Aidan Thorne stood at the edge of the Evermere Forest, his golden eyes reflecting the pale glow of the full moon above. He was tall, with broad shoulders and an easy grace that belied his hidden nature. To the villagers of Windmere, he was a reclusive woodsman—quiet, strong, and rarely seen. In truth, he was something far older. Far wilder.
The forest pulsed with ancient energy tonight, whispering secrets only Aidan could understand. He inhaled deeply, filtering the thousands of scents in the wind. Damp moss. The iron tang of distant blood—deer, probably. And something new. Something utterly foreign, soft and floral, yet piercing through the wild with a clarity that stunned him.
He tensed. That scent didn't belong.
Aidan turned and moved deeper into the woods, silent as a shadow. His boots barely rustled the fallen leaves as he walked a path known only to him. The moon climbed higher, bathing the forest in silver light that shimmered like water across tree trunks and ferns.
Memories stirred in him with each step—memories of hunts, of howls echoing through the trees, of blood spilled under starlight. But this wasn't about the past. This was now. And someone was trespassing.
The wind shifted again, and the scent grew stronger. It made his chest tighten, not with threat but with something more bewildering. Curiosity? Longing?
He found her in a clearing surrounded by birch trees, standing uncertainly with a camera hanging from her neck. She had shoulder-length chestnut hair, slightly tousled, and wore a soft green jacket that almost matched the ferns around her. Her eyes scanned the area, alert but not panicked.
Her scent hit him again, and his knees almost buckled. She smelled like wildflowers in early spring, fresh rain, and something distinctly human—warmth, salt, and the faint sweetness of vanilla.
She hadn't seen him yet.
He watched her a moment longer than he should have, taking in the steady rhythm of her breathing, the way her fingers nervously adjusted the strap of her bag. She was lost, but not afraid. Not yet.
Then she turned.
Their eyes met.
For a heartbeat, the world stilled.
She gasped and stepped back, hand instinctively going to her pocket.
"Don't," Aidan said quietly, stepping forward into the moonlight. "You're not safe here."
Her eyes widened. She fumbled backward, almost tripping over a root. "Who are you?"
"I should ask you the same."
"I was hiking. I got lost." She hesitated. "I don't usually talk to strange men in the woods at night."
Aidan tilted his head, a faint smile curling his lips. "I'm not usually the one they meet."
"I'll go," she said, backing away.
"No. Wait."
She paused. Something in his voice—low, calm, threaded with gravity—stilled her flight.
"I can walk you back to the trail," he offered.
"I don't trust you."
"You shouldn't."
She blinked. "Then why would I follow you?"
He met her gaze, steady and unblinking. "Because I'm the only thing between you and what's deeper in these woods."
A branch snapped far off in the trees.
She swallowed hard.
He extended a hand. "Come. You'll be safer with me."
Hesitantly, she placed her fingers in his. His skin was warm, rough, but steady. She felt an odd sense of calm steal over her.
They walked in silence. He led her along narrow paths, over moss-covered stones, beneath ancient trees that groaned softly in the night wind.
"Do you live out here?" she asked finally.
"Yes."
"Are you a... ranger or something?"
"Something."
She sighed. "You're not very good at conversation."
He glanced at her. "I haven't had much practice."
She gave a short laugh. "I'm Eva."
He nodded. "Aidan."
For a time, that was enough.
After nearly an hour, the path opened to a small clearing. A cabin sat there, nestled among trees, windows flickering with firelight. Eva stopped short.
"This is yours?"
Aidan nodded.
"It's beautiful. Feels... ancient."
"It is."
He stepped onto the porch and opened the door, motioning her inside. She hesitated. Her instincts warned her this man was dangerous. But every part of him spoke of quiet strength and something deeper. Something broken.
She stepped through.
Inside, the cabin was warm and rustic. A stone fireplace crackled, casting golden light across wooden beams and a large, well-worn armchair. There were shelves of books, dried herbs hanging near the ceiling, and a table with scattered papers and maps.
"Sit," Aidan said. "You're cold."
She sat by the fire, arms wrapped around herself. He returned with a mug of tea.
"Chamomile," he said.
She sipped it gratefully. "Thank you."
He stood near the fire, silent.
"So," she said, "do you always rescue strange women in the woods?"
"No. You're the first."
"Lucky me."
His expression didn't change.
Silence stretched. Then she asked the question that had been clawing at her since the clearing.
"What are you?"
Aidan looked at her slowly. "Why would you ask that?"
She lifted her camera. Scrolled through. Showed him a photo she'd taken before she saw him. In the background, a pair of glowing eyes watched her from the trees.
"They weren't yours," she said.
"No."
"And yet... you're not scared."
"I don't scare easily."
He studied her. Her steadiness. Her curiosity.
"I'm not human," he said at last.
She didn't laugh. Didn't run. Only watched him.
"What are you?"
He exhaled slowly. The fire hissed.
"A werewolf."
She blinked. "That's... not funny."
"I'm not joking."
He turned away, lifted his shirt. Scars ran along his spine—deep, old, shaped like claws.
"Prove it."
"Tomorrow night," he said. "Not tonight."
"Why not now?"
"Because you're still deciding if I'm a threat. And I'm still deciding if I trust you."
Eva leaned back. "You saved me. That earns some trust."
Aidan didn't respond. He stood there, eyes in shadow, more beast than man—and yet something in her, wild and unspoken, felt the strange pull of his presence.
"Do you kill people?" she asked.
"No. Not unless I must."
She nodded slowly.
"I'll stay," she said.
He looked at her in surprise. "That's not wise."
"Neither is walking alone in the woods at night. But here we are."
He almost smiled.
Outside, the forest waited.
And somewhere in its depths, another set of golden eyes blinked open.