🌙 Episode 11: A Heart That Trembles
Lila couldn't breathe.
The night air tore at her lungs as she stumbled through the dark streets, the sound of her pounding footsteps drowning out everything else. Behind her, the forest loomed, and with it—the impossible truth she could never unsee.
She slowed only when her apartment building came into view. Her body shook violently, her hands numb as she fumbled with her keys. When the lock finally clicked, she burst inside, slammed the door shut, and collapsed against it, gasping for air.
Her mind replayed the scene on a vicious loop: his body twisting, bones breaking, fur sprouting from skin. The massive wolf with eyes that burned like molten gold.
And then—his voice, raw and broken, whispering her name.
She covered her ears, trying to silence it. "No… no, no, no."
Werewolves didn't exist. Monsters like that belonged in fairy tales and nightmares.
And yet… she had seen it. She had seen him.
She curled up on the couch, pulling a blanket over her trembling body, but no warmth reached her.
The worst part wasn't the horror. It was the betrayal.
The man she had let into her life, her heart—he wasn't a man at all.
He had lied. Over and over.
And she had wanted to believe him.
Tears blurred her vision. "Why, Ethan?" she whispered to the empty room.
---
Across town, Ethan stood at the shattered edge of the clearing, blood still staining his skin. The rogues' scent lingered, taunting him.
Marcus approached quietly, his expression grim. "She ran."
"I know." Ethan's voice was a low growl, full of pain.
"You let her see you," Marcus said, not unkindly.
"She followed me," Ethan snapped, then immediately regretted the harshness. He ran a trembling hand through his hair. "I tried to keep her away. I warned her. But she wouldn't stop."
Marcus sighed. "She's human, Ethan. You can't expect her to understand."
"She's my mate," Ethan said, his voice breaking. "She was never supposed to see it like that. Not with blood on my hands."
The bond inside him throbbed, a constant pull toward her. She was afraid of him now, but he could still feel her—her panic, her confusion, her tears. It was killing him.
"I have to see her," he muttered.
Marcus grabbed his arm. "If you go to her now, you'll only make it worse. Give her time."
"There is no time," Ethan said, his eyes flashing gold. "The rogues won't stop. They'll use her to get to me. I need to protect her."
Marcus's jaw tightened. "Then protect her. But don't expect her to forgive you tonight."
Ethan turned away, his chest heaving. He would keep his distance if that's what she needed.
But if the rogues came for her again…
He'd kill every last one of them.
---
The next morning, Lila moved through her apartment like a ghost. She avoided the windows, afraid she might see him standing there.
Every shadow made her jump. Every sound made her heart race.
She tried to go about her routine—coffee, shower, emails—but nothing felt normal anymore.
When her phone buzzed, she snatched it up, praying it wasn't him.
It wasn't.
Unknown Number: You can't trust him. Meet me tonight if you want answers.
Her breath hitched. "What…?"
Another message followed, sending a shiver down her spine.
Unknown Number: He's lying about everything. Come alone.
She stared at the screen, her heart pounding.
It had to be a trick. But what if it wasn't?
What if Ethan wasn't the only one keeping secrets?
She bit her lip, torn. Every instinct screamed to ignore it, to stay inside and lock the doors. But the burning need for the truth was stronger.
If Ethan wouldn't tell her what was going on… maybe someone else would.
---
That evening, Ethan stood on the rooftop of his hotel, the city lights blazing below him. He could feel her—her anxiety spiking like a storm.
Something was wrong.
He grabbed his phone, ready to call, when Marcus appeared. "Don't," his Beta said firmly. "She needs space."
Ethan's wolf snarled inside him. She's not safe.
Then he froze.
Her fear sharpened—sudden, cold, and sharp.
He didn't need a phone to know.
She was walking into danger.
"Damn it, Lila," he whispered, already moving.
---
Lila followed the directions from the text, her stomach in knots. The meeting place was an abandoned warehouse at the edge of town, its windows shattered, the walls tagged with graffiti.
Her steps echoed as she slipped inside, clutching her phone like a lifeline. "Hello?" she called softly.
No answer. Just silence.
She took another step, her breath shallow. "Is someone here?"
A shadow shifted. And then a man stepped out from the darkness, smiling coldly.
"You came."
Her blood ran cold. She recognized him. One of the men from the alley. One of the rogues.
Panic surged, but before she could run, another figure blocked the exit. Then another.
She was trapped.
The leader from last night stepped forward, his eyes glinting with malice. "Hello, little human. Did you really think you'd get the truth without a price?"
Her phone slipped from her trembling hand.
Ethan had warned her. And she hadn't listened.
Now it might be too late.
---
✨ End of Episode 11