Chapter Three: The Woods

Tess stared at the message on her phone, her heart racing. Meet me at the old oak in the woods. Midnight. -L. What did Liam want? And why the woods, of all places?She looked at the clock. 11:45 PM. The old oak was deep in the woods surrounding Willow Creek. Tess had hiked there once with Ethan; it was a spot where the trees seemed to whisper secrets.

Tess felt a mix of excitement and fear. Part of her wanted to go, to see Liam again. Part of her screamed warnings. The woods at night weren't safe not with the rumors of weird things happening.

She grabbed her jacket and slipped out of the studio. The night air was cool, the moon casting silver shadows as she walked towards the woods. Her feet knew the path; she'd walked it enough times with her art supplies.

As she entered the trees, the darkness swallowed her. The only sound was the crunch of leaves underfoot. Tess felt a shiver run down her spine. She was alone with the woods, and whatever lurked there.

The old oak loomed ahead, its branches twisted like skeletal fingers. Liam stood beneath it, his eyes glowing in the dark.

"Tess," he said, his voice low. "I needed to see you."

Tess felt a rush of emotions. "Why here? What's going on?"

Liam's expression was intense, like he was hiding something. "I need to tell you something. About Willow Creek. About you."Tess's heart pounded. "What is it?"

Liam glanced around the woods, like he was checking for listeners. "There's something in Willow Creek. Something that wants you. I need to protect you."Tess felt a jolt of fear. "What wants me?"

Liam's eyes locked on hers. "I can't say here. But I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"Tess hesitated. She barely knew Liam, but something about him made her want to say yes

Suddenly, the woods went silent. The wind stopped. The shadows seemed to freeze.A low growl echoed through the trees. Liam's eyes flashed, and he pushed Tess behind him. "Get back to town. Now."Tess spun around, but it was too late. Figures emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing like animals' in the dark.One of them stepped forward, a sly smile on her face. Cath.

"Tess," Cath said, her voice dripping with venom. "So nice of you to join us."Liam growled, his body tensing. "Cath, back off."

Cath laughed, her eyes flashing yellow. "Oh, Liam. You can't protect her forever."

Tess felt a surge of fear. What was Cath's game?Ethan's voice echoed in her mind – he'd warned her about Cath, about the weird stuff in Willow Creek. Tess's instincts kicked in. She pushed Liam aside and faced Cath."You want something," Tess said, her voice steady. "What is it?"

Cath's smile grew wider. "Oh, I want Liam. And you're in the way."The shadows closed in. Liam grabbed Tess's hand. "We need to go."

As they turned to run, Ryder stepped out of the darkness, his eyes gleaming with a secret,Tess felt a jolt of surprise what was Ryder doing here?

Liam's grip on her hand tightened. "Ryder, what's going on?"Ryder's smile was lazy, but his eyes were sharp. "Just making sure Cath doesn't cause trouble."

Cath snarled, her face twisting in anger. "You said you'd help me, Ryder."Ryder shrugged, his movements fluid. "I said I'd think about it. You shouldn't have brought this to the woods."

Liam's expression turned deadly. "You working with Cath, Ryder?"

Ryder's eyes flicked to Tess, then back to Liam. "Maybe. Depends on what you want, brother."

Tess felt a shiver run down her spine. What did Ryder want? And what did he mean by "brother"?

Fred suddenly appeared at the edge of the trees, his eyes scanning the group. "Tess, you okay?"

Tess blinked what was Fred doing here? "Yeah, I'm...I think so."Cath laughed, the sound sending chills down Tess's spine. "This is getting better. The human's involved now."

Liam growled, pushing Tess behind him. "Everyone, get out of here. Now."Ryder moved, his body blurring into a wolf's shape. He lunged at Cath, teeth banging in the air. The fight erupted wolves snarling, humans shouting, shadows twisting.Tess stumbled back, Fred catching her arm. "Come on, let's go."Ethan appeared out of nowhere, his guitar slinging over his shoulder. "Need music for this party?"Tess stared was Ethan crazy? "Get us out of here!"

The three of them backed away, the chaos erupting around them. As they hit the edge of the woods, Tess glanced back – Liam was fighting Cath, Ryder watching with eerie intensity.

And then, the woods exploded in a howl. The sound sent shivers down Tess's spine, like the earth itself was screaming. She stumbled, Fred catching her, as Ethan's fingers flew across his guitar strings a wild, pulsing beat that seemed to match the chaos.

The howl cut through the night, and for a moment, everything froze. Cath's wolves paused, their eyes flashing with confusion. Ryder, still in wolf form, turned to stare at Tess, his gaze piercing.Liam burst through the trees, his eyes glowing with a fierce light. He was a wolf now, massive and dark, moving with deadly speed. He tore into the fray, taking down Cath's pack with brutal efficiency.

Tess felt a gasp catch in her throat. "Liam..."

Ethan's music swelled, the notes like wildfire. The trees seemed to respond, branches swaying with an otherworldly force. The shadows themselves appeared to twist, like living things trying to aid Liam.Cath screamed, a human sound, as Liam pinned her to the ground. "You shouldn't have come," he growled, his voice wolf-deep.

 Ryder shifted back to human form, his eyes gleaming with interest. "Looks like you're in charge now, Liam."

Liam's gaze flicked to Tess, then back to Cath. "This ends tonight."

Cath bared her teeth, but Liam's growl made her freeze. The pack began to back off, melting into the shadows. Ryder nodded, like he'd expected this.Tess felt a rush of relief but it was short-lived. As the fight ended, Liam's eyes locked on hers. He padded closer, his wolf form making her skin prickle.He shifted back to human, his chest bare, his eyes burning. "Tess."

Tess felt her heart pound. Liam was intense, wild, and staring at her like she was the only thing in the world.

Suddenly, Ethan's music faltered. The trees stopped swaying. The shadows went still.A new figure emerged from the darkness tall, with eyes like ice. "Liam," the figure said, voice low. "We need to talk."