The first thing Aria felt was the silence.
Not normal forest silence.
Not the soft hush of wind through leaves or distant birds settling for the night.
This silence was watchful.
Alive.
She tightened her grip on her flashlight and stepped deeper into the woods.
"This is stupid," she muttered to herself.
But she needed proof.
Proof that the stories about Blackridge Forest were just that—stories. No monsters. No beasts. No glowing eyes in the dark.
Just superstition.
The full moon hung heavy above her, silver light slicing through branches and turning the clearing ahead into something almost sacred.
And then—
She stepped across it.
The ground beneath her boots shifted from dirt to carved stone.
A circle.
Ancient. Marked. Intentional.
The air changed instantly.
Warm.
Thick.
Electric.
A pulse moved through the earth like a heartbeat.
Aria froze.
The wind died.
Her flashlight flickered once.
Twice.
Then went out.
A growl rolled through the trees.
Low.
Deep.
Not close.
But not far.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
"That's… not funny," she whispered, even though no one had been joking.
Another growl.
Closer now.
And then she smelled it.
Wild cedar.
Smoke.
Something dark and dangerously masculine.
Her pulse stumbled.
Leaves crunched behind her.
She turned slowly.
And saw him.
He stood at the edge of the clearing like he had stepped straight out of myth.
Tall.
Broad shoulders stretching the fabric of a black shirt that looked almost too small for him.
Dark hair falling over sharp eyes that glowed faintly in the moonlight.
He wasn't just attractive.
He was overwhelming.
Predatory.
His gaze dragged over her like a physical touch.
And then he inhaled.
Deeply.
His jaw clenched.
"You shouldn't be here," he said.
His voice wasn't loud.
But it vibrated through her body.
Aria swallowed. "Public forest."
He took one step forward.
The air between them tightened.
"This," he said, eyes flicking to the circle beneath her boots, "is not public."
Her stomach dropped.
The markings beneath her feet began to glow faintly.
Soft silver light tracing symbols she didn't understand.
The man's expression changed.
Not anger.
Not exactly.
Something darker.
Something… hungry.
He inhaled again, slower this time.
His pupils expanded.
"What did you do?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he moved closer.
Each step deliberate.
Controlled.
But barely.
Aria felt it then.
Heat.
Not from the night air.
From him.
Radiating off him in waves.
He stopped just a foot away.
Too close.
Close enough that she could see the tension in his throat. The flex of his hands at his sides like he was fighting something invisible.
"Say your name," he demanded quietly.
Her pulse fluttered. "Why?"
His eyes flashed.
"Say. Your. Name."
"Aria."
The moment her name left her lips, the glowing symbols flared brighter.
The earth pulsed again.
And he made a sound.
Not quite a growl.
Not quite a curse.
"Impossible," he breathed.
His hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist.
Not painfully.
But firmly.
Possessively.
Heat exploded up her arm.
Aria gasped.
His skin was scorching.
His thumb pressed against her pulse like he was measuring it.
Or memorizing it.
"You triggered the ritual," he said, voice strained.
"I don't even know what that means!"
His gaze dropped to her mouth for half a second.
Too long.
When his eyes lifted again, they weren't fully human anymore.
There was something else there.
Something feral.
"You crossed into sacred ground during the full moon," he said tightly. "The mating circle."
Her breath caught.
"The what?"
His grip tightened reflexively at the word.
And she felt it.
A pull.
Deep in her chest.
Like something invisible had just locked into place.
He felt it too.
She saw it in the way his entire body went rigid.
In the way his breathing turned uneven.
In the way his voice dropped into something rougher.
"Do you feel that?" he asked.
She didn't want to answer.
Because yes.
She did.
A heat low in her stomach.
A magnetic force drawing her closer instead of pushing her away.
She should've been terrified.
Instead—
She was aware.
Of his body.
Of his scent.
Of the way his thumb was still resting against her pulse.
He leaned closer.
His nose brushed lightly along the side of her neck.
Not a kiss.
Just a breath.
But her knees nearly buckled.
He inhaled slowly.
And shuddered.
"You smell like mine," he murmured.
Her breath hitched.
"Excuse me?"
His jaw clenched like he regretted saying it out loud.
His forehead nearly touched hers now.
"Listen carefully," he said, voice barely restrained. "You need to leave. Now."
"But you're the one holding me."
His eyes darkened at her tone.
A flash of something dangerous passed through them.
He released her wrist abruptly.
Stepped back.
Like distance physically hurt him.
"You don't understand what you've done," he said.
"Then explain it."
Silence stretched between them.
Heavy.
Charged.
Finally, he spoke.
"My wolf has recognized you."
Her heart skipped.
Recognized me how?
He held her gaze.
And the word fell between them like a claim carved in stone.
"Mate."
The forest seemed to inhale with them.
Aria's mind raced.
"This is insane."
"Yes," he agreed quietly. "It is."
His eyes softened for just a second.
Then hardened again.
"You are human."
"And that's a problem?"
His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"For you? Very much."
Somewhere in the trees, multiple howls broke through the night.
Not distant.
Close.
Coming closer.
His expression shifted instantly into something protective and deadly.
"They felt it," he muttered.
"Felt what?"
"You."
His gaze dropped to her throat.
Lingering.
Possessive.
Hungry.
And then he looked back into her eyes.
"If they decide you're a threat," he said softly, "I won't be able to stop what happens next."
Her heart thundered.
"Are you a threat?" she whispered.
He stepped closer again.
Close enough that she felt surrounded by him.
Overpowered.
But not afraid.
His hand hovered near her waist.
Not touching.
But wanting to.
"I am trying very hard," he said, voice rough, "not to be."
The howls grew louder.
The moon climbed higher.
And something inside her told her this night—
Was only the beginning.