The forest of Moonridge held a different kind of silence the next evening. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, and the full moon cast silver patterns across the ground. Lila Moreno couldn't shake the memory of Kael Hawthorne's piercing amber eyes. Even in daylight, the intensity of that encounter haunted her.
Yet, curiosity — stubborn, unyielding — drew her back to the edge of the forest. She had questions. Questions about him, about the town, and about why her instincts screamed that danger lurked nearby.
"Lila," a voice rumbled from the shadows, low and commanding. Her heart leapt, and she froze.
Kael stepped into the moonlight, his tall, muscular frame outlined against the silver glow. "You shouldn't be here," he said, his amber eyes narrowing slightly. "I warned you."
"I… I had to know," Lila admitted, trying to sound braver than she felt. "I need to understand this town… and… you."
Kael's expression softened slightly, just enough to make her pulse race. "Curiosity is dangerous in these woods," he murmured. "But stubbornness… is even more dangerous."
Before she could respond, a sudden rustling of leaves erupted from deeper in the forest. Kael's body tensed instantly, muscles coiling like a predator ready to strike. Lila instinctively stepped back, but he moved closer, positioning himself between her and the shadows.
"Stay behind me," he commanded, his voice low and dangerous.
A dark shape emerged — a wolf, massive, with glowing eyes and teeth bared. Lila's breath caught, frozen with fear. She had never seen anything so powerful, so alive, and yet so threatening.
Kael's posture shifted fluidly. Within moments, his body changed — taller, broader, energy rippling from him as he morphed into his wolf form. His amber eyes glowed brighter, and Lila's heart raced uncontrollably.
The wolf from the shadows growled, circling him. Kael's growl answered, deep and commanding. The two predators locked in a tense standoff. Lila couldn't look away — the danger, the raw power, the feral energy — it was intoxicating.
Finally, the intruding wolf backed off, retreating into the darkness. Kael shifted back into his human form, standing tall, chest heaving, amber eyes fixed on Lila.
"You shouldn't have come here," he said, his voice low, rough with intensity. "This isn't a place for humans. Not for someone like you."
"I… I had to see," she whispered, chest pounding. "I needed to know if what I sensed was real."
Kael's gaze softened slightly, but the edge of warning never left him. "You have courage," he said, stepping closer. "But it could get you killed."
Lila swallowed hard, but something inside her stirred — a thrill she couldn't explain. "Maybe I'm not as fragile as you think," she said, trying to match his intensity.
For a moment, silence stretched between them. The moonlight glinted off his hair, and the raw energy around him made her heart race. Then, unexpectedly, Kael reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. The contact sent warmth through her chest, something more than curiosity, something dangerously intimate.
"You're different," he murmured, amber eyes locked on hers. "Not afraid of the unknown… and maybe… not afraid of me."
Lila's cheeks flushed, and she realized the truth: she was drawn to him in ways she didn't fully understand. Dangerous, magnetic, and powerful — Kael Hawthorne had stirred something in her that she couldn't ignore.
"Just… promise me you'll be careful," he said finally, stepping back. His tone was almost… protective, yet still commanding.
"I will," she said softly, her pulse still racing. "I have to survive… and I have to understand."
"Good girl" he said
"Why aren't you afraid of me?? Everyone,every other girl is afraid of me and you're not"
Why should l be? I said even tho I know I do im afraid of this unknown man
But there's something pulling me closer to him .
Kael's eyes lingered on her for one long, electric moment before he melted back into the shadows, leaving her alone under the full moon.
And as Lila watched him disappear, she realized one undeniable truth: her life in Moonridge had just become infinitely more dangerous — and infinitely more thrilling.