Chapter 3

_Aria's POV_

The pain grew sharper. The beast on top of me pressed harder on my throat. I could not pull in a full breath. My lungs burned. My vision blurred at the edges, turning dark like ink spreading over paper. I clawed at its fur but my fingers slipped every time. My body felt weak and the cold from the ground crawled into my skin.

I gasped again. The air caught in my throat as if something inside me was breaking. I tried to move my head but the weight above me was too heavy. My heartbeat thudded in my ears. My face grew hot. My chest felt tight. I knew that soon I would not be able to fight back at all.

Then, I saw movement.

It was a blur at first. A shape running fast. It looked like another beast. A wolf—big and brown, larger than any normal wolf should ever be. The brown wolf stood a few feet away, its teeth bared and its fur bristling. It growled low and the sound shook the air.

My head spun. Was this real? Or was my brain giving me strange pictures as I started to lose consciousness?

Before I could tell, I heard a voice. A man’s voice. It was deep, strong and filled with warning.

“Let her go,” the man said, “or you will regret it.”

I did not know where he stood. I did not know if he was close or far. My eyes were too blurry to focus. I did not even know if he was real. Maybe I was imagining everything. My breath came shallow and quick, like I was drowning on dry land. The burning inside my chest spread like fire.

The beast on top of me growled. It pressed harder. My eyes rolled back for a second. I could not breathe at all now. A heavy numbness spread through my arms and legs. My fingers went cold. My lips trembled.

“Let her go!” the man shouted. His voice cut like a blade through the night.

I wanted to scream but no sound came out. I wanted to run but my body would not move. I could feel tears slipping from my eyes and mixing with the dirt under me.

I thought I was going to die.

Then, a sudden scream filled the air.

But it was not my scream. I did not have the strength left to make that sound.

It came from the beast on top of me.

The weight on my chest shifted. The claws loosened. I could pull a breath. It was small and shaky but still a breath. Air rushed into my lungs so fast that it stung. My body jerked as if waking from a nightmare.

The black beast stumbled back. It was whining in pain. I blinked hard, trying to clear my sight. When my vision steadied, I saw blood. Dark red blood running down its side. And then I saw it.....something silver sticking out from its ribs. A dagger. The blade was lodged deep. It was buried until only the handle showed.

The beast swayed. It let out a long and broken sound and limped backward, staining the snow with its blood. Its black fur looked even darker against the red. It turned away and ran into the forest, stumbling as it went.

I lay there on the cold ground. My whole body shook. My throat burned where the claws had pressed. I could still feel the weight, even though it was gone.

It was then that I saw him.

A man stood behind where the beast had been. He was not a blur now. He was real. He was tall with strong shoulders and a body built like someone who trained every day. His hair was blond and messy from running. His eyes were bright blue, like the ocean on a clear day. He looked like he had stepped out of a dream or a painting.

He came toward me fast and dropped to his knees beside me.

“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice softer than before. His hand extended toward me.

I stared at him for a moment. My head still spun. My fingers trembled as I reached for his hand. His palm was warm. Warm in a way that steadied me.

“I....I think I’m okay,” I whispered, even though I was not sure.

He helped me sit up slowly. His other hand brushed dirt and snow off my shoulder.

“I’m Lucien,” he said. “What’s your name?”

“Aria,” I whispered. “My name is Aria.”

“Aria,” he repeated slowly like he wanted to remember it. “You’re safe now.”

I swallowed hard. My throat hurt.

“Thank you,” I said. “Thank you for saving me.”

He gave a small nod. “What were you doing here all alone? This forest is dangerous at night. There are… wild beasts.”

I shivered at the word beasts.

“I needed air,” I said. “I just… I needed to think. I come here often. I love nature. It calms me.”

“Not tonight,” he said softly. “Tonight was not safe.”

I looked at him for a moment. He had no cuts. No wounds. No signs of fear. He looked almost… too calm.

“You said you heard me scream,” I said slowly. “But… the nearby park is so far from here. How did you hear me? Nobody else did.”

He stared at me for a second. His blue eyes sharpened a little.

“I have higher than average hearing,” he said carefully. “Better than most people.”

I did not know what that meant but my mind was too tired to ask questions.

“Still,” I said, my voice barely steady, “thank you. Really.”

He nodded. “It’s getting late. You shouldn’t walk alone. I’ll accompany you back.”

“Oh no,” I said quickly. “You’ve already helped me so much. I don’t want to bother you.”

“You’re not bothering me,” he said, his tone warm and firm. “It’s dark. You’re shaken. Let me at least walk with you until the city center if you don’t want me knowing where you live.”

“It’s not that,” I said. “I just don’t want to be a burden.”

Lucien smiled. It was a small smile that softened his sharp features.

“Oh no,” he said. “I would be glad to walk you home. After all… I am a gentleman.”

I let out a small breath. Maybe it was okay. Maybe I did not have to be alone.

So we walked back together.

Lucien walked beside me. His steps were smooth and quiet. He kept looking at me from time to time, checking if I was still breathing fine. His presence was strangely comforting.

To lighten the mood, he teased me a bit.

“You know,” he said, “you run pretty fast for someone who claims she was just out for fresh air.”

I gave a weak laugh. “I had a lot on my mind.”

“Maybe next time pick a place without giant wolves,” he joked gently.

I looked at him, shocked that he could joke after such a thing, but his smile was warm, not mocking.

I found myself staring at him. He was so handsome. Ridiculously handsome. The kind of handsome that made my stomach twist. The kind of handsome that belonged to models or movie stars.

Men like him did not flirt with girls like me.

I was average and simple. Not the kind of girl who got attention. Especially not from someone who looked like him.

But he had saved me. Maybe he was just kind. Maybe he was just a good man.

When we reached my front door, Lucien leaned slightly against the railing and looked at me with a playful smile.

“So,” he said, “are you not going to offer me a coffee for saving your life?”

I blinked. “I… um… I don’t know if you’re serious.”

He raised a brow. “I’m always serious when it comes to coffee.”

I felt my cheeks warm. “Yes,” I said. “Whenever you’re free.”

His smile widened. “Good. Then we should exchange numbers.”

We did. His fingers brushed mine lightly as we traded phones. The touch made my stomach flip again.

“Goodnight, Aria,” he said softly. “Take care.”

“Goodnight, Lucien.”

He walked away and disappeared into the dim street.

I pushed open the front door and slipped inside. The house was warm, the lights bright. My mother stood at the sink. She was washing the dishes. She turned when she saw me.

“Aria! Where have you been?” she scolded. “It is your duty to wash these dishes after dinner and now I had to do them myself.”

“I just went for a walk,” I said quietly.

My dad looked up from the table. “Stop making excuses for skipping chores.”

“It won’t happen again,” I said softly.

From the couch, Elena spoke. Her voice was smooth. “Aria is getting lazy lately. She’s trying to avoid her chores.”

I did not even look at her. I had no energy left to fight. No strength left to speak.

I just went upstairs.

I took a quick shower, letting the warm water wash away the dirt, the fear and the dried tears. My muscles ached. My throat burned. When I finally lay down on my bed, I felt like everything inside me wanted to collapse.

Then, my phone buzzed.

There was a notification.

I picked it up.

Dozens of missed calls.

Many messages.

All from Ryan.

I scrolled. I was ready to block and erase him from my life.

Then I saw his last message.

The one that made my fingers freeze.

The one that made my heart hammer again.

"Aria, you need to stay away from him.

He is very dangerous.

He will harm you."

I stared at the screen.

My breath caught.

Who was he talking about?

Lucien?

Why would Ryan say that?

A chill ran down my spine.