Two

CHAPTER 2 – Kael Nightshade

The clinic door opened, and my world instantly changed.

The man who entered brought an aura that immediately filled the room—tall, muscular, with slightly messy black hair and sharp gray eyes like a storm. He wore worn jeans and a flannel shirt rolled up to his elbows, revealing muscular arms covered with small scars. But what took my breath away was the intensity of his gaze when our eyes met.

Instantly, I felt something strange—like an electric current flowing from my toes to the tips of my hair. My heart beat so hard I was sure he could hear it. And even stranger, I could sense something from him—something wild, primitive, and very dangerous.

"Kael," Dr. Hayes greeted, breaking the sudden silence that had formed. "What's wrong with Thunder?"

Those gray eyes finally left my face, and I could breathe again. Kael—so that was his name—glanced out the window where a large black horse was tied to a trailer.

"He got injured during training this morning," he answered with a deep, slightly hoarse voice. "Something in the forest seemed to frighten him. He panicked and crashed into the fence."

His voice alone was enough to make my knees weak. I tried to gather the remnants of my professionalism.

"I'll examine him," I said, trying to sound calm despite my heart still beating rapidly.

Kael looked at me again, this time with an assessing gaze. "You're the new veterinarian?"

"Aria Blackwood," I replied while extending my hand.

When his hand touched mine, I almost jerked back. His skin was warm—too warm—and there was something in his touch that made my entire body tremble. More than that, I could feel the hidden strength behind it, something wild and uncontrolled.

"Kael Nightshade," he replied, his hand holding mine slightly longer than it should have. "I own Nightshade Ranch."

Dr. Hayes cleared his throat softly. "Kael owns the largest ranch in this town. He's also one of our most important clients."

I slowly withdrew my hand, still able to feel the warmth of his touch. "Alright, let's take a look at Thunder."

We went outside to the trailer. Thunder was a magnificent black horse with restless eyes. When I approached him, he immediately backed away and stomped his feet.

"Be careful," Kael warned. "He's unstable right now."

But I could already feel what Thunder was feeling—deep fear, not from physical injury, but from something he had seen or smelled in the forest. Something that made him panic.

I slowly extended my hand, letting my aura flow out like I had done with Princess earlier. "Easy, boy. It's okay."

Thunder stopped stomping and looked at me with still wary eyes. Slowly, very slowly, I approached until I could touch his neck.

At that moment, I felt something strange. Through Thunder, I could sense the presence of something in the forest—something large, strong, and... familiar like I had felt it before.

"Amazing," Kael whispered behind me. His voice sounded both amazed and suspicious. "Usually Thunder won't let strangers approach him."

I examined the wound on Thunder's leg—a scratch that wasn't too deep but needed to be cleaned and treated. While I worked, I could feel Kael's gaze never leaving my movements.

"You have a... unique way of handling animals," he commented.

I glanced at him briefly. "I just try to understand what they're feeling."

"And you can do that?" There was something in his tone—as if he knew more than he was showing.

"Sometimes." I finished treating Thunder and stepped back. "He'll be fine. But maybe you should avoid the forest area where he got hurt for now. There seems to be something there that frightens him."

Kael and Dr. Hayes exchanged glances—a meaningful look that I didn't understand.

"Thank you," Kael said, his voice softer now. "How much do I owe?"

"Ask Dr. Hayes," I replied. "I'm still a trainee here."

As Kael finished the payment, he looked at me again with an intense gaze. "Maybe we can meet again, Aria Blackwood. Silverwood is a small town."

There was something in the way he said my name that made my stomach flutter. "Maybe."

After Kael left with Thunder, Dr. Hayes looked at me with an expression I couldn't read.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he replied with a thin smile. "Just... be careful, Aria. Kael Nightshade is a man who's... complex. And you—" he paused for a moment, "—you're more special than you think."

The small apartment I rented was on the second floor of an old building in the town center. Simple but comfortable, with large windows facing the forest at the edge of town. After spending the afternoon arranging my belongings, I sat on the sofa sipping chamomile tea, trying to calm my chaotic thoughts.

But what kept crossing my mind was Kael Nightshade—his sharp gray eyes, deep voice, and especially the strange sensation I felt when touching him. I had met many men, but none had ever made my body react like that.

And there was something else—something I couldn't explain. When I touched Thunder, I felt a presence in the forest that somehow felt familiar. It was as if I had felt it before, even though I was sure this was my first time in Silverwood.

I shook my head and decided to sleep. The first day had been strange enough, and I needed rest.

But sleep didn't come easily. Every time I closed my eyes, Kael's face appeared in my mind. And somehow, I kept dreaming about the forest—a dark forest with a full moon shining brightly above it.

In that dream, I was running among the trees, but I wasn't afraid. Instead, I felt free, as if I truly belonged to that place. And in the distance, I could hear howling—howling that was both beautiful and heart-wrenching.

I woke up gasping, cold sweat soaking my body. The clock on the nightstand showed 3 AM. I got up and walked to the window, trying to calm myself.

The view from my apartment window faced directly toward the dark forest. The full moon shone brightly, illuminating the tops of the pine trees—beautiful but also slightly frightening.

And that's when I saw it.

A large shadow was moving among the trees. Briefly, very briefly, I saw a figure resembling a wolf—but too large for an ordinary wolf. Its eyes—even from this distance—glinted like gold under the moonlight.

I blinked, and the shadow disappeared.

My heart beat rapidly. Was that just an illusion? An effect from the strange dream earlier? Or...

I stepped back from the window, my hands trembling as I pulled the curtains. Maybe Dr. Hayes was right—Silverwood really was a place where reality and myth mixed.

And somehow, I felt that my arrival in this small town wasn't a coincidence. Something was drawing me here, something bigger than just the desire to escape from the past.

As I returned to bed, one question kept spinning in my head: What was I really looking for in Silverwood?

And why did I feel that the answer was connected to Kael Nightshade's gray eyes and the wolf shadow I saw in the forest?