SHADOWS OF THE BEAST

My boots slipped on the wet leaves as branches scratched my face as i ran.

 Every breath burned in my chest, but I didn't stop.

The forest rushed past me in a blur. Twisted trees stretched toward the sky like giant claws, and silver moonlight slipped through the branches.

Behind me, the fight shook the night.

Bones crashing together.

A howl so full of pain it barely sounded like an animal.

Don't look back.

Don't look back.

I repeated the words over and over, trying to drown out the fear.

But my feet slowed anyway.

I couldn't stop thinking about him.

Prince Caelan.

The missing prince everyone believed was dead.

Now I knew the truth.

He wasn't dead rather was fighting a curse.

A sharp cry echoed through the forest, followed by a heavy thud.

I stood still.

Was that him?

I leaned against a large oak tree, trying to catch my breath. My fingers 

dug into the rough bark as I listened.

Everywhere was quiet then suddenly i heard a low growl.The sound was so close.

I should run back to my little cottage, lock the door, and pretend none of this had happened.

That was what any sensible scholar would do.

Instead, I stayed.

Another growl echoed through the trees.

Then everything went quiet.

My breathing became slow and careful as I peeked around the tree.

I heard a Movement.

A dark figure stumbled through the shadows.

My heart nearly stopped.

Caelan!!

He was alive.

Relief rushed through me so fast my knees almost gave out.

But as he came closer, the relief faded.

He could barely walk.

Every step looked painful, as if his body couldn't decide whether it wanted to stay human or become something else.

Fresh blood slipped between the fingers pressed against his side.

His golden eyes caught the moonlight.

This time, they weren't just gold.

There was wild amber burning inside them.

"Flavia..."

He called me.

He searched the trees until our eyes met.

A small smile touched his lips.

"You're... still here."

I stepped out from my hiding place.

"I couldn't leave you."

My eyes dropped to the bandages I had wrapped around him earlier.

They were soaked with blood again.

The royal crest on his chest seemed to glow under the moonlight.

He rested heavily against a tree, breathing through the pain.

Sweat covered his forehead and Blood stained his skin.

When he looked at me, I noticed something I had missed before.

His teeth looked sharper.

Dark fur spread along his forearms for a second before disappearing again.

The curse was getting stronger.

"You should have run," he said calmly.

There was no anger in his voice.

Only exhaustion.

Slowly, he reached toward me.

I didn't move.

His fingertips brushed my cheek, wiping away the blood left by the branches.

A warm shiver ran through me.

That strange spark returned, softer this time, but impossible for me to ignore.

"What are you?" I whispered.

"What are you... really?"

A tired laugh escaped him before he winced.

"The kingdom's greatest secret."

His eyes drifted toward the moon.

"I was born with the Lunar Curse."

He looked back at me.

"Every full moon it grows stronger. Tonight is my first true shift."

He swallowed hard.

"If I lose this fight..."

His voice almost broke.

"...the man I am won't come back."

The words settled heavily between us.

Every story I had ever studied warned that once the curse took over completely, there was no second chance for the person to live as a human.

But standing here...Looking into his eyes...

I didn't see a monster.

I saw a man trying with everything he had not to become one.

"We need to get you somewhere safe," I said.

Before he could argue, I slipped my arm around his waist.

I felt the warmest from his body. It

Much warmer than any normal person.

He hesitated before letting some of his weight rest on me.

"My cottage isn't far," I said. "It's hidden near the edge of the woods. I can treat your wounds again."

For a moment, he kept mute.

Finally, he said a word.

"You shouldn't be this close to me."

"The beast... reacts whenever you're near."

He closed his eyes for a second, as if fighting something inside himself.

"I'm trying to control it."

I looked up at him.

"And are you?"

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"I'm trying."

Somehow, that answer made my heart feel lighter.

We walked slowly through the forest.

Every step seemed harder than the last.

more howls echoed far away beneath the moon.

Caelan's body flinched.

I felt his muscles tighten below my arm.

A quiet crack came from his shoulder before he let out a low growl and forced whatever was happening back down.

I looked at him with worry.

"Tell me about the curse."

"If there's a way to stop it... maybe I can find it."

He  smirked .

"Always thinking like a scholar."

"I can't help it."

His smile faded.

"It's old magic."

"Older than the kingdom itself."My father believed sending me away would protect everyone.

"It only woke the curse."

A sharp pain crossed his face, and he stumbled.

I drew tight around him before he could fall.

After a long silence, he spoke again.

"You're the first person who's touched me without fear."

His words caught me off guard.

"The first person who didn't look at me like I was already a monster."

Something inside my chest ached.

I looked at him and smiled softly.

"I'm not afraid of you, Caelan."

"Not the man standing beside me."

His eyes met mine.

For the first time that night...

I saw hope.

I wrapped my hand around him, feeling the fast beat of his heart against my side. It was racing just as hard as mine.

"I'm not afraid of you, Caelan," I said quietly. "Not the way everyone says I should be."

He looked at me for a moment but said nothing.

At last, my cottage came into view.

It was a small stone house hidden behind a group of old willow trees. Ivy covered the walls, making it almost impossible to see from the forest.

"We're here," I whispered.

I helped him inside and quickly locked the door behind us.

The room was small but warm. My narrow bed stood against one wall. A wooden workbench was covered with herbs, books, and unfinished scrolls. I hurried to light the fireplace, and soft flames soon filled the room with a gentle glow.

Caelan let out a pain moan as he sat on the edge of my bed.

Now that I could see him clearly..

The wounds on his ribs had opened again. Dark bruises covered his jaw and shoulders.

But the injuries weren't what worried me most.

His eyes kept changing.

One moment they were the same warm gold I remembered.

The next, they darkened until they almost looked black.

His fingers curled into fists before long claws slipped out for a second and disappeared again.

The curse was getting stronger.

I hurried to my workbench and crushed fresh herbs into a small bowl. My hands weren't as steady as I wanted them to be.

When I returned, I gently pulled the torn fabric away from his side and began cleaning the wound.

The scent of pine, earth, and blood surrounded him.

Every time my fingers brushed his skin, that strange warmth returned, spreading through me until I had to remind myself why he was here.

I wasn't just helping a wounded man.

I was trying to save him.

He stayed quiet, watching every movement I made.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"You feel it too... don't you?"

His voice was soft, almost uncertain.

I looked up and found his golden eyes fixed on mine.

Slowly, he reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

His fingertips barely touched my skin, but the gentle brush sent a warm shiver through me.

Neither of us looked away.

"This bond..."

. "The moon is awakening something between us."

he quickly pulled his hand back.

"I don't understand it yet."

He lowered his eyes ashamed.

"But every time you're close... it's harder to fight the beast."

His words hung in the quiet room.

 I realized he wasn't afraid of hurting himself.

He was afraid of hurting me.