Chapter 1: A Wolf In the Woods

The woods were my sanctuary.

Some people found comfort in crowded bars or neon-lit city streets. Me? I found it in the hush between trees, in the thick perfume of pine and damp earth. Out here, the silence wasn’t empty—it was alive. Whispering. Breathing. Waiting for me.

As a writer, that mattered. When my words ran dry and the page stared back at me like a taunt, I came here. The forest never judged me for unfinished drafts or crumpled pages.

It welcomed me back every time, as if it knew my secrets.

Tonight, the air was cooler than usual, silver with moonlight. I clutched my notebook close to my chest as I stepped deeper into the woods, my boots crunching softly over fallen leaves.

“Okay, Raine,” I muttered under my breath, “time to pull a story out of your ass before your agent drops you.”

The words felt ridiculous in the quiet, but humor was the only thing keeping my nerves in check. Because beneath the calm, something prickled in the air tonight. A vibration, almost. Like the forest itself was holding its breath.

And then I heard it. A low ,guttural and pained sound.

Not quite human. Not quite animal.

I froze, heart slamming into my ribs. Every survival instinct screamed at me to run. But something else—something reckless—pulled me forward instead.

“Hello?” My voice cracked embarrassingly. I swallowed and tried again. “Is someone there?”

The sound came again, a groan laced with a growl. I crept toward it, moving branches aside until the world opened up to a small clearing.

That’s when I saw him.

Or… it.

A wolf. Massive, dark-furred, sprawled on the ground. His chest rose and fell raggedly, and blood gleamed black under the moonlight.

“Oh my God,” I whispered. My notebook tumbled from my fingers.

Run, Raine. He’s a predator. Get the hell out.

But my feet refused to move. Something in those glowing, molten-gold eyes pinned me in place.

They weren’t wild, not completely. They were too… aware.

He growled weakly when I inched closer, but he didn’t lunge. Didn’t snap. His gaze tracked me like he knew me.

“Hey,” I whispered, crouching low. My pulse raced, but my voice softened like I was coaxing a frightened animal. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

I fumbled in my bag, pulling out the little first-aid kit I always carried. My fingers trembled as I reached toward him.

The moment my hand brushed his fur, heat jolted through me. Not warmth. Not comfort. Heat. A lick of fire that raced from my fingertips straight to my core.

I gasped and snatched my hand back, but I couldn’t stay away. My body leaned toward him like it already belonged to him.

The wolf’s lips peeled back in a faint snarl, but his eyes burned brighter.

And then the impossible happened.

His body convulsed, bones shifting, fur receding. The sound was horrible, cracking and tearing, but I couldn’t look away. Within seconds, where the wolf had lain… was a man.

A man, naked and bleeding, sprawled across the leaves like some fallen god.

I staggered back, a shocked cry escaping me. He was… impossibly beautiful, even torn open with wounds. His body was all muscle and scars, chest heaving, jaw clenched. The moonlight kissed every inch of bare skin, and my eyes—traitorous—drank him in before I could stop.

Broad shoulders. A torso built for sin. And lower—

I snapped my gaze away, heat flooding my cheeks, but not before I caught the heavy, undeniable proof of his masculinity.

“Fuck…” I whispered, and immediately hated myself for the word.

His eyes opened—still that same molten gold.

They locked on me, sharp and unyielding.

“Human,” he rasped, voice rough like gravel. “Why did you touch me?”

My throat went dry. His voice wasn’t just a sound—it was a caress, deep and commanding, curling low in my stomach.

“You were hurt,” I managed, though my voice shook. “I—I was trying to help.”

One corner of his bloodied mouth curved, and somehow that smirk was more dangerous than his teeth had been. “Help… or claim?

The word rolled over my skin like a brand. Claim. My thighs pressed together instinctively, heat coiling inside me.

“I don’t even know what that means,” I whispered.

His gaze dragged down my body, slow, deliberate, hungry. My breath hitched under the weight of it.

“You smell like temptation,” he murmured. “Like mate.” His head fell back for a second, a groan rumbling deep in his chest. “Fuck… I should kill you for finding me. But all I want is to taste you.”

My pulse thundered. My legs should’ve been carrying me the hell away, but instead I edged closer, kneeling in the leaves. Something about him—feral and broken and burning—snared me.

“You need… help,” I said, voice barely more than a whisper. “You’re bleeding.”

“I need you.” His hand shot out, lightning-fast, fingers curling around my wrist. His grip was iron, but not cruel. “Don’t pretend you don’t feel it too.”

I did. God, I did. My whole body was trembling, not with fear but with raw, aching want. My lips parted, but no words came.

His thumb stroked the inside of my wrist, slow and rough. “You’re shaking,” he said darkly. “Not from fear. From need.”

I shuddered. “You’re insane.”

“Am I?” His eyes burned hotter. “Or are you just wet for me already, little human?”

Heat shot straight between my thighs, shame and desire tangled. He was a stranger—no, worse, a predator, a wolf, a monster—and yet my body was betraying me with every breath.

“I…” I swallowed hard, voice breaking. “This is crazy.”

His smirk deepened. “Crazy would be letting you walk away when your scent is driving me out of my fucking mind.” His grip tightened just enough to make me gasp. “Tell me you don’t want me, Raine, and I’ll let you go.”

My heart stuttered. “How do you know my name?”

His eyes glittered. “Because it was written in my blood the moment you touched me.” He dragged my wrist to his mouth, teeth grazing my skin.

“Say the word, and I’ll stop. But if you stay silent…” His tongue flicked against my pulse. “…you’re mine.”

My breath caught. The woods spun around me. My voice trembled out of me before I could stop it.

“I… don’t want you to stop.”

His growl was low and primal, vibrating against my skin. “Good girl.”