Chapter 1: Olivia's POV

"What...the fuck?"

You know that mode your body is sent into when you're in danger? The fight or flight?

No...no, my body chooses to freeze.

Right here, in the middle of the woods. Right here, in front of a steel cage that currently houses the biggest, most ethereal, black wolf I've ever seen in my life.

Well, not that I've ever seen a wolf to begin with.

At my voice, its head peaks up and I'm met with its golden eyes. There's something odd about it though. It looks like it understands my shock and is amused...in a human kind of way.

"Nope," I whisper. "I'm not about to be that horror movie character."

Besides, I may be a little high, and I'm imagining things.

With that, I manage to take a step back, then another, and then finally, I spin around and begin trying to retrace my steps back the way I came.

However, before I'm even ten steps gone, there's this sickening sound that fills the woods. It's like the snapping of a million twigs. No, more like bones.

I turn sharply back to the wolf and to my horror, it's body is contorting in the most disturbing way.

Giant paws turn to human hands and black fur begins to give way to smooth bronze skin.

"I'm sorry, let me just –" it speaks, as it continues to contort.

I'm seconds away from pissing my pants as my body once again, has chosen to freeze instead of getting the fuck out of here.

There's one final snap of a bone and a sigh of relief escapes his throat.

The black wolf in the cage...just turned into a man?

Nah, I'm way higher than I originally thought.

“Well, hello there,” he says, his voice smooth, rich and utterly unfazed by the fact that he just shifted from a wolf to a human. “Didn’t expect company tonight.”

My body heats up instantly, and I begin to sweat even though it's cold out here tonight.

Not because I’m scared, which I obviously am. I mean, I just watched a massive, terrifying beast shift into a very human, very muscular, very naked man.

And, you know, that’s a lot.

But it’s the voice that gets me.

It’s captivating as hell, and I might add, it’s the sexiest voice I’ve ever heard. It isn’t that stereotypical deep voice.

No.

It’s a charming voice. One that takes me to lalaland.

My curiosity is now piqued, and I'm most definitely that character in every horror movie, as I take a few steps closer to the cage.

He has this lopsided grin on his face, like he isn’t trapped and like shifting from a wolf to an attractive man is an everyday adventure.

He sighs dramatically, but the grin never leaves his lips.

My eyes drift, and okay, I’m only human. He’s beautiful in a way that feels almost unfair.

His red hair is long and messy but in a way that seems intentional, and his eyes, a stunning, ethereal green that almost glows in the dim light, are locked on mine, far too amused for someone who was a literal animal five seconds ago.

And then there are the tattoos.

Intricate and ancient-looking, they run down his arms, curling up to his neck like some kind of old magic. And, of course, there’s the very present fact that he’s still naked.

I don’t respond. I can’t. I’m still staring at him...at his beautiful form, at the grin on his perfect lips that has now reduced to a faint and seductive smirk.

He tilts his head, as if examining me too. I notice he sniffs the air, and there's an emotion that crosses his eyes, but it's too brief for me to name it.

“You’re not running,” he notes. “That’s a good sign.”

That jolts me out of my daze. “Who...what...who the hell are you?”

His smirk deepens. “Ah. You must be new to all this.” He leans forward, gripping the silver bars, only to hiss and immediately pull back. The skin on his fingers blisters on contact. “Shit. Forgot about that.”

I blink several times to convince myself that I'm not dreaming or hallucinating from the amount of 'special' brownies in my system, and that I'm really here.

“You...forgot?” I draw out, unsure of whether I'm supposed to be talking to him.

He shrugs. “I was distracted. A pretty girl shows up in the middle of the night, staring at me like she’s never seen a naked man before—”

“Oh my God—”

“—and I got a little caught up in the moment,” he finishes, unfazed.

I pinch the bridge of my nose in embarrassment, but that doesn't stop my eyes from drifting over his toned body again.

“Let me guess,” he continues, stretching out his long legs as much as the cage allows. “You have questions.”

"Nah, I'm probably way too high and you're part of my hallucinations."

"High? In the woods?" He chuckles, then he leans further back. "You just might be more interesting than me tonight."

I scowl. “Why are you in there?”

“I thought you didn't have questions?"

I glare at him and his smirk turns into a tired sigh.

"Well since you're asking, some crazy warlock,” he says easily, gesturing to the bars. “He trapped me here like a damn zoo exhibit, but I’d really love to get out now.”

"And how do I know that you're not the bad guy here? Maybe you're the crazy one and the warlock was doing society a good one by locking you up here."

His eyes darken for a split second, but then they brighten up again. "Okay, maybe I'm the crazy one, but that rascal is never the good guy in any case scenario."

Okay, so that's clearly a sour topic.

I cross my arms. “And what happens if I let you out? You turn back into a wolf and eat me?”

He laughs, and I hate how warm the sound is. “Tempting, but no.” He leans forward again, this time careful not to touch the bars. “What’s your name?”

"No, no, that's not the right sequence of our conversation," I shake my head and take a step closer to the cage. "What are you exactly?"

His brows crease for a slight moment, but then his smirk returns. "You haven't heard of my kind before?"

"Oh, I have very much heard of your kind, except it's from movies and smutty novels, which is all fiction by the way."

"Smutty novels? So your kind has sexual fantasies about my kind?"

My body heats up again and I clear my throat. "That wasn't my point."

"What was, then? You shouldn't have mentioned it if it wasn't your–"

"Are you a werewolf?" I cut him off.

His smirk gives way to a grin and he shoves his two thumbs up. "You're smart, I think I'm in love with you."

"Yeah, no."

I don't know how I'm still calm at this point. My mind is working overtime to accept the fact that I'm talking to a man that can change into a wolf.

I know I should run, but my brain doesn't pick up any sign of danger from him. And I have very good instincts, so that means something.

I turn around, taking in the woods around me, suddenly hyper aware in case anyone of his kind might be lurking around somewhere.

After a moment, I turn back to him with a sigh. “Olivia.”

It takes him a second to comprehend that I'm giving him my name and once he does, his grin spreads even wider.

“Beautiful name,” he says smoothly. “I’m Ezekiel. Also known as Zeke. And now that we’re officially friends, how about you do me a solid and let me out? You see, I’m an Alpha. A powerful one, I might add, and it’s very undignified to be locked in here like a house dog.”

Well, that was pretty straightforward.

I let out a short, humorless laugh. “Yeah, so powerful you got locked up in a cage like a house dog.”

“That hurts, Olivia. Deeply.” He places a hand over his heart, feigning offense. “I thought we had something special. And besides, I was trapped here with magic, okay? Powerful Alpha isn't immune to magic.”

I roll my eyes. “Why can’t you let yourself out?”

His expression sobers slightly. He lifts one hand, his fingers hovering just above the silver bars. “You saw that earlier, didn’t you? Or are you deliberately trying to make me hurt myself again?”

I raise a questioning brow, and he just sighs.

He presses a fingertip to the metal, and his skin sizzles. I flinch as he pulls back, showing me the fresh burn.

Oh…that’s what that was about earlier.

“See? Silver burns us.”

I ignore the uneasy twist in my stomach and I shrug.

“Well, I’m not exactly immune to silver myself, so it looks like you're stuck in there, buddy.”

He stills. “Wait.” His green eyes sharpen as he studies me. "You said what?"

I blink. “What?”

“The silver.” His voice drops slightly. “It burns you?”

I shift uncomfortably. “Yeah, so? I'm allergic.”

For a brief second, he looks completely thrown. Then, something flickers behind his eyes, something akin to realization.

“What?” I demand. "You're being weird."

Good thing to say, Liv. He's a werewolf, in case you forgot. He is weird.

He hesitates. “Where are you from?”

I frown. “Town?”

He studies me for another long, unsettling moment, then shakes his head. “Never mind. Just...Olivia, I really need you to get me out.”

“And why the hell should I?”

His lips quirk up again. “Because I’m charming?”

I let out a dry laugh. “Try again.”

He sighs dramatically. “Look, all you have to do is break the latch with a big rock. You don't have to touch the bars since you say you're allergic.”

“And then what? You just… walk free?”

“Pretty much,” he says. “Unless you want me to owe you a life debt, in which case, I’d be forever in your service, my lady.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re not a very serious person, I gather?”

He winks. “I'm serious enough to be Alpha.”

"Yeah, I totally believe you."

After another long pause, I sigh, scanning the ground for a rock. This is a bad idea. A terrible idea.

But something in me, something I don’t understand, is pulling me to do it.

I grab the biggest rock I can find and slam it against the lock.

The metal latch snaps and the door creaks open.

Zeke moves fast. Too fast. He crawls out, rising to his full height, easily a foot taller than me, and stretches his arms over his head with a sigh of relief.

Still naked.

I look away, trying to hide the burn in my face.

Then, suddenly, he’s right in front of me, so quick and quiet, I didn't even hear him approach.

My heart leaps in my throat and I'm about to scream out, thinking I trusted him too easily and he's in fact a bad guy.

However, my body turns to jelly as I take in his scent. He smells like honey and I'm suddenly light headed in a good way by the scent.

His gaze darkens as he looks down on me and the teasing in his eyes disappears.

He looks at me like I’m something rare. Something Precious.

And then, in a voice lower, rougher and sexier than before, he says, “Mate.”

At that word, something stirs deep inside me. A pull. A connection. Something old.

“Mate.”