Ronan's forehead rested against hers—just barely, but enough that Elena felt the warmth radiating from him as if he were a living hearth in the middle of a storm. His breath mingled with hers. Her heart pounded so loudly she wondered whether he could hear every beat.
He could.Of course he could.
His thumb brushed her cheek in slow, reverent strokes—too controlled to be accidental. This was deliberate touch. Purposeful. Beastman instinct wrapped in human restraint.
"Elena…" The way he whispered her name—deep, roughened, almost aching—sent heat spiraling down her spine. "You need to come with me."
She blinked. "Now?"
"Yes." His gaze flicked behind her again, jaw flexing with a silent warning. "Before the storm covers their scent."
Their.Plural.
A cold shiver ran down her arms.
"You're not safe here," he said, the softness in his voice sharpening with protective command. "Not alone. Not tonight."
Command disguised as concern.A classic dominance cue.
But a gentle one.A protective one.
Her instinct didn't recoil—it leaned closer.
"Who's coming?" Elena whispered.
For the first time since she'd met him, Ronan's composure cracked. Not much—just a flicker in his eyes. A flash of something primal. Fear? No. Beastmen didn't fear easily.
Possessiveness.Protective dread.A need to shield.
"They're hunters," he murmured, "but not the kind you're thinking of."
"Hunting… me? I'm just a researcher—"
"You're a truth-seer," he cut in, stepping between her and the forest behind her with a smooth, instinctive motion.
That motion alone told her everything.
Observation 6:His body shielded hers without conscious thought.That meant instinct—deep instinct—was driving him now.
Elena swallowed. "How do they even know what I am?"
"They don't." He looked over his shoulder, scanning the shadows. His voice dropped lower than thunder. "Not yet."
She stiffened. "Then—"
"But they know what you could become."
He faced her again. The gold in his eyes was brighter, burning softly even in the storm's darkness.
"Elena," he murmured, "you see things no one else sees. And someone… something… noticed."
Her pulse jumped uneasily. "Ronan—"
He suddenly stiffened.
Every muscle in his body locked. His eyes narrowed. His nostrils flared sharply.
"Stay behind me," he said, voice flattening into something lethal.
Lightning split the sky, illuminating the forest.
For a heartbeat, Elena saw it. A shadow between the trees. Humanoid… but wrong.
A chill shot down her spine.
"Is that—"
"Yes," Ronan growled. "They're closer than I thought."
He moved in front of her fully now, one arm subtly sweeping back behind himself until his hand brushed her hip—closing around it gently but firmly, guiding her without looking.
The touch wasn't intimate. It was protective. Instinctive. Anchoring.
She felt it anyway—hot and steady.
"Don't run," he said.
"I wasn't planning to," she whispered.
He glanced back at her—just a flicker—but something tightened in his expression. That flicker said everything he didn't voice:
He noticed her calmness.He didn't expect it.He respected it.
"Elena," he murmured, "I need you to trust me."
Her breath fell uneven. But she nodded.
"I do."
That stopped him.
For a heartbeat, the storm went silent.
Ronan looked at her fully—really looked, as if the single word unraveled something inside him. His chest rose, breath deepening. His jaw softened. Something warm, intense, almost reverent flickered through his golden gaze.
"You have no idea," he whispered, "what that means to someone like me."
Before she could respond—
He moved.
Not away from her.Around her.
Ronan swept her into his arms—not violently, not even suddenly, but with a protective decisiveness that stole her breath. One arm under her legs, one around her back, holding her close to his chest as rain pelted them both.
"Ronan!" she gasped, gripping his shoulders.
His heat enveloped her.
"You asked what I am," he said, voice rumbling through her bones. "This is part of it."
He stepped off the bridge with her in his arms—fast, graceful, far too strong to be human. Each stride was smooth despite the slick ground.
"Elena, listen," he murmured close to her ear. "The hidden language you study—the way humans reveal themselves without words—it applies to creatures like me too."
She swallowed hard, heart pounding against his chest. "And what is your body saying right now?"
His grip tightened, pulling her closer.
"That you're mine to protect."
Her breath caught.
"And that anything coming for you…"His voice dropped to a low, dangerous growl—hot against her throat."…will have to get through me first."
A branch snapped behind them.
Elena turned her head just enough to see the shadow break from the trees, moving unnaturally fast.
"Ronan—!"
"I know."
His muscles coiled.
"Elena," he said, breath warm against her jaw, "I need you to keep your eyes on me."
"Why?"
"Because if you look at them…" His voice turned dark. "…you'll see what they really are."
"And that will terrify me?"
"No."He met her gaze."That will change you."
A sharp, primal sound cut through the rain—a screech, too distorted to be human. The creature lunged forward, but Ronan shifted effortlessly, his body twisting as he held her tighter, angling away from danger.
She clung to him, breath shaking.
"Ronan—what are they?"
His eyes flashed bright gold—alive with instinct.
"Hunters of truth," he said. "And they kill what they don't understand."
Elena's heartbeat accelerated wildly. "Then why go after me?"
He pressed his forehead to hers again briefly—an intimate, protective gesture. A reassurance. A promise.
"Because," he whispered, "you're the only one they can't read."
Her breath stilled.
"And creatures that live by lies," he murmured, voice breaking into something fierce and possessive, "fear the ones who can see through them."
Another screech.Closer.
Ronan growled—a deep, rolling sound that vibrated through her.
"Hold on to me."
She did—wrapping her arms around his neck as he burst forward with supernatural speed, carrying her toward the safety of the town lights.
But as he ran, Elena became acutely aware of something else—
His heartbeat wasn't fast. It wasn't scared. It wasn't even strained.
It was steady. Controlled. Focused entirely on her.
Observation 7: His physiology changed around her. He moved faster. Reacted quicker. Got warmer.
Beastman instincts influenced by proximity.
To her.
Ronan tightened his hold on her as they reached the edge of town.
"Elena," he murmured, "I'll explain everything soon."
"When?"
"When you're somewhere safe." His golden eyes locked onto hers." And when I'm sure they can't touch you."
Her breath trembled. "And until then?"
He exhaled softly, dipping his head until his lips nearly brushed her ear.
"Until then," he whispered, voice molten, "you stay with me."