14. The mysterious encounter

Jake paced back and forth in his penthouse, his mind racing with the cryptic message from the spirit of his ancestor. "The wolf howls not in hunger, but in mourning. When the moon bleeds, your choice will be made. One will live, one will die." The words echoed in his head, each syllable carrying a weight of dread and urgency. His mother's sacrifice had saved him once, but the curse still lingered, and now, the mysterious stranger might be the only person who could help him decipher its meaning.

It was nearing dusk, and the city below was bathed in the orange glow of sunset. Jake knew he had to find the man again—the same enigmatic figure who always appeared in times of need. The man had offered guidance before, though in riddles, and now Jake needed answers more than ever.

As the minutes passed, Jake's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen—Emily. For a moment, he considered not answering, but then he remembered the way she had looked at him last time, her eyes full of concern. She was different, no doubt. She wasn't like the other women who threw themselves at him; Emily was grounded, real. But that's what made it complicated. With every minute spent with her, he risked dragging her deeper into his cursed world.

Reluctantly, he answered. "Hey, Em."

"Jake, are you okay?" Her voice was soft but full of worry. "You've been distant lately."

Jake pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to shake off the weight of everything. He needed to keep Emily safe, but lying to her wasn't going to help either. "I've just had a lot on my mind. Don't worry about it."

"I know something's going on," she pressed. "You've been... different since that night. The way you look at the moon, the way you act. What are you hiding from me?"

Jake felt a pang of guilt. Emily deserved better than this, but he couldn't tell her everything—at least, not yet. Instead, he did what he did best: he flirted, shifting the conversation away from the truth. "Different? In a good way, I hope?" he teased, a smirk forming on his lips. "Or do you just miss me too much?"

Emily let out a frustrated sigh. "There you go again, deflecting. You can't just flirt your way out of everything, Jake."

"Hey, I can try, can't I?" he said, chuckling lightly, but he could feel her frustration. He knew she saw right through him. Before she could push further, he cut the call short, making up an excuse to meet up with a 'friend,' knowing he had more pressing matters.

---

Later, Jake made his way through the crowded city streets to the desolate spot where the mysterious man always appeared—an old, abandoned chapel near the edge of town. The place was eerie, with vines creeping up the stone walls, and the sound of rustling leaves filled the cold evening air.

As expected, the man was there, waiting in the shadows, his face obscured by a hood. His voice was low and gravelly when he spoke. "You seek answers, young wolf."

Jake approached, the weight of the cryptic message heavy on his mind. "What do those words mean? The moon, the blood, the choice? What choice?"

The man stepped forward, revealing more of his face. His eyes were dark, almost bottomless pits. "The devil waits, Jake. He wants you to fully embrace the beast within. If you accept his offer, you'll gain powers beyond your imagination—mind control, hypnosis, the ability to read thoughts. But there's a cost."

Jake's heart raced. Power like that? The temptation was undeniable, but he knew there was always a catch. "What cost?"

The man's gaze was unflinching. "If you don't break the curse before the blood moon, the person you love most will die. The pact your mother made saved you once, but it was incomplete. To finish what she started, someone must make the ultimate sacrifice."

Jake felt the weight of the words sink in. His mother had sacrificed herself to protect him and his father, but the curse still wasn't lifted. Now, the devil wanted more—and the cost could be Emily, or someone else he cared about. But who did he love most? Could it even be Emily, or was it Naina, or someone else entirely?

Before he could respond, the man turned and disappeared into the mist, leaving Jake standing alone with more questions than answers.

---

Later that evening, Jake returned to the city, his mind racing. He hit the gym with his friends to blow off some steam. Lifting weights was the only way to push back the anger and confusion gnawing at him. He loaded up a barbell with more plates than any human should be able to lift. As he effortlessly pressed the heavy weight above his chest, his friends gathered around, cheering him on, their voices hyping up the room.

"Jake, man, you're a beast!" one of his friends shouted, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How the hell do you lift that much?"

Jake smirked, letting the weight crash back onto the rack. "Just good genetics, I guess," he joked, though the truth was much darker than that.

Emily stood at the entrance to the gym, watching him from a distance. She could see something wasn't right with Jake. The way he carried himself, the raw power he possessed—it wasn't normal. But before she could approach him, another girl caught her eye.

A tall, striking woman with long legs and flowing red hair strode up to Jake, her heels clicking against the gym floor. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss, right in front of everyone—including Emily.

Jake, caught off guard, didn't immediately push her away, but when he did, it was already too late. Emily's expression hardened as she watched them. The scene struck her like a punch to the gut. Again. Another man, another betrayal.

She turned and stormed out of the gym before Jake could say anything, her mind reeling. Why do I always fall for guys like this? Her thoughts drifted to her ex, who had cheated on her time and time again. And now Jake, the one she thought was different, seemed to be no better.

But deep down, despite the hurt, she couldn't forget the moments when Jake was kind, when he wasn't hiding behind his walls. The pull he had on her was undeniable, but so was the pain. She walked away, angry with herself for caring so much.

---

Back in the gym, Jake watched Emily leave, his chest tightening. Why did I let this happen? He didn't even care about the woman who kissed him. She was just another distraction in a life full of them. But Emily—Emily was something else.

As the night wore on, and his thoughts spiraled, Jake found himself back in his penthouse, staring at the ancient box his ancestor had left behind. Tired of the secrets, the lies, and the unanswered questions, he opened the box.

A cold wind swept through the room as the spirit of his mother's ancestor appeared once again. His eyes gleamed with ancient knowledge, and his voice echoed through the space, laced with mystery.

"The wolf howls not in hunger, but in mourning. When the moon bleeds, your choice will be made. One will live, one will die," the spirit repeated, before adding something new. "Your heart will be your undoing. Love will be your salvation, or your curse."

And with that, the spirit vanished, leaving Jake alone, haunted by more than just his curse—now burdened with the knowledge that the stakes were higher than ever before.