CHAPTER 13: Shadow In The Woods

Alicia’s heart nearly flew out of her chest when she spun around and found herself face-to-face with Raymond. His figure loomed out of the silence like he had stepped straight from her thoughts.

Her lips parted, but the words jammed in her throat. Before she could speak, her neck jerked back toward the sound of another howl slicing through the stillness. It came from the direction the shadow had vanished, low, guttural, vibrating through her bones.

Her stomach knotted. That sound wasn’t normal.

Raymond’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing into the woods beyond. His whole body shifted, muscles coiling tight like he was preparing for something unseen.

“That shadow,” Alicia whispered, her voice thin, “it wasn’t human, was it?”

Raymond turned his gaze on her, and the weight of it pressed against her like an invisible force. His expression gave nothing away, but in his eyes… a flicker. A dangerous flicker.

Her brows drew together. “You know what it was.”

He didn’t answer her directly. Instead, his attention slid back to the forest, his voice dropping low, almost to himself. “Damn it. A wolf, losing control… wrong time, wrong place…”

Alicia blinked, straining to hear. “What did you just say?”

“Nothing,” he snapped, too quickly.

The second howl tore through the trees, rougher this time, ragged at the edges. Raymond’s shoulders tensed, and he muttered again, so low she almost missed it.

“Heat. That’s what this is.” An unmated wolf in heat and in the woods.

‘Not a good idea’ he said to himself.

Alicia froze, confusion furrowing her brow. “Heat? What do you mean by…”

His head whipped toward her, his eyes flashing something unreadable. “You don’t need to know.”

Her heart thudded, but a spark of indignation rose in her chest. “Then at least stop being so cryptic! You appear out of nowhere, drag me around like I’m in the wrong place, and…”

“Because you are in the wrong place.” His voice cracked sharp, slicing through her protest. His hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist, not cruelly, but firm, inescapable. “I don’t have time to argue. You shouldn’t be here, Alicia.”

Her pulse tripped over itself at the sheer gravity in his tone. “And yet here I am,” she whispered back, defiant despite the tremor in her chest.

His gaze seared into hers, the air between them taut with something she couldn’t name. Then another rumble of a growl echoed through the woods, distant but real, and Raymond’s focus shattered.

“Move,” he ordered, tugging her sharply.

But just as her foot shifted, something on the ground caught Alicia’s eye. The soil beneath them shimmered faintly, threads of silvery light woven into the dirt. She stiffened. “Wait!! stop.”

Raymond’s irritation flashed across his features… until he followed her gaze downward.

The world seemed to hold its breath.

They were standing in the center of a circle etched into the earth, its edges alive with glowing symbols. The markings pulsed like veins of light, ancient and mesmerizing, curling in patterns she didn’t recognize.

Alicia crouched instinctively, her fingers twitching toward the glow. “What… what is this?” she breathed.

Raymond’s throat worked, his eyes darting rapidly over the symbols. For the first time, his carefully controlled mask cracked, bewilderment flickering raw across his face.

“I’ve never…” he whispered, then cut himself short.

“You’ve never what?” she pressed, her heart racing.

His jaw clenched tight. “It doesn’t matter.”

Alicia’s eyes widened at him, her voice lifting with disbelief. “Doesn’t matter? We’re standing in the middle of something glowing in the woods, and you think it doesn’t matter?”

The glow pulsed brighter under her feet, responding as if to her very presence. Raymond noticed, his eyes narrowing sharply.

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “It’s reacting to you,” he muttered under his breath.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he said again, harsher this time. He reached for her arm. “Don’t touch it. We’re leaving.”

“But…”

“No.” The word came out low, guttural, vibrating from his chest.

Her breath hitched, heat rushing to her face at the raw authority behind it. Still, she forced her voice not to waver. “You can’t just ignore this! Look at it, don’t you want to know what it means?”

He stared at her, his expression unreadable, but his eyes… his eyes burned. Not with curiosity, but with something heavier. Something protective.

Finally, with a rough sound low in his throat, Raymond yanked her away from the circle.

The light dimmed instantly as they stepped beyond the markings, retreating back into the dirt as though it had never been.

Alicia stumbled after him, but her gaze snagged backward. Even as the glow disappeared, she swore she could still feel it humming against her skin.

Waiting.

Calling.

***

The path out of the woods stretched long and quiet, their footsteps sinking into damp earth. The air was heavy, saturated with the lingering echo of that howl. Alicia stole glances at Raymond, his grip still iron-tight on her wrist. He hadn’t let go since pulling her from the glowing circle.

His jaw was locked, his eyes fixed dead ahead, the sharp angles of his face carved in stone. Not once did he look at her.

Her brows pinched. “You’re seriously not going to explain anything?”

Silence.

“Raymond.” Her voice lifted, sharp. “You appear out of nowhere, drag me out of the forest, and act like I’m the one losing my mind. You could at least tell me why.”

He finally glanced at her, and the flicker in his eyes made her falter. For a moment, it wasn’t just annoyance in his gaze, it was something darker, heavier. Then it was gone, sealed behind his cold exterior.

“You shouldn’t have been there,” he said flatly.

“That’s not an answer,” she retorted.

“It’s the only one you’re getting.”

Her mouth fell open. The nerve of him. “Unbelievable.” She yanked her wrist free, her skin tingling where his hand had been. “You think you can just storm into my business and…”

His head whipped toward her so fast she nearly stumbled back. “This isn’t your business, Alicia. That place… it’s dangerous. You have no idea what you walked into.”

Her pulse spiked, both from his words and the low rumble that edged them. Dangerous? Then what about that glow? That circle? The shadow that wasn’t really a shadow? She was certain the forest holds some secrets.

But she clamped her lips shut. If she pushed too hard, he’d only shut her out further.

They walked on in taut silence, the dormitory finally emerging through the thinning trees.

When they stepped inside, Alicia froze.

The hallway wasn’t empty this time. Students milled about, chattering in low voices, leaning against walls, scrolling through their phones and some going about their business. Nothing unusual, except the way they all turned their heads when she and Raymond entered.

Their eyes followed. Not casual, not fleeting. Intense. Searching.

Alicia’s stomach twisted. She leaned toward Raymond and whispered, “Why are they staring?”

His expression didn’t so much as twitch. He walked as though he didn’t notice the eyes boring into their backs.

“Raymond,” she hissed again. “Do you see this? They’re…”

“Don’t pay attention to them.” His tone was clipped, final.

But how could she not? Her cheeks burned under the weight of so many stares. Something about their gazes unsettled her, as if they knew something she didn’t. As if she were the oddity here.

By the time they reached their room, her chest felt tight. She shut the door behind them with a snap.

The memory hit her then. Like a flicker of lightning, sharp and jarring.

She gasped, pressing her back against the door. “Wait!!” Her words tumbled out in a rush. “I was in the hallway. I remember it. I was standing in the dorm hallway and then suddenly, I was in the forest. Just like that.”

Her eyes shot to Raymond, wide and frantic. “I didn’t walk there, Raymond. I didn’t! One second I was here, the next…”

He turned slowly, his eyes searching her face. For once, he didn’t look unreadable. He looked… startled. Just for a second. Then it vanished.

His lips pressed into a thin line. “You wandered into the woods. That’s all.”

She blinked, stunned. “What? No, I didn’t. I remember”

“You imagined it.” His tone was firm, brooking no argument. “Your mind was playing tricks on you.”

Her jaw dropped. “Are you even listening to me?”

“Yes.” His voice softened, but his eyes were hard. “And I’m telling you, you don’t want to start imagining things that aren’t there.”

Her skin prickled at the way he looked at her like she was some strange puzzle he couldn’t decide whether to solve or avoid.

Her throat went dry and her curious self asked. “Why were you even there? In the woods?”

The question hung heavy in the air.

Raymond didn’t answer. He only looked at her, his gaze sinking deep, unreadable. Too long. Too piercing.

Alicia’s stomach flipped, heat creeping into her cheeks under the weight of it. She broke the stare first, rolling her eyes. “Forget it. You clearly enjoy being cryptic.”

Grabbing her change of clothes and toiletries, she brushed past him into the bathroom.

The mirror greeted her with her own reflection, wide eyes, flushed cheeks, hair slightly tangled from the woods. She braced her hands on the sink, staring hard at herself.

Her thoughts whirled. Shadow moving too fast to follow. Glowing markings in the earth. A growl that didn’t belong to any animal she knew. And Raymond. Always Raymond, appearing when things made the least sense, refusing to explain.

She pressed her lips together, steadying her breath.

She might have missed two classes already, but the thought barely touched her. Right now, one truth mattered more than anything else.

She lifted her chin, eyes locking on her reflection.

“I will find out what’s going on,” she whispered, her voice hardening into steel. “No matter what it takes.”

Her reflection stared back, fierce, unflinching.

The unanswered questions pressed close around her like shadows, but this time, instead of running, she made a silent vow.

She would chase them.

And this time, she wouldn’t stop until she had answers.