Chapter 2
The morning coffee's aroma filled the cabin as I approached Kael with two steaming mugs.
After a night's rest, his complexion had visibly improved, but those deep eyes still maintained that beast-like vigilance.
"You don't need to be so guarded," I laughed softly, offering him the coffee. "If I wanted to hurt you, I would've done it during the five days you were unconscious."
Kael took the coffee, his fingers accidentally brushing mine. Instantly, an electric current-like sensation shot through my entire body.
I gasped, nearly dropping the mug.
"What's wrong?" Kael narrowed his eyes, his gaze locked intensely on my face.
"Nothing... nothing," I hastily stepped back. "Probably static electricity."
Static electricity?
I mocked myself internally for such a ridiculous explanation. I'd lived in this forest for years and never felt such an intense... attraction.
"How long have you been alone here?" Kael suddenly asked, his low voice carrying a probing quality.
I settled into the chair by the fireplace, maintaining a safe distance: "Five years. My adoptive father Magnus was the previous ranger. After he died, I took over this job."
"Adoptive father?" Kael's tone became subtly different.
"I was an orphan from childhood," I said openly. "Magnus found me during a patrol and raised me. He taught me tracking, plant identification, wound treatment... everything about the forest."
Kael listened quietly, an emotion I couldn't decipher flickering in his eyes.
"Sometimes the forest is safer than the human world..." he said slowly. "At least here, the dangers are predictable."
This statement stunned me.
"You don't talk like an ordinary merchant," I looked directly into his eyes. "More like..."
Kael's body instantly tensed, the coffee mug nearly slipping from his hands.
"I just... received a good education," he forced a smile, but I keenly noticed he avoided my gaze.
I insisted Kael do some "recovery training."
Actually, I wanted to test his physical condition. Yesterday's dangerous aura had kept me awake all night.
"Are you sure you're just an ordinary merchant?" I handed him a wooden stick for balance training.
"Of course," Kael took the stick with movements so fluid they resembled a trained warrior. "Business is like a battlefield—I must stay alert."
What happened next completely shattered his disguise.
Kael displayed body coordination and strength far beyond my imagination. Every movement carried wild grace, his reaction speed almost inhuman.
"Your reaction time..." I stared at him in shock. "That's not what ordinary people are capable of."
Kael realized he'd exposed something and hastily put down the stick.
At that moment, I instinctively stepped forward to steady him, our bodies instantly close.
The lightning-like sensation swept over us again.
This time it was stronger, as if some ancient power flowed between us. I could feel his heartbeat—fast and powerful—gradually synchronizing with mine.
Kael's eyes suddenly flashed with golden light, wild and dangerous.
He jerked backward, his expression turning terrified: "No... this can't..."
"Why does my heart race every time I get close to you?" I touched my chest confusedly, feeling something burning there.
Kael turned to flee into the house.
"Kael!" I chased after him, grabbing his arm.
The instant contact sent an even stronger shockwave through my entire body. I saw Kael's pupils turn completely golden, gleaming with inhuman light.
We locked eyes, something humming in the air around us.
Then Kael forcefully shook off my hand and rushed inside.
At dusk, I tried to ease the awkward atmosphere by preparing dinner.
But to my surprise, Kael voluntarily entered the kitchen and began helping with the ingredients.
"You don't have to..." I started to say.
"Let me take care of your nutrition," Kael gently interrupted. "You're too thin—you need more nourishment."
No one had ever cared about my health like this.
I watched him skillfully handle the ingredients, warmth flooding my heart. Every movement revealed careful observation of my preferences—he knew I disliked carrots, knew I favored the umami of wild mushrooms.
"You really are a mystery," I watched him bustle about, unable to help commenting.
Kael's knife paused briefly, then continued chopping: "Everyone has secrets."
I said, "But you have far more secrets than most."
During dinner, Kael inadvertently displayed the bearing of a leader. When I mentioned the unusual deer migration in the forest, he immediately corrected my assessment.
"That's not a normal deer migration route," his tone carried unquestionable authority. "They're avoiding some kind of predator."
"How do you know so much about this?" I put down my fork, staring directly into his eyes.
Kael realized he'd misspoken again and hastily covered: "I... I used to camp in the wilderness as a child. I'm fairly familiar with animal behavior."
That explanation was too far-fetched.
I decided not to pursue it further, but my doubts only deepened.
Deep in the night, distant wolf howls jolted me awake.
I sat up to find Kael already standing by the window, his body visibly tense as he listened intently to the sounds outside.
"Kael?" I called softly.
He turned, and in the moonlight I clearly saw the fear in his eyes.
"The pack is calling..." his voice trembled. "I mean, they might threaten your safety."
I moved to his side, listening carefully. It was indeed wolf howling, but it sounded... unusually organized.
"How do you know that's a pack calling?" I looked at him confusedly. "It sounds more like... a rally call?"
Kael's face grew even paler.
"I must leave before the full moon," he struggled to say. "Otherwise... otherwise you'll be in danger."
I asked, "What?"
Kael suddenly became agitated. "You don't understand—I can't... I can't let you get hurt!"
I tried to comfort him, reaching out to touch his shoulder. The instant contact shocked me—his body temperature was burning hot, his muscles trembling involuntarily.
"Do you have a fever?" I asked worriedly.
"It's not a fever..." Kael's voice became hoarse. "It's something else."
The distant wolf howls sounded again, this time clearer, more... organized.
Kael's trembling intensified.
The next morning, I stared at Kael's nearly completely healed wounds, too shocked for words.
"This is impossible..."
"What's impossible?" Kael asked nervously.
"Your healing ability is abnormal," I said.
Kael hastily explained: "My family... genetics are rather special. We've always had strong recovery abilities."
But I noticed an even more bizarre detail—though the silver arrow wound had healed, the surrounding skin still showed signs of slight infection.
I retrieved a small silver tweezer from the medical kit to clean the remaining infection.
Kael immediately backed away, fear flashing in his eyes: "Don't use that!"
"It's just ordinary medical equipment..." I held up the tweezers confusedly.
"I'm allergic to silver!" Kael said urgently. "Severely allergic!"
I put down the tweezers, my suspicions reaching their peak.
"What exactly are you?" I questioned directly.
Kael was silent for a long time before saying: "Some things—knowing too much won't do you any good."
That afternoon, I patrolled the forest alone, my mind repeatedly turning over Kael's abnormalities.
Superhuman healing abilities, silver aversion, nighttime restlessness, sensitivity to wolf howls... and that inexplicable intense attraction between us.
But why did I so desperately want to believe him?
When I returned to the cabin, I found Kael studying a map with various marking symbols scattered across the table.
"What's this?" I approached to look.
Kael quickly gathered up the map, saying frantically: "Just... confirming the route home."
The moment our eyes met, I was certain he was hiding something crucial. But seeing the pain and struggle in his eyes, I made a decision.
"Whatever you are, whatever you're hiding," I looked at him seriously, "I'm willing to believe you won't hurt me."
Gratitude flashed in Kael's eyes, immediately replaced by deeper pain.
"You shouldn't trust me..." he said quietly. "I don't even trust myself."