where she'd seen him.
And there like deja vu he was there again.
Leaning against a tree, arms crossed. Like he'd been waiting.
"I told you not to come back."
Her breath caught. "You don't get to tell me what to do."
He smirked, and something dangerous danced in his gaze.
"You have no idea what kind of danger you're in, do you?"
"I'm not scared of you."
"You should be." He pushed off the tree and started toward her. walking slowly. Every step like it could shatter the earth.
She held her ground, even as her pulse raced. "What do you want from me?"
He stopped just inches from her. She could smell the forest on him pine, earth, and something else… Something that made her skin tingle.
"I wanted to make sure you stayed away. That's all."
"And now that I'm here?"
He stared into her eyes, and something flickered. A war inside him. Desire... and restraint.
"Now I need to leave before I do something I'll regret."
He turned sharply.
"No," she blurted. "Wait. You saved me. Didn't you?"
He didn't answer.
"You're bleeding again." Her voice softened.
He looked over his shoulder. "Not mine this time either."
"Then whose?"
His eyes darkened. "A monster."
"A bear?"
"No." He turned fully toward her. "Something worse. Something like me."
The words settled like ice in her chest.
And then he vanished one second he was there, the next he was just… gone.