EMILY'S POV
Darkness.
No matter which way I turn, all I hear is the heavy echo of my own heartbeat. Then the wind shifts—bringing that scent again. Musky. Wild. Familiar. The same one that has been haunting my dreams for months.
I'm standing in the forest just like before, the moon bright enough to stain the trees silver. My breath catches when I notice a pair of glowing eyes watching me from the shadows. Yellow. Sharp. Unblinking.
"Who are you?" I whisper, my voice barely steady.
The eyes move closer, slow and deliberate, until a massive wolf steps into the moonlight. His coat is as black as midnight, every strand shimmering. His gaze pins me in place, fierce yet… comforting. Like he's calling to me.
I step toward him, heart pounding. He neither growls nor retreats. He simply watches—like I'm something he's been waiting for.
And then—he changes.
In the blink of an eye, the wolf is gone… replaced by a man.
Tall, broad shoulders, a jaw carved like it belongs to a warrior. Dark hair that absorbs the moonlight. And those same glowing yellow eyes.
My lips part, but before I can speak, he's already standing right in front of me. So close I can feel the warmth of his breath on my skin.
"You shouldn't be here," he murmurs, his voice deep and rough like distant thunder.
"I—I don't know where 'here' is," I whisper. "Who are you?"
His hand lifts to my cheek. The moment he touches me, sparks shoot down my spine, warm and shocking. I gasp, but I don't pull away.
"You'll know soon enough… mate."
His lips brush my forehead—light, burning, claiming—then everything melts into darkness.
I wake with a sharp gasp, hands gripping the sheets. My heart races like I've been running for miles. The clock reads 3:00 a.m. The house is silent except for the tick of the wall clock and the soft crackle of the fire downstairs.
"It was just a dream," I whisper.
But deep down, I know it wasn't.
It felt too real.
Still trembling, I walk to the window. The moon hangs high—and for a heartbeat, I swear I see glowing eyes staring at me from the woods behind Grandma's house.
---
TYLER'S POV
The same dream. Again.
But this time… she came to me. She reached for me. I felt her—her warmth, her scent, her heartbeat. My mate.
I sit up, chest heaving, sweat clinging to my skin. My wolf paces restlessly beneath the surface, snarling and pushing forward.
"Calm down," I mutter, gripping the edge of the bed.
But he doesn't calm.
"She's close," he growls.
Close?
That's impossible.
"What do you mean?" I ask silently.
"I can smell her. Her fear… her confusion… she's here."
I freeze.
Here? In this village?
I grab my jacket and storm out of the motel room. Mason is half-asleep when I pound on his door.
"What the hell, Tyler? It's three in the morning," he groans.
"She's here," I say simply.
His eyes widen. "You mean—?"
"My mate," I finish. "She's in this village."
Mason blinks hard. "You're certain?"
I inhale deeply—and the scent hits me again. Sweet. Soft. Pure. The same one from the forest.
"Yes," I say. "I'm sure."
---
EMILY'S POV
By morning, I try to shake off the dream. Grandma makes her usual pancakes with honey tea, but even that doesn't settle the uneasy feeling twisting inside my chest.
"Grandma," I ask lightly, "has anyone new come to the village lately?"
She hums. "Hmm… two young men arrived yesterday. They're staying at the old motel near the main road. Why do you ask?"
I freeze for half a second. "No reason," I lie, forcing a smile.
But my heart?
It's racing again.
---
TYLER'S POV
We stand at the edge of the forest as the village wakes. Smoke rises from a chimney near the trees—and that's where the scent is strongest.
"She's there," I whisper, eyes locked on the small wooden house.
Mason glances at me. "What now?"
"Nothing," I say, though my wolf claws at me, begging to run straight to her. "If I show up now, I might scare her. She doesn't even know what I am."
"So you'll wait?" Mason asks.
"For now," I answer.
But waiting feels impossible.
Because whether she knows it or not…
She's mine.