3

SILAS

“It’s almost midnight, let’s go for a run!” Thal, my Lycan, snaps impatiently.

"Why are you so worked up about this run, anyway? You’ve never been this excited to hunt in the Dark Forest," I grumble, heading outside. The cold night air greets me as I start to jog lightly.

"Just go, will you?" he urges, his tone sharp yet brimming with urgency.

"Fine," I mutter.

As I leap mid-stride, my body begins to shift effortlessly. My bones crack, reforming as I surrender control to Thal. He takes the lead, his large paws pounding against the damp earth as I let my consciousness drift, my eyes closing briefly to rest.

After a while, Thal stops abruptly.

“I’m shifting back,” he warns, giving me little time to prepare.

As I regain control, the fatigue clings to me like a weight. But just as I clear my head, something hits me.

A scent.

It’s unlike anything I’ve ever encountered. Sweet and intoxicating—wild honey, night-blooming jasmine, and a faint, lingering trace of fresh rain. It’s so potent it feels as though the forest itself is offering it to me.

“What the hell is that?” I murmur, scanning my surroundings.

“It’s real,” Thal insists.

I blink and shake my head. “You dragged me into the Dark Forest. This place plays tricks on the mind. Nothing is real.”

"Follow the scent," he snaps, his voice edged with excitement.

With a resigned sigh, I obey, letting the intoxicating trail guide me deeper into the shadowed woods.

The scent grows stronger, wrapping around me like a spell. Then I see her.

A she-wolf sprawled on the cold, dark ground, her body trembling and disoriented.

“The scent comes from her,” Thal growls, his voice filled with pure delight.

She stirs, her movements frantic as she quickly stands. Before I can even process what’s happening, she bolts straight toward me, her steps unsteady yet driven.

She crashes into me hard, but I don’t budge. Her smaller frame staggers back as if she’s hit a wall.

Her eyes, wide and luminous, lock onto mine. There’s something in her gaze—recognition, confusion, maybe even defiance.

I tilt my head, curiosity tugging at me. Does she sense it? The mate bond?

Before I can make sense of the moment, the air is shattered by howls.

I shift my attention toward the sound, spotting four wolves emerging from the shadows. Their predatory eyes are fixed on my woman.

One of them, the largest, retreats slightly into the woods, his gaze lingering on me like a warning. The other three remain.

Then one shifts, his human form stepping forward as he addresses her, “Naia, you need to come with us. The King is waiting for you.”

The King?

A growl rumbles low in my chest, my body instinctively stepping between her and them. “She’s not going anywhere,” I snarl, my voice dripping with lethal intent.

The wolves hesitate, their confidence faltering as they take a step back.

The one who shifted dares to speak again, stammering, “But, sir, we—”

Thal doesn’t let him finish. In a blur of power, he takes control, shifting swiftly and violently. The next moments are a brutal blur of snarling jaws and snapping necks.

When it’s over, the lifeless bodies of the wolves litter the forest floor, their blood seeping into the earth.

I turn back to her, half-expecting fear in her expression. Instead, she smiles—a small, defiant curve of her plush lips.

It sends a thrill through me, riling Thal and me both.

She rises gracefully, her every movement captivating. Her boldness matches her beauty as she takes a step toward us, her gaze devouring my Lycan form.

My heart pounds when she reaches out, her delicate fingers brushing through my thick fur. Her voice is a whisper, but it might as well be a roar in my ears.

“Gorgeous,” she murmurs, her touch as intoxicating as her scent.

Thal practically preens under her attention, but I feel the storm brewing inside me. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s mine.