Chapter 3
I found myself deeper in the forest than ever before, following tracks that sent a shiver of unease down my spine.
"Damn it, Magnus warned me never to enter this area," I muttered under my breath, but curiosity drove me forward like a drug.
The ancient fir grove was shrouded in mist, ghostly tendrils wrapping around towering trees that had stood for centuries. These tracks were massive—claw marks carved deep into the wet earth, far too large for any animal I knew.
I crouched down for a closer look, ice flooding my veins. "These claw marks... they're bigger than any bear I've ever seen."
The trail led deeper into the forbidden zone. Every instinct screamed at me to turn back, but something primal inside urged me to follow.
By the time I realized how far I'd gone, dusk had painted the forest in ominous shadows, and I was hopelessly lost.
Panic set in as I tried to retrace my steps. My foot caught on something hidden beneath fallen leaves—and suddenly the ground gave way.
"Ah!"
I plummeted into a natural pit, my ankle exploding in agony as I hit the rocky bottom. Scrambling to my feet, I stared up at smooth stone walls.
"Kael! Can anyone hear me?" My desperate cries echoed mockingly in the empty wilderness.
I huddled at the bottom of the pit, my throbbing ankle making it impossible to stand.
Heavy footsteps thundered overhead.
My breath caught as I looked up to see a massive North American black bear silhouetted against the sky. The scent of blood—my blood—had drawn this predator like a dinner bell.
The bear rumbled low in its throat, eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. It began testing the pit's edge with one enormous paw, then another.
"No... don't come down... please..." I whispered, fumbling for the small knife at my waist.
My bow had been lost in the fall—not that it would have mattered against three hundred pounds of killing machine.
The bear sensed my terror and began its careful descent into the pit.
I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing for the end, my final thoughts turning to the one person who'd made me feel truly alive:
"Kael... if you can hear me... I'm sorry I never told you... how I felt about you..."
Moonlight suddenly blazed brighter, as if some powerful force had swept the clouds away.
A massive silver-gray shadow leaped from the pit's rim, landing with deadly grace between me and certain death.
It was a wolf—but no ordinary wolf. This creature was impossibly huge, its shoulders reaching my chest height, silver-gray fur rippling like liquid mercury in the moonlight.
But it was the eyes that stopped my heart. Ice-blue and blazing with unmistakable intelligence.
"This can't be possible... this can't be..."
The giant wolf and bear clashed in a battle that belonged in legends. The wolf moved like lightning, fangs and claws flashing silver death.
Despite its size, the bear looked clumsy and slow against this supernatural predator.
Within minutes, the bear fled with a wounded shoulder and plaintive wails, leaving only the wolf and me in the moonlit pit.
When the magnificent creature turned to face me, the gentleness in those familiar eyes nearly stopped my heart.
"Kael?" I whispered. "Is that you? Your eyes... they're still so gentle."
The wolf studied me for several heartbeats, then began the most incredible transformation I'd ever witnessed.
Bones cracked and reformed with sounds that echoed off the stone walls. Silver fur receded as limbs stretched and spine straightened.
Then, Kael's human form stood before me—naked, perfect, and still glowing with that otherworldly blue light.
"Astra!" He rushed to me, crushing me against his chest. "You're safe... thank God you're safe."
His body radiated heat, and I felt something powerful stirring deep inside me—a connection I'd never experienced before.
Suddenly, pain lanced through every nerve. I gasped as some dormant force awakened in my bloodstream, setting my veins on fire.
"I can feel something..." I touched my face in confusion.
Kael staggered backward, eyes wide with shock. "Your eyes... they're glowing."
I caught my reflection in a puddle and nearly screamed. Golden light blazed from my eyes like twin flames—just like a wild animal's.
"You have werewolf blood too?" His voice cracked with disbelief. "How is that possible?"
Kael lifted me effortlessly, bounding from the pit in a few graceful leaps.
He set me gently on a flat boulder, his gaze intense and searching.
"I owe you the truth." His voice was rough with emotion. "I'm an Alpha—a werewolf pack leader. I've been lying to you from the beginning."
I reached up to cup his face, feeling the power thrumming beneath his skin. "That explains everything... this pull between us, this connection I couldn't understand."
"It's called a mate bond." He captured my hand, pressing it against his cheek. "You're my mate, my soul partner. I knew it the moment I saw you."
His eyes darkened with complex emotions. "But my world is dangerous, Astra. I have enemies, wars I can't avoid."
"I don't care." The words came out fierce and certain. "Whatever the danger, I want to be with you."
He leaned closer, our foreheads touching. The magnetic pull between us was so strong I felt like I might dissolve. Just as our lips were about to meet, he pulled back.
"The timing isn't right." Pain etched his features. "You need time to understand this world, to understand yourself."
During our walk back, I clung to Kael's broad back, absorbing his strength and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
"So I've always had werewolf blood?" I asked, fascination overriding fear. "Why awaken now?"
"It usually requires intense emotional stimulus," he explained. "Or... meeting your true mate. Your bloodline probably comes from your mother's side. Many half-bloods never awaken at all."
I pressed my cheek against his shoulder. "I can hear so much more now, smell things I never noticed. It's incredible."
"You're adapting to your new self." His voice was tender. "I'll teach you to control these abilities."
"When do you have to leave?" The question tore at my heart. "How much time do we have?"
His stride faltered slightly. "They've tracked me to this region... I have two days at most."
Distant howls echoed from the mountains, urgent and insistent, like a summons I couldn't ignore.