The Stranger In The Woods Audiobook Novels & Stories

"Right...so he's the stranger that we fucked in the woods, and his name is Ezekiel, otherwise called Zeke." "Wow, thank you for the brief background check." "You're welcome." It coos, "now go over to him." “Nope,” I whisper fiercely, frozen in place. "Yes, he's calling out to us." “Absolutely not. Stranger danger, remember? This is how people end up on true crime documentaries. You follow a stranger with charm and then you disappear forever.” "You weren't thinking about that when you–" "Slept with him in the woods? No I wasn't, because I wasn't thinking then. I was high. And please stop bringing that up every two seconds!"

The wolf’s body hovered inches from the stranger’s outstretched hand. Completely immobilized. Jarek’s heart slammed violently in his chest. “That’s not possible,” he whispered. The stranger examined the suspended wolf with mild interest. “Strong,” he admitted. Then he flicked his fingers. The wolf flew backward. Not thrown. Launched. His body smashed through three trees before disappearing into the forest with a thunderous crash. Silence returned. Jarek and the remaining warrior stared in horror. The stranger brushed imaginary dust from his sleeve. “I would prefer not to waste time fighting,” he said calmly.

It was like another part of me was lost again. I heard the bushes shaking. For a second I thought it was Linda checking up on me but I saw a man I don't recognize. I quickly hid behind some trees. Usually, humans don't come out in the woods alone. I planned to just sneak away before I heard him talking. "Come out, come out wherever you are." Stranger's voice was rough. Then I heard the sound of a struggle. "Stop struggling!" I hear shuffles of footsteps and the sound of metal chains. "You can't escape." This person was talking to someone. "These chains are stained with wolfsbane and are made from silver."

I feel myself and the entire crowd surrounding the gate still, even the air stops blowing. "What do you mean?" Orvax's voice is murderous enough to send the right signal. “I was found…” the stranger starts to say, the colour progressively draining from his face. "Found by who?” I ask this time, a chill running down my spine. The stranger's eyes travel over my shoulder, beyond the walls of Rogue land, towards the forest. By now, his face is completely drained of colour. "I think…I think I have been followed,” he whispers. As if on cue, from the edges of the trees, a single figure steps out into the sunlight.

The moon hid behind clouds like it was afraid to watch us leave. He whispered, Stay close to me. And keep your footsteps light. I nodded, my throat tight. We slipped through the trees. The shadows clung to us like wet fabric. Every branch crack felt too loud. Every rustle made me want to run back to Harold, bury my face in his chest and beg him to tell me that everything was in my head and that fake Pearl was nothing but coincidence. But I kept walking. The stranger paused suddenly and put an arm out, stopping me. I froze. His eyes scanned the left side of the woods.

In moments, both were on the ground, groaning. The third hesitated, his eyes wide with sudden fear. “Take them,” the stranger said in a low and lethal voice. “And run before I change my mind.” They didn’t need telling twice. The three rogues stumbled into the trees and vanished into the mist. For a long moment, the forest was silent. Only the soft rustle of leaves and Korra’s uneven breathing filled the air. She pressed a hand against the rough bark behind her, trying to steady herself. “Who are you?” she whispered.

"The Rootmother's memories are in the soil. It knows how you fight." The sapling's branches shiver, and for a moment, I see Nessa's face in the bark-mouth open in a silent scream. --- **The Stranger** He arrives at dusk, cloaked in tattered furs and reeking of ozone. His eyes are mismatched: one human, one a mechanical lens that whirs as it focuses on my scar. **"You're the Stormbearer,"** he says, his accent sharp, alien. **"The one who shattered the fracture. The Primal Verse won't forget that."**

Instead of the typical sounds of rustling leaves and chirping birds, there was a deafening silence that made everyone uneasy. Lucian surveyed the treeline, his eyes narrowing. "We're not by ourselves." Aiden stood, his hands gripping the crystal more firmly. "What is it?" Among the trees, a shadow moved, too supple and intentional to be organic. It came together to form a shrouded figure, its face hidden but its presence menacing. The voice was a deep, icy hiss as the stranger spoke. "You have already taken one step, but you refuse to take another."

The same voice from every dream. The one that had haunted her for weeks. "Who are you?" she demanded. The stranger stared at her. Emotion flickering across his features. Relief. Disbelief. Hope. Then his expression hardened. As if remembering something painful. "You found me." Nova frowned. "What are you talking about?" The forest trembled. The ground shook violently. A growl echoed through the darkness. Ancient. Monstrous. The stranger's eyes widened. "No." For the first time, fear entered his voice.

"It’s the only place I can remember feeling truly safe, when I was little." "It’s a good place to be," he agreed. "Much better than bars and late nights—you never know who you’ll run into in places like that." Yna went quiet, her mind drifting back to that terrible night—the night she’d met the stranger, the night everything changed. "Can I ask you something?" Alas said gently. "I hope you won’t be upset." "Of course. Anything." He guided her to a bench so she could rest her feet. He’d wanted to ask more about the pregnancy, but seeing how fragile she still was, he held back.