CHAPTER 4

The forest wasn’t as scary as he thought it would be.

At least, that’s what Nate told himself, over and over because the alternative was bolting straight back to campus to hide under his coverw.

Still, the forest at night was… wrong. Too quiet . Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig underfoot, sounded like a gunshot in the silence.

Nate tightened his grip on his phone, the weak glow of the torch cutting a thin path through the dark. It was his only companion, the circle of light barely visible yet his eye sight was almost as clear as if it day 

Great idea, Nate. Go traipsing into the murder woods alone, in the middle of the night, because that always ends well in horror movies.

He swallowed, forcing his legs to keep moving.

Something had happened that night here, in these woods.

Nate knew it. He’d seen something before everything went black. And now, with someone turning up dead that same night, it was too much to be just a coincidence.

But what was he even expecting to find out here? Footprints? A literal monster waiting to shake hands and explain itself?

And even if he did find something… what if that something was dangerous enough to kill him too?

The thought slammed into him, making his steps falter. He stood still for a moment, the beam of his phone trembling as his hand shook. The shadows between the trees seemed to lean closer.His breath fogged in the cold air, quick and uneven.

This is stupid. I should turn around. Go back. Pretend none of this is happening.

But another voice in his head stubborn snapped back: If you don’t figure this out now, it’s going to eat you alive anyway.

Nate tightened his grip on his phone and forced himself forward.

That was when he heard it—leaves crunching softly behind him.

On any other day, he wouldn’t have noticed. But now? With his senses sharpened, he heard every careful step.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Something was watching him.

Slowly, Nate turned.

Two eyes glowed back at him through the dark gold, streaked through with black. Not natural. Not human. A wolf.

Even God Himself wouldn’t have needed to tell Nate what to do. His legs moved before his brain caught up, spinning him around and launching him into a sprint.

A guttural growl shook the trees behind him, followed by the thunder of paws pounding the earth. The beast gave chase.

Nate tore through the woods, branches clawing at his skin, but he barely felt them. He vaulted fallen tree stumps, lungs burning, his body moving faster than it ever had in his life. Still, the sound of the creature closed in, closer and closer, as if it were toying with him.

Then….impact.

Something slammed into his side, the force of it hurling him against a tree. The air punched out of him in a groan, but he forced himself back up and bolted again.

It was hopeless. The beast was playing with him, dragging it out. He could feel it.

Claws clamped around his leg, yanking him off balance. He crashed to the ground, his head smacking the dirt so hard his vision blurred, doubled.

The weight of the creature pressed down on him. A low snarl vibrated through the night air, hot breath washing over his face.

Nate blinked hard, vision sharpening 

And what he saw above him made his blood run cold.

The most horrifying thing he had ever seen.

The thing looming over Nate wasn’t just a wolf.

It was big, its massive body blotting out the pale moonlight. Its fur bristled in thick, uneven tufts, black streaks cutting through patches of ash-gray like scars across its hide. Claws long, curved, almost like hooked knives dug into the dirt on either side of him, pinning him in place.

And its eyes… God, its eyes. Not just golden, but shot through with veins of black, glowing with a eeire intensity.

Too many teeth crowded its maw, jagged and uneven.The creepy thing looked like a hellhound .

Before the beast could sink its teeth into his skull, something slammed into it with bone-cracking force, knocking it clean off Nate.

The air filled with a thunderous snarl.

Another wolf had arrived this one massive, its coat a deep brown streaked with silver that shimmered under the moonlight. Its eyes burned, not with the corrupted black-gold of the rabid monster, but a beautiful silver.

The two beasts collided again, a blur of muscle, claws, and snapping jaws. Nate scrambled backward, heart hammering, as the ground shook with their violence.

Teeth tore into fur. Claws raked across flesh. Hot blood sprayed against the dirt, steaming in the night air. The rabid wolf fought like a wild thing, thrashing with reckless ferocity, but the brown-silver wolf met it with brutal precision. Every strike, every bite, landed with inten to kill.

They crashed against a tree, splintering bark, then rolled across the ground in a snarling tangle. Nate could barely keep track of them, the sounds of tearing flesh and savage growls rattling in his bones.

Then the brown-silver wolf seized its opening.

With a bone-deep snarl, it clamped its jaws around the rabid wolf’s throat. The monster writhed, claws raking, but the silver-streaked wolf only bit down harder, pinning it to the earth. There was a wet, sickening crack.

The rabid wolf went still.

For a moment, the forest was silent except for the sound of Nate’s ragged breathing.

The silver-streaked wolf lifted its bloodied muzzle, golden eyes locking on Nate. Watching him. 

Nate’s stomach dropped.

Had he just been saved or was he in another danger?

Nate staggered shakily to his feet, stumbling backward as the wolf padded toward him. His heart was pounding so fast it felt like it was going to burst from his chest.

“Stay back,” he rasped, though his voice barely carried.

His heel caught on a root, and he crashed back down to the ground. The wolf loomed over him, hot breath washing over his face then, to Nate’s utter disbelief, it leaned down and… licked him.

Nate froze, eyes clamped shut.

When he dared to open them again, the wolf had already moved back a few steps, golden eyes gleaming in the dark.

Then came the sound.

A sickening crack. Followed by another. And another. Bones grinding, shifting. Nate’s breath hitched as the wolf’s body twisted, reshaped, shrank. Fur receded in patches, claws retracting into fingers, a muzzle collapsing back into a human jaw. The noises were grotesque wet pops and crunches that made bile rise in his throat.

By the time the last crack echoed through the trees, Nate was staring not at a wolf, but at a man.

At him.

Kieran Drew.

Bloodied, bruised, dirt streaking his face and chest, he stood there breathing hard, one hand clutching his side.

Nate gasped, stumbling back another step. His mind screamed at him to run, but his body was frozen in place.

The monster that had saved him… was Kieran.

Kieran stared at him with that unnervingly calm expression, even though he was bloodied, dirt-smeared and completely naked.

Nate’s ears burned hot, his eyes darting away before they could linger where they definitely shouldn’t. He forced himself to look at Kieran’s face instead.

Kieran smirked, sharp and amused.

“Are you just going to stand there gawking at me?” His voice was calm, smooth, not at all like someone who had just torn another monster apart.

Nate swallowed hard. “What… what are you? And what was that thing?”

One perfectly arched brow rose. “You’re seriously asking me what I am?”

Nate’s breath caught as Kieran let go of his wounded side already healing, the gash closing very slowly before his eyes and started toward him.

“No. Stay back,” Nate stammered, tripping a step backward. “Y-you’re a monster.”

Kieran stopped, then God help him—started laughing. Full-bodied, rich laughter that echoed through the forest. Under any other circumstance Nate might have thought it was… nice. But right now? It just made his heart pound harder.

He tried not to notice the way Kieran’s body looked under the moonlight perfectly sculpted, broad shoulders tapering down to a sharp V line. His gaze dropped lower, traitorous, before snapping away in mortified panic. Why the hell am I acting like a high school girl? I’ve seen naked guys before.

Kieran finally caught his breath, that dangerous smirk curving his lips again.

“You really don’t know what’s happening to you, do you? Let me spell it out in simple terms.”

Before Nate could react, Kieran moved faster than thought. One second he was standing a few feet away, the next Nate was slammed against a tree, Kieran’s hand tight around his throat.

The bark dug into his back. Nate’s pulse roared in his ears.

“Here’s the truth, little lamb.” Kieran’s eyes burned into his.

“You’re not human. You’re a wolf.”