Ayla froze—again.
The river still ran warm over her feet, but the calm was gone. Something in the woods had shifted—like they weren't alone anymore.
Trust him—or trust the instinct that had kept her alive?
Every muscle begged her to let the current take her backward into the mist. But she held.
Her gaze slid past his shoulder into the trees.
Then she leaned in and spoke low, for him alone.
He had one chance to answer—before she decided to jump.
Her pulse hammered in her throat.
"Are you alone—really alone?"
If he said no, she was done.
The question shocked her—asking it felt like handing him a weapon.
He saw the panic in her face—and something else: she kept looking past him. Instinct told him to scan the woods, but he forced his attention to stay on her.
His chin twitched as if he was listening for something.
Ayla inched back, the ledge running out beneath her heels.
His tiny nod looked—at first—like the wrong answer.
"Wait—"
"Of course I'm alone. I told you that."
Pieces snapped together: she wasn't running from him.
She was running from whoever came after her—and he'd dragged that danger greater into the woods.
That was why she'd chosen the ledge.
"It's okay," he said, voice steady. "I can help. Just... let me come closer... I mean you no harm."
He lifted his hands, palms out, and took a careful step off the bank toward her.
His words reached her with sincerity as he continued.
"I want to protect you," he said, low. "If you jump, I'll jump with you."
Ayla's mind snagged on the sincerity in his voice—and hated that it did.
Ayla's instincts screamed at her to run.
Her mouth chose something else.
Footsteps—multiple—crunched through the brush.
"If you're going to be heroic," Ayla hissed, pointing past him, "do it faster."
He didn't argue. He moved—closing the gap between them with one careful stride.
Three men broke through the tree line—one in front with hungry eyes, two flanking him like they'd done this before.
"Get her—now!" the leader barked.
They both realized they wasted too much time, and the other guests of the evening were close and not backing down.
Now appearing to gain speed at more than a walk, as the original mystery man began to make his way to Ayla.
They charged.
Ayla's mind went cold and sharp: three steps, maybe four—then hands on her.
Alex reached her first, fingers locking around hers.
He pulled her in, an arm snapping around her waist as the others lunged within arm's reach.
Finally, the man she trusted to come to her was grabbing her, taking her hand, as the other three were just a few feet behind.
Ayla sucked in a breath. His hold was solid—steadying.
"If we live," she said, breathless, "I'm getting your name. Seems overdue."
His answer was a tight grip and a half-laugh.
"Deal."
"I guess if we survive this, I should ask your name. That would be the fair thing to do," she said with a smile as she grabbed his hand back.
Then they jumped.
Before anyone realized what was happening, the two of them leaped off the edge and down into the depths of darkness and water mist that gave them cover.
Mist swallowed them.
The roar of the falls stole her scream and gave it back as thunder.
It lasted forever and no time at all.
It felt like the whole thing took an hour, but it was over within maybe a minute.
All she knew was the shock of air, the bite of spray, and his arm around her like a promise he hadn't earned yet.
All she could imagine was how good it felt to have someone beside her for once as she ran for her life.
He was warm, and he was comforting, and he made her feel safe.
More than that, for a man, he had a warm, sweet, kind of smell to him that also mixed with something she couldn't recall.
Ayla just knew he smelled good to her with the adrenaline pumping through him, as he held her while they cascaded to the bottom of the waterfall.
To have a companion to be by her side as she did whatever it took to ensure she got to safety for once was exhilarating.
Ayla felt amazing and soaked up every moment as the warmth of what awaited them below engulfed them and sucked them in.
The gentleman was true to his word as well.
Once they reached the bottom, he pulled her closer and held her tight as they met the water's choppy surface.
He intended to endure the impact of whatever lay below himself, so she didn't have to.
Seeing as he was taller than her, his feet broke the surface of the water, making her entrance nearly effortless as they slid in.
This time, Ayla almost felt safe.
Did that mean she would no longer run alone?
Probably not.
Then again, she was no longer planning on running?
She didn't have the answers to that while she let the warm, seductive water steal her away from the world.
Right then, in that moment, she was enjoying the hand that refused to let go, and the body that held hers tightly, as the warmth that surrounded her as they sank deeper into the water at the bottom of the waterfall.
Something about the waters felt familiar to Ayla, like she knew them as they swallowed her.
Ayla knew that the men chasing her were stuck at the top, which gave her a reprieve from them chasing her, just for a short while, so she could breathe.
They wouldn't dare jump after her, that much she knew after many games of cat and mouse.
Shocked at what just transpired, the three men were looking to one another in disbelief.
Thankfully, for Ayla, they were only able to see the jump at the top through the cover of darkness and the mist of the water, and not her landing.
Her taste of happiness was able to be a private moment, just for her, as the night shielded the two from prying eyes.
At the top of the waterfall, three grown men were having panic attacks after seeing the girl they had feverishly chased for so long disappear from the edge of the world.
They felt it was pointless to go after her but knew they had to at least try.
"Boss, I don't think we are going to find her in time, not with the full moon coming and what she just did," he said, looking up at the moon.
All they could think of was how much trouble they would be in if anything happened to her.
What if he found out?
He hired them to find her and bring her home safe, and she just jumped off a freaking cliff with a man.
Was this random man who jumped alongside her with them, or an enemy?
They knew other groups were after her, too, so was he part of one of those?
Who was he, and how did he get her to trust him?
Ayla didn't trust anyone.
They did their research on her for years and knew that she didn't talk to a single soul, never.
She lived a life of strict isolation, so they knew they had challenges ahead of them.
How did that man do it?
What if she just died in front of them?
They needed to get to the bottom of the waterfall and see if she was alive and okay.
Some sort of proof of life was vital to their own survival.
Should they jump, too?
If she were dead, they should all just go ahead and kill themselves because he would have their heads anyway.
Best case scenario, she was perfectly fine, and this stirred some sort of memory, and she would come with them willingly this time, worst case, well.
Three guys of large stature used unmarked paths to start making their way down the waterfall, deciding that jumping probably wasn't the smartest choice.
For men of their large, rugged appearance, they didn't manage to walk very gracefully down, if it could be called walking.
The path wasn't easy to follow and wasn't one that was marked clearly.
Their tough exterior went out the window as they made haste down the side of the falls, stumbling, slipping, sliding, to the point that toddlers learning to walk had steadier gait, with arms flying in every direction.
The fear of unknown consequences kept creeping into their heads, and they needed to push it away and think clearly.
While the three men fought for their lives as they descended the waterfall, Ayla and the unknown man who jumped with her enjoyed the warmth of the water around them, below it, underneath it.
The pair forgot for a moment that they couldn't breathe under the magic of the Mountain spring waters.
They had stayed down for an unnatural amount of time before they realized they needed to surface.
Something about the water in the moonlight seemed to complement them, wrapping around them in a protective bubble.
Ayla didn't want to even surface from it.
She knew when she did, somewhere above the water, the men would be making their way toward her.
In her mind, she felt like she should stay under the water and let it take her.
The man beside her could tell she wanted to give up, and he had no intention of letting her do so.
Letting go of the grip he had on her body, he swiftly pulled the hand that he had previously held and guided her a little way down the river.
When he felt like they were far enough away from the waterfall, they surfaced.
Neither of them realized just how long they were under the water for, but it felt like it was longer than it should have been possible.
Once they were sure that none of the men were around, they could truly breathe.
"How long were we down there for?" Ayla asked as they popped their heads above the waterline.
"I'm honestly not sure. I know it is long enough that I was able to get you away from them, and that is all that matters," he said with confidence.
It was clear that he had questions, but he didn't want to pry.
He wanted to be respectful to her by giving her the space she needed because she was clearly a private person, and he could tell that trust did not come easily to her.
"So much for not taking a literal leap of faith," she giggled.
Ayla couldn't help it as she looked his direction and remembered their conversation just before jumping.
He looked at her and started to shake his head.
"Obviously, I didn't expect you to jump, and I didn't expect to jump myself. I guess we were meant to jump together in blind faith," he said, while he too played the conversation back to himself in his head.
That is what made her look at him with a little more respect than she had before she jumped off the cliff with him.
She knew that he did it without knowing anything about her.
Ayla also knew he had questions, yet he didn't ask them.
This man, who knew nothing about her, yet respected her privacy anyway.
He appeared to have no desire to push her or make her uncomfortable.
Actually, it seemed the opposite.
"How come you don't ask anything from me. It is dangerous to follow someone blindly. You know nothing about me," she said.
He looked at her, puzzled, "Then, we are on an even playing field, because you know nothing about me," he smiled.
She looked at him, a little amazed, "Ayla," she said shyly as they swam cautiously toward the shore.
His attention had been focused on the woods behind the riverbank, trying to ensure they weren't going to be greeted by anyone unwarranted.
He looked at her with bunched eyebrows.
"Now you know something about me," she smirked.
Something told her that this was just the beginning.
Whether the beginning of something good, bad, or something in between, she still had to find out, but she was excited to do just that.
As they reached their destination, she continued, "and we should probably find some kind of shelter for the night, so they don't see us. They don't normally give up so easily. Not those three".
He was surprised by many things in that sentence.
"Alexander, but you can call me Alex or whatever you what to. Did I hear you correctly when you said 'we' should"?
He purposely chose to leave alone the rest of what she said for the time being.
She stopped him from moving forward, placing a hand on his chest.
Feeling her hand resting on his chest, he knew this would just be the beginning for them as well.
"Yes, we, because both of us jumped, and neither of us should be seen. If one survived, then both did. Besides, I'm curious about you, and I need someone to help me fight against all these men. I'm tired of running and fighting alone; it's hard. You seem capable and willing, or did I get that wrong?" she asked, attempting to sound shy.
She did not get that wrong, not in the least bit.
He was still processing the 'we' thing, though.
Alexander found her highly attractive.
Her curves that were fresh in his mind from hugging her close felt like they fit perfectly into his arms and were made just for him.
Ayla's name was like a song on his lips, and he was scared of nothing until then.
This grown man was scared to be alone with this strong-minded female like Ayla.
The thought of not being able to control himself around her scared him, but what she would do to him if he misstepped terrified him.
Mentally, she could rip him to shreds, and he knew it.
He wasn't sure what was happening to him.
What kind of man was scared to be alone with a female, but she was scary, so he continued to follow her like a lost puppy, following an invisible leash.
Before the two of them knew it, they were off the riverbank and walking through the brush a good distance before finding the entrance to a somewhat small but perfect cave.
It had everything they needed.
Far from where they jumped, quiet, hidden, secluded.
The cave was warm, dry, and covered perfectly by the surrounding nature so that they wouldn't be found.
Alexander had been covering any trace of them along the way so that they wouldn't be followed.
For now, the two of them were hidden away in nature where nothing or no one would find them unless they wanted to be found.
As far as the other three men knew, she vanished without a trace, and that was clear.
They turned over every stone and leaf in the direct area to make sure.
Now, they were reluctantly going to their boss to give their report and receive their punishment.
They knew this time would be different.
This time, everything was different.
Unaware that the three men were certain the pair hadn't survived the jump, Ayla and Alexander waited at the cave mouth and listened.
The forest stayed quiet—no footsteps, no voices, no crash of brush.
Still, they didn't relax.
They'd give it time.
If the hunters had tracked them here, they'd learn soon enough.
They slipped deeper inside and sat in the dark, listening until the silence felt real.
Back at headquarters, the three guards walked into their own judgment.
They'd been close—too close.
For the first time in years, they'd had Ayla isolated, cornered, and within reach… and still she'd slipped them.
Worse, she'd done it with a man—one who carried a presence that tasted uncomfortably familiar.
The door slammed.
'SLAM'.
Their Alpha strode in, rage rolling off him in waves.
"You had her," he said. "So why isn't she here? Why isn't she in front of me?"
General Mace stepped forward.
"We did what we could, sir—but she's fast, smart, tactical. She outplayed us."
"We did what we could, but sir, we can't control her. She has a mind of her own. She is fast, smart, and tactical. She bested us".
Theo's fist hit the desk hard enough to crack it. "How?" he snarled.
"How does one woman keep slipping the best trackers in my pack?"
The lieutenant swallowed.
"It started well. She was finally away from town—an opening. We moved too fast and didn't question why."
Theo's lip curled.
"Comfortable. Careless. Maybe I chose wrong."
"No, sir," Mace said quickly. "That isn't what happened."
Theo snatched a figurine from his desk and hurled it. It clipped the lieutenant's shoulder.
"It sounds like it," Theo said. "Talk."
Mace forced himself steady.
"We assumed the forest gave her no sanctuary. We pressed her to the river—then everything turned."
"There was a man between us and her," Mace said.
"He reached her first. She panicked—then nodded like she'd decided something. He wrapped her up, and they jumped together."
Silence stretched.
Then Theo's voice went flat. "Afterward. Did you see her afterward?"
"Did you see her afterward?" their Alpha asked, panicked.
"No, sir," Mace said.
"We searched. She never resurfaced. No prints."
Theo leaned forward, eyes dark.
"Then she's alive. Find her. Bring her home—by the full moon."
Luna Theresa entered, composed as a blade.
"She found him, didn't she?" Theresa asked.
Theo nodded once.
"It's only a matter of time," she said.
"I know," Theo said.
"And we're running out of it."
Theresa's gaze didn't waver.
"Ayla is strong, but she doesn't know what she is. She needs to come home—before the full moon. And if that man is her fated mate…"
Dominic cleared his throat. "Home?"
Theresa's voice softened, but only slightly.
"She has no idea who she is. If my suspicions are right, neither does the man with her. Bring our daughter home."
Dominic stared.
The beast sitting before him hadn't displayed the emotions of a man chasing his long-lost daughter.
"Ayla is your daughter—and she doesn't know?"
"Correct," Theo said.
For a moment, the room held its breath.
Then Dominic spoke carefully.
"Give us a day to let them think they're safe. We'll sweep the forest again—quietly."
Theo's jaw worked.
Finally, he nodded.
"The rest of the night. There is no time to waste before the wolf moon. I need her to trust me. You leave by morning. Don't come back without her."
"Sir, I don't think you should worry as much as you are".
Luna Theresa leaned over to grab his hand and kissed him lightly on the lips.
Outside the office, the three men finally exhaled and fell into hushed conversation as they headed for food and a bed.
"Did you hear her?" Phoenix muttered.
"Our Alpha's daughter. The stories might be true."
Raphael shot him a warning look, but Phoenix only grinned, "and if she's with her mate…"
While the guards tried to laugh the fear out of their bones, Ayla and Alexander were doing the same thing in the cave—listening, waiting.
For the first time in as long as she could remember, Ayla let herself believe they were truly alone for the night.