The call of the moon

The night air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, but beneath it, something else lingered—something dark and untamed. Elara's pulse thundered as she ran through the dense forest, her breath coming in sharp gasps. The conversation with Kieran had left her shaken, and Lucien's sudden appearance had only made things worse. 

She should have stayed at the manor, locked her door, and ignored the raging storm inside her. Instead, she found herself out here, heart pounding, legs aching, drawn by something deeper than fear or desire—an instinct she didn't understand. 

The full moon glowed overhead, casting silver light through the canopy, illuminating the narrow path ahead. Her boots kicked up fallen leaves, and every rustling shadow felt like eyes watching her. She knew better than to be out alone, especially on a night like this. 

A low growl echoed through the trees. 

Elara froze. 

It wasn't just a growl—it was a warning. 

Slowly, she turned her head. A figure stepped out of the shadows, his presence both beautiful and terrifying. Kieran. His dark eyes glowed like embers, his jaw clenched as if he were barely holding himself together. 

"You shouldn't be out here," he said, voice rough and edged with frustration. 

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. "You don't get to decide where I go, Kieran." 

His nostrils flared. "When the woods are crawling with things that would kill you without a second thought, I do." 

"Then why are you here?" she challenged. 

A flicker of something unreadable passed over his face. His silence was answer enough. 

He had followed her. 

"Go home, Elara," he ordered, his voice softer now, as if he were battling something within himself.

She knew she should. She knew standing here with him, under the glow of the moon, was dangerous. The way he looked at her, the way his body tensed, was enough proof that his control was slipping. 

But then another voice cut through the night. 

"Let her decide for herself, Alpha." 

Elara's heart nearly stopped. 

Lucien. 

He emerged from the shadows like a ghost, his silver eyes gleaming in the moonlight. He was everything Kieran wasn't—calm, unreadable, and dangerously enticing. 

Kieran stiffened beside her, his posture shifting from protective to predatory. "This isn't your business, rogue." 

Lucien smirked. "Everything about her is my business." 

Elara swallowed, her body caught between two forces stronger than she could comprehend. The air around them vibrated with tension, an invisible pull drawing all three of them together. 

"You shouldn't be here," Kieran growled, stepping forward. 

Lucien's gaze never wavered. "And yet, here I am." 

The two of them stared each other down, the weight of their rivalry pressing against her chest. She wanted to run, but she also wanted to stay, to understand why fate had tangled her with them both. 

"Enough," she finally said, stepping between them. "I don't belong to either of you." 

Lucien's gaze softened for the briefest moment, while Kieran's jaw flexed with restraint. 

"You will have to choose, Elara," Kieran said, his voice laced with something dark. "One day soon." 

A shiver ran through her, not from fear, but from the terrifying truth in his words. 

Because deep down, she knew he was right. 

And that choice would change everything.