The Forbidden Woods

There it was.

The full moon.

It hung low in the sky, pouring silver light through the twisted branches of the forbidden woods.

My heart beat so fast that it hurt as I walked deeper into the forest. No one from the village came here at night. They all believed these woods were cursed.

Maybe they were right.

A low sound suddenly broke the silence.

Then i heard A growl then a painful groan.

I stood still and my  breath caught in my throat. Every story I had ever heard about these woods rushed into my mind.

What was that ?

I asked myself.

My fingers firmly wrapped  around the strap of my satchel. Part of me wanted to run back home, but my feet refused to move. I listened carefully and slowly followed the sound.

"I shouldn't be here," I whispered to myself.

Scholars didn't wander into cursed forests at night.

But the moonflowers only bloomed under tonight's full moon, and I needed them for my research on the ancient curse. I had come too far to turn back now.

Then the sound came again.

This time, it was closer.I stepped around a large moss-covered rock......and saw him.

A man.

No... not just a man.

He was lying against the rock, barely breathing. Blood soaked his torn shirt, and every painful breath made his chest rise and fall . His face was filled with pain, even though he was unconscious.

He looked badly hurt.

And at the same time there was something powerful about him that seemed  dangerous.

Even with his  wounds, he didn't look weak.

His face was handsome, with sharp features that made me stare for a second longer than I should have.

I quickly shook the thought away.

He was injured and needed help. I came close to him. My hands trembled as I knelt beside him. The moment I placed my palm on his chest, I gasped.

His body was burning.It felt like standing too close to a fire.I Slowly reached for his forehead. I touched his skin, a strange spark shot between us.

It felt like magic.His Golden eyes flew open. Bright like liquid gold under the moonlight.

I couldn't move.

Those eyes locked onto mine. They were full of pain... but there was something else inside them too.

Something wild and strange that made my heart skip a beat.

"You..." he said, 

"Leave... before I..."

His words broke into a painful groan and his whole body shook.

I watched in horror as his muscles twisted beneath his skin. His bones cracked loudly, making me flinch.

My blood ran cold as i knew what it was.

“The curse”.

Every book I had ever read warned about this.

A werewolf's first full shift could steal away the person they once were.

My mind screamed at me to run.

But my heart wouldn't let me leave him.

"I'm not leaving you," I said, surprised by how steady my voice sounded.

I tore a strip from my cloak and pressed it against the deep wound on his side.

He hissed in pain as his large hand wrapped gently around my wrist.

His skin was rough and warm.

Even though he was badly hurt, he wasn't trying to hurt me.

Instead, he held my wrist as if he was afraid I would disappear.

For a moment, everything around us faded away.

There was only us. The wood felt so quiet only  the moon watching us.

I worked as fast as I could. I cleaned the cuts with water from my flask and crushed a few healing herbs from my satchel before pressing them gently against his wounds.

Every time my fingers brushed his skin, that strange spark came back.

It was warmer this time.

A soft heat spread through my body, making my heart beat faster. I had never felt anything like it before.

His breathing slowly became 

Normal. When I looked up, I found him watching me.

The sharp glow in his golden eyes had softened.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice cracked but quiet.

"I'm Flavia," I answered. "Just... a scholar."

I kept my eyes on the bandages, pretending I was too busy to look at him.

"And you're definitely not from my village." I said.

A weak laugh escaped his lips before he winced in pain.

"No," he said softly. "I'm not."

I finished tying the last bandage and leaned back.

That was when I noticed something on his chest.

A faded mark.

It was partly hidden by blood and the dark hair on his skin, but I knew that symbol.

My stomach twisted.

"No..."

I looked at him again.

"You're Prince Caelan."

The missing prince.

The one who disappeared during a royal hunt months ago.

The entire kingdom believed he was dead.

He looked away for a moment before meeting my eyes again.

A tired sigh escaped his lips.

"You should have run when you had the chance, little scholar."

Before I could answer, a long howl echoed through the forest.

The sound sent a chill racing down my spine.

Caelan's body became stiff on my hands.

His muscles became strong and His golden eyes brightened until they looked almost wild.

The warmth I had seen in them was gone.

The curse was taking over.

"Flavia..." he growled.

His voice didn't sound human anymore. His fingers was wrapped firmly around my wrist.

"You need to go."

"Now."

I nodded “No" before I could stop myself.

"I won't leave you."

A loud crash came from behind us.

I spun around.

A huge shadow burst through the trees.

Two glowing yellow eyes stared straight at me.

Another werewolf.

This one had already changed completely.

Its lips curled back, showing long, sharp fangs as a deep growl rumbled from its chest.

Before I could even scream, Caelan pushed me behind him.

He forced himself to stand, even though he was still badly injured.

A painful crack echoed through the forest.

His bones shifted as Dark fur spread across his shoulders.

"Run!" he roared.

His voice had become a fierce snarl.

I stumbled backward, tears filling my eyes.

Every part of me wanted to stay.

But I couldn't help him.

As I turned to run, I looked back one last time.

We looked at each other.

Behind the wildness in his golden gaze, I saw something that made my chest ache.

He didn't want me to leave.

But he wanted me to live.

Then the two beasts crashed into each other, and the forest exploded with furious growls.