33. Shadows of the Dawn

Shadow’s embrace is an anchor, holding me steady in reality. His chest rises and falls in sharp bursts, and I can feel his heart pounding furiously against my cheek. I can't help but wonder—did he catch me so quickly out of love… or guilt?

The forest seems frozen in time. The branches that once cracked, the wind that howled during our chase—now all lie silent, almost reverent. I don’t know whether to celebrate our victory or dread what comes next.

“You shouldn’t have risked yourself like that, Eve.”

Shadow pulls back just enough to meet my gaze. His voice is rough, as though every word scrapes against his throat on the way out.

“And what did you expect me to do? Stay behind and wait for you to die?” I reply, still trembling with the adrenaline refusing to leave me.

He closes his eyes, dragging a hand through his disheveled hair. There’s a war raging inside him—I can see it in the tight set of his jaw. I know what’s coming, and I don’t want to hear it.

“This has to stop.”

His voice is firm, but his eyes waver.

“This?” I echo in disbelief. “You mean… us?”

“It’s not just about us, Eve. It’s about what we are—what we mean to others. I… I’m a danger to you.”

The words land like a hammer blow to my chest. For weeks, the world has been trying to pull us apart. But I never thought Shadow would be the next to try.

“A danger? You mean this?” I gesture around at the ruined forest. “Or what people say about us?”

“Both.”

Shadow rises, taking a few steps away from me like the distance might help him breathe.

“No matter how much I love you, Eve, there will always be something—or someone—trying to destroy us. And I can’t… I won’t watch you suffer because of me.”

I watch him, speechless. Rage and heartbreak rise inside me, a tide that threatens to spill over. After everything we’ve endured—this is how he chooses to respond? And the worst part is… he makes it sound like love.

“That’s it?” I say at last, standing too. “You’re deciding for both of us? I don’t even get a say?”

Shadow looks at me, and his eyes are filled with something I can’t quite name—a storm of guilt, pain, and something deeper… darker.

“You don’t understand, Eve. This life… it isn’t for you. You deserve something better. A normal life. Someone who can give you… everything.”

“I don’t want everything.”

My voice breaks, but I keep speaking.

“I want you, Shadow. Even if that means living in fear. Even if it means facing the whole world. I don’t care—because you are what makes it worth it.”

For a moment, I see my words reach him. His shoulders loosen, and there’s conflict in his eyes. But then, as if something inside him snaps, he shakes his head.

“I can’t risk you, Eve. I can’t…”

He turns away, like walking off will end the argument.

But I won’t let him.

I run after him, grabbing his arm with more strength than I thought I had. He stops—but doesn’t turn.

“If you love me as much as you say, then don’t go.”

My voice is barely a whisper, yet it carries everything I feel.

“Let me choose whether to face this hell with you. Don’t take that away from me.”

He stands frozen. I watch his breathing quicken, his fists clench. Finally, he turns—and his eyes strike like lightning.

“Eve… do you even know what it means to be with me?” he asks, his voice low and dangerous.

“Do you truly understand what that entails? This isn’t just about threats from outside. It’s about what I am. What I carry within.”

“Then show me.”

I step closer, not backing down.

“Stop hiding behind fear. Show me who you really are.”

He stares at me—and I know I’ve touched something raw. Shadow has always tried to shield me—not just from the world, but from himself. But now… I can feel the barrier beginning to crack.

“Eve…” His voice is a whisper. A plea.

“I’m not giving up on you, Shadow.”

I meet his eyes, unwavering.

“So if you’re going to push me away, you’ll have to force me.”

He steps toward me, tension rippling between us like lightning before a storm. He’s fighting something—his love for me… and the terror of what he might become. At last, his face hardens. A decision made.

“Very well,” he says, voice low and trembling. “If you want to see who I really am… I won’t stop you.”

Before I can respond, he closes his eyes and lets go.

At first, nothing happens.

Then, the air around us shifts. A force unseen begins to coil around him, building with every heartbeat.

His body changes—stretching, contorting in ways that defy logic. His skin darkens, thick fur sprouting across him. His eyes blaze crimson, and his mouth fills with sharp, glistening fangs.

When he opens his eyes again… they’re no longer Shadow’s.

They belong to a beast.

Fear hits me like a wave. But I don’t move. I force myself to stay—even as instinct screams for me to run.

Shadow steps toward me, his massive form blotting out the sky.

“This is me, Eve,” he growls, voice guttural and raw.

“This… is what you really love.”

I say nothing at first, trying to steady my breath.

Despite the monstrous form, I still see it—that flicker in his eyes. Shadow is still in there, fighting.

“Yes,” I finally say, voice trembling but resolute.

“This is what I love. And I’m not leaving.”

The beast stills. His eyes widen in disbelief. For a long moment, it’s as if my words don’t make sense.

Then—he roars. The earth trembles.

And in a flash of motion, Shadow is human again—on his knees, broken, breathless. Tears streak down his face.

“Eve… I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve you.”

His voice is shattered, all his defenses gone.

I kneel beside him, wrapping my arms around him, holding him as though I could keep all his broken pieces from falling apart.

“It doesn’t matter what you think you deserve,” I whisper.

“I’m here because I love you. And I won’t let anything tear us apart.”

The dawn begins to rise, light creeping through the trees.

And for the first time in what feels like forever… there is hope.

But I know this is only the beginning.

Our love will be tested again and again.

But I’m ready for whatever comes.

As long as we face it together—

There’s nothing we can’t endure.