Chapter 2 Eyes of Gold

Sleep didn’t come easily that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them those golden eyes glowing in the darkness, staring straight into my soul.

I’d turned on every light in the cabin, locked every door twice, and even slept with a frying pan beside my bed like it was a weapon. But it didn’t matter. His voice echoed through my head again and again.

“You are my mate.”

I groaned and sat up, rubbing my face. “Get a grip, Clara. He’s probably some creepy guy who lives off-grid and eats mushrooms for breakfast.”

Still, a small voice in my head whispered: Then why did his touch feel like lightning?

By morning, I convinced myself I had imagined half of it. Maybe I was just exhausted. Maybe the glow on my wrist had been from my flashlight. My mind could have made up anything in that panic.

I threw on my jacket and headed into town for groceries, determined to push it all away.

The little store at the edge of town smelled like coffee and sawdust. The clerk, an older man named Gary, gave me his usual polite smile. “Morning, Clara. You look like you saw a ghost.”

“Something like that,” I said with a weak laugh.

As I reached for a basket, the bell above the door jingled. I didn’t turn at first until the air shifted. It was subtle, but my instincts screamed.

I looked up.

He was standing in the doorway.

Donald.

Dressed in a simple black shirt and jeans, but his presence filled the small shop like thunder before a storm. His gaze found me immediately those same golden eyes, steady and unblinking.

My pulse spiked. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Gary smiled at him, oblivious to my inner panic. “Morning, stranger. New in town?”

Donald’s voice was calm but commanding. “Just passing through.” His eyes never left mine.

I grabbed the nearest thing off the shelf a box of cereal I didn’t even eat and forced a smile. “Right. Well, I was just leaving.”

“Clara.” His tone stopped me mid-step.

I turned slowly, gripping the cereal box like it could save me. “What do you want?”

He took a step forward. “To make sure you’re safe.”

“Safe from what? You?”

He didn’t flinch. “From the rogues.”

I frowned. “Rogues? Are you speaking English right now?”

“Wolves without packs,” he said quietly. “They sensed the bond between us last night. You’re marked now. They’ll come for you.”

I stared at him. “Okay, that’s enough. I don’t know what kind of fantasy novel you think we’re in, but I’m not playing along.”

“Clara”

“No. Stop saying my name like that!” My voice cracked slightly, and Gary looked up from the counter.

“Everything all right, Clara?”

“Yeah, fine,” I said quickly. “Just he was leaving.”

Donald’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. He simply nodded once, like he understood, and turned toward the door.

Before he stepped out, he paused. “You can deny it if you want,” he said quietly, “but the moon doesn’t lie. I’ll be nearby if you need me.”

And then he was gone.

I stood frozen, my heart pounding, every nerve screaming for explanation.

Gary chuckled softly. “That one’s intense. Friend of yours?”

I forced a smile. “Not exactly.”

But as I walked home, every sound made me jump the rustle of leaves, the flap of wings, even the crunch of my own boots on gravel. His words about “rogues” circled in my mind. It was ridiculous. Wolves didn’t attack people. Still, I found myself glancing at the tree line more than once.

When I reached the cabin, something felt off. The front door wasn’t fully closed.

My breath hitched. I was sure I’d locked it.

I pushed it open slowly, heart hammering. “Hello?”

Silence.

Everything looked normal except for one thing. On the table lay a folded piece of paper that hadn’t been there before.

My fingers trembled as I opened it. The handwriting was strong, sharp:

You are not safe here. Come to the clearing by the creek at sunset. I’ll explain everything.

I sank into a chair, my pulse roaring in my ears. He’d been inside my house.

I should have been furious terrified, even. And yet, underneath the fear was something else… a strange, restless pull that made me want to see him again.

No. Absolutely not.

But by sunset, I was walking toward the creek anyway.

The clearing was quiet except for the whisper of water and the hum of crickets. The last light of the sun painted everything gold, and for a moment, it felt like stepping into another world.

Then I saw him sitting on a fallen log, looking out at the stream. His posture was calm, but there was tension in his shoulders, like a predator at rest.

“You came,” he said without turning.

“I shouldn’t have.”

“I know.”

“Then why ask me to?”

He stood and faced me. “Because you deserve the truth.”

I crossed my arms. “Which is what? That you’re part of some secret wolf cult?”

“Not a cult,” he said simply. “A pack.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but he raised his hand and before I could blink, his eyes changed.

Right in front of me, the gold deepened into molten amber, glowing faintly even as the rest of him remained perfectly still.

My words died in my throat.

He blinked once, and the glow faded. “Still think I’m lying?”

My knees felt weak. “That… doesn’t prove anything.”

“Then what will?”

I swallowed hard. “Maybe stop breaking into people’s houses for a start.”

A small smile tugged at his lips the first I’d seen from him. It softened his features in a way that almost made me forget how dangerous he looked. Almost.

“I had to make sure you were alive,” he said quietly. “There were tracks near your cabin. Not mine.”

My heartbeat quickened. “Tracks? From what?”

He stepped closer, his voice low. “From those who’d kill you to weaken me.”

“That’s insane.”

He studied me for a moment. “You really don’t feel it, do you?”

“Feel what?”

He reached out slowly, stopping inches from my arm waiting. The air between us felt charged, almost humming. Against my better judgment, I didn’t move.

When his fingertips brushed my skin, a warmth spread through me again not burning, but alive. My heart skipped.

He whispered, “That’s the bond.”

I pulled back, shaking my head. “No. I can’t… I don’t even know you.”

“You will,” he said softly, echoing his words from before. “And when you do, you’ll understand why I can’t stay away.”

I stared at him, speechless.

For a long moment, neither of us moved. The only sound was the murmur of the creek and the rustle of leaves overhead.

Finally, I took a shaky breath. “This is too much. I just want my normal life back.”

His expression darkened, sadness flickering in his eyes. “Normal isn’t an option anymore, Clara. Not for either of us.”

The wind picked up, carrying his scent wild and earthy, like pine and rain. For reasons I couldn’t explain, it made my chest ache.

“I’ll protect you,” he said firmly. “Even if you hate me for it.”

Before I could answer, a low growl echoed from the woods. It wasn’t his.

He turned instantly, eyes glowing again. “Go inside. Now.”

“Donald”

“Run!”

Something moved in the trees fast, shadowy, wrong.

I didn’t wait to see what it was. I ran.

Behind me, I heard a snarl, then another louder, sharper. The forest erupted with sound: growls, snapping branches, a cry that was both man and beast.

I didn’t look back. I didn’t stop until I reached the cabin and slammed the door behind me.

Only then did I realize I was shaking.

I didn’t know what was happening. But one thing was certain the golden-eyed stranger was no ordinary man. And somehow, my life had just stepped out of reality and into something far more dangerous.