Luna Everleigh's POV
***
The forest was too quiet.
The kind of quiet that made my skin prickle, like the world itself was holding its breath.
I forced my steps to stay steady, though every instinct screamed at me to turn back. To run. But where would I even go? There was nothing waiting for me beyond these trees. No home. No safe place to return to.
Still, the weight of something unseen pressed against me.
I wasn't alone.
I exhaled slowly, trying to shake the feeling, but then—
A sound.
A faint rustle behind me. Barely audible, but unmistakable.
I stopped walking. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
Silence.
Then another sound.
A step.
Soft, calculated.
I spun around, my pulse hammering. The trees stood tall and unmoving, their twisted branches stretching toward the night sky. Shadows pooled thick between them, too dark to see through.
Nothing.
And yet—
I felt it.
Something watching me.
My breathing shallowed as I took a hesitant step backward.
Another sound. Closer this time.
Panic clawed at my throat, but I clenched my fists, refusing to let fear take hold.
Then—
A pair of glowing red eyes flickered to life in the darkness.
I sucked in a sharp breath.
A low, guttural growl followed.
The eyes moved—fast.
Before I could react, a shadow burst from the trees, a blur of sinewy muscle and snapping teeth lunging straight for me.
I barely had time to throw myself sideways. The creature's claws slashed through the air where I'd stood just moments ago, slicing through my sleeve as I hit the ground hard.
Pain flared up my arm. Warm blood trickled down my skin.
I bit back a cry and scrambled to my feet.
The creature turned, stalking toward me on all fours, its massive form outlined by the dim moonlight filtering through the canopy.
Not a wolf.
Not human either.
Something twisted. Something wrong.
Its lips curled back, revealing fangs too long, too jagged. Saliva dripped from its maw as it let out another snarl, the sound vibrating through my bones.
I took a shaky step back. My vision blurred with the pain radiating from my wound, but I knew one thing—
I wouldn't outrun this thing.
It was faster. Stronger.
I was going to die here.
The realization sent a cold, numbing terror through me.
The creature tensed, ready to lunge again.
I clenched my fists, bracing for the inevitable.
Then—
A shadow moved.
A blur of motion from the darkness.
Before I could even process what was happening, another figure leapt into the clearing—faster than I thought possible.
A deep, savage snarl tore through the night.
And then—
The sound of bones snapping.
Flesh tearing.
The creature let out a shriek of pain as it was wrenched away from me, slammed into the ground with brutal force.
My breath caught in my throat as I stumbled back, watching in stunned disbelief.
The attacker—no, my savior—was unlike anything I had ever seen.
Tall. Powerfully built. Moving with a deadly grace, his body shifting with the kind of raw strength that made the earth tremble beneath his feet.
He didn't hesitate. Didn't falter.
Within seconds, he had the monstrous creature pinned, claws sinking deep into its throat.
The beast thrashed, but it was no match for him.
And then—
A single, final strike.
Silence fell.
I could barely breathe.
The figure turned, and I was met with a pair of piercing silver eyes—staring straight into mine.
A storm of emotions swirled in their depths. Dangerous. Ancient. Unyielding.
A shiver ran down my spine.
Who was he?
And why did I feel like my fate had just been sealed?
To be continued...