I knew I wasn't supposed to be here.
Everyone in the village had told me the forest was cursed. That anyone who wandered too deep would never come back. That a beast lived here. A monster.
So why were my feet still moving forward, step after step, skirt snagging on branches, my chest bouncing in ways that made me keep tugging my dress up in annoyance? Maybe I was reckless. Or maybe I just hated being told no.
The forest was too beautiful to be cursed. Moonlight glittered on the leaves like silver dust. Fireflies floated lazily around me. And when the wind moved through the branches, it felt like the whole place was holding its breath.
That's when I heard it low, deep, and rumbling. A growl.
My stomach dropped.
I turned.
And froze.
He was there.
Tall, impossibly tall, standing between the trees as if he belonged to them. Broad shoulders. Muscles shifting beneath a loose black shirt. Golden eyes glowing against the dark, locking on me with a sharpness that made every hair on my body stand up.
And then I saw the details the faint shimmer of scales along his arm, the curve of horns hidden in his dark hair, the claws flexing at his side.
The beast.
I should have screamed. My knees almost gave out, my heart was hammering in my chest, but all I could whisper was
"…You're real."
His eyes narrowed. His voice was deep, low, the kind that made the ground seem to vibrate.
"You shouldn't be here."
My lips parted. I wanted to answer, but my throat was dry. Instead, I clutched my skirt tighter against my thick thighs, trying not to tremble. His gaze flicked downward, quick but noticeable, before sliding back to my face. My cheeks burned
"I… I just wanted to see," I said, forcing my voice to work.
"To see what?" His tone was sharp, like he already hated the answer.
"The beast," I whispered, instantly regretting it.
His jaw tightened. He looked away, as though the word cut deeper than claws ever could. "Foolish girl."
The silence stretched, heavy and unbearable. I could feel him looking at me even when he wasn't. My body was tense, my heart wild, but at the same time… something inside me wanted to step closer
Then, a rustle. Growls.
Wolves.
They slipped out of the shadows, teeth bared, four of them circling. My legs locked in place, terror flooding me.
He moved before I could even scream.
Wings burst from his back in a snap of sound, black and crimson, massive enough to blot out the moonlight. His roar split the night, so powerful the wolves whimpered, tails tucked, scattering into the forest.
When silence fell again, he stood there wings still spread, chest rising and falling, golden eyes glowing bright with something primal. The air around him shimmered with heat.
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt. And still… I couldn't look away.
Slowly, his wings folded back. He turned, those fierce eyes finding mine again. For just a moment, there was something softer there, something that made my chest ache.
Then it was gone.
"Leave," he said, voice colder now. "And don't come back."
He turned away from me, already fading into the dark.
But even as my body shook and my mind screamed at me to run, I knew the truth.
I would come back.
Because whatever he was beast, monster, curse he was also the most breathtaking man I had ever seen.
And I couldn't stay away.