~ Elara’s POVRufus and I chatted for a while, and I was happy I could lift his spirits. Then, out of the blue, he surprised me with an invitation. He asked if I wanted to join him on a trip to the city the next day. I was thrilled. I was getting stir crazy at his place, and it felt like ages since I had been out and about in the bustling city."Absolutely, I would come with you" I beamed, my smile practically splitting my face in two. Rufus's chuckle at my reaction warmed me even more. "Good one," he said, "Although, it is getting a bit nippy out here. Maybe we should head back inside?"I couldn't agree more. Nodding eagerly, I let Rufus help me up. Back inside the cozy cabin, I drifted towards the bed while Rufus settled onto the couch. Excitement bubbled in my chest. This trip to the city would be my first adventure outside the forest since arriving at Rufus's place. But a flicker of nervousness snaked its way in too. The thought of bumping into Rayel put a bit of a damper on my

~ Elara’s POVMy jaw practically hit the floor when Rufus asked his question. "Ready to give me the response to my proposal, Elara?" "Proposal?" I stammered, my mind scrambling. The vibrant colors of the restaurant seemed to fade, replaced by a dizzying blur. Before I could even form a coherent response, he surprised me again."Hey, no pressure," he said quickly, his smile strained at the edges. "If you need to think about it, that's totally fine. No rush at all,”The truth was, I did have a response, a tangled mess of emotions churning in my stomach. But the words wouldn't come. How do you tell someone you care about them deeply, but not in the way they want? Guilt gnawed at me, a heavy weight settling in my chest. The playful banter that flowed so easily all during our meal time felt awkward at that moment, a forced lightness to a heavy situation.As if sensing my discomfort, Rufus started telling jokes, one after another. They weren't knee-slappers, but they were his way of t

~ ELARA’s POVThe day's excitement seemed to finally catch up to me. Rufus and I left the storytelling gathering and found a chair to sit on. I leaned back on the chair, letting out a content sigh, but Rufus noticed I wasn’t quite myself. A gentle shiver ran through me, and he saw a slight frown crease my forehead as I gazed upwards.Without a word, he reached over and draped his coat around my shoulders. The warmth instantly enveloped me, and I turned to him with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Rufus," I said, my voice a little softer than usual due to the cold.Rufus simply returned a small smile. "No problem," he said. A comfortable silence settled between you for a moment. I snuggled deeper into the coat, the warmth chasing away the last bit of chill."That was a really fun tour," I finally said, breaking the quiet. "Yeah, it was pretty cool," Rufus agreed. "Though, next time maybe we'll pick a tour that doesn't involve so much walking." He chuckled, nudging me playfully with his sh

~ Elara’s POVI was glued to my phone when Ashley interrupted me, letting me know she was finished with Rufus. I politely said goodbye, ready to get back to my phone, but then Ashley threw me a curveball.She wanted me to walk her to her car, which apparently was parked outside the forest.I wanted to decline at first but then with her situation and remembering the fact that she was Rufus’s client, I decided to be nice and walk her out.Ashley was practically skipping with joy after I agreed to walk her out. She told Rufus, to stay put, which made me a little nervous. I was about to blurt out that walking back alone through the forest freaked me out, but Rufus cut me off.He said something about me being in "safe hands," and I was totally confused. That was, until I stepped outside and BAM! There were, like, five big security guards standing around.Whoa! Now it clicked what Rufus meant by "safe hands." Those guys looked like they could wrestle a wolf and rogue and win. Ashley must h

~ Elara’s POVStuck behind the giant oak, I couldn't take my eyes off Rufus. My heart pounded like a drum solo. It was the first time I saw his powers in action, and I must say, it was scary awesome. He totally protected me, but whoa, was it intense.Just as I thought I could inch closer, a furry arm whipped around me, yanking me back. A muffled voice pressed his or her face against my neck, whispering to stay quiet.The guy who grabbed me was one of Ashley's bodyguards, but he was in rough shape, all banged up. I twisted back to see him, and he barked at me to keep my eyes on Rufus. Then he yelled a threat at the giant Rufus, telling him that he would regret messing with him if he didn't take Ashley back as a client. My breath hitched in my throat. The bodyguard was hurt, scared, and threatening a guy who could flatten a building. It felt like the end. The guard's finger was digging into my neck, so hard I thought it might break the skin. He smelled awful, like metal and blood. Panic