###Chapter One : The Howl In The Dark

The night was too quiet.

I knew I shouldn't be out here. All my bones said, turn back, run home, lock the doors. But something drove me on. An aura I felt in every cell of my body, like someone saying my name on the wind.

The woods were thick, the branches looming over me like black hands waiting for the moment to engulf me whole. The only sound breaking through that silence was the crunch of my boots on winter-dead leaves.

Then I heard it.

A low, rumbling growl.

[My heart thumped behind my rib cage. "Trembling" is a bit too dramatic, but it was trembling in my grip, that's how you describe it when you're holding it in panic. Two blazing golden eyes stared back at me in the dark.

A wolf. A huge one.

I gasped, stumbling back. No—this wasn't just a wolf. It was standing on two legs. Its torso was vast, rippling with strength, caught between man and beast.

It took a step forward.

I turned to run.

Too late.

The creature scurried, faster than ought to have been possible. Then it was suddenly right there, in my way out. I halted short, my chest gasping. My mechanized brain shouted at me to fight, to act. But I wasn't strong. I wasn't a fighter.

Still, I clenched my fists. "Stay back!" I managed to say the words, but my voice shook.

To my shock, the beast balked. Its golden eyes fixed on me. A glimmer of something human flitted across its face something almost… familiar?

Before I could process that, a second growl ripped through the trees.

I hardly had time to process that when another wolf larger, black as night launched itself on top of the first. They collided with the force that rattled the earth, a blur of fur and claws.

I scuttled back, bracing myself against a tree. I was breathing hard watching their fight. The golden-eyed one fought for all he was worth, but the black wolf was stronger by far. It slammed him down and snapped its massive jaws a hair's breadth from his throat.

I don't know why, but I acted before I could think.

I grabbed a nearby thick branch off the ground and ran, swinging at full force. The black wolf didn't notice until it struck its side with a muffled thump. Not in pain, but distract enough.

Its eyes, blood red, snapped to me.

Oh no.

The wolf snarled menacingly and stepped toward me. My hands shook so badly I almost dropped the branch.

Then, a blur of movement. The golden-eyed brute pounced on the black wolf, slamming it to the ground.

"Run!" a voice growled deep, human.

I froze. I looked at the golden-eyed creature. Its form flickered between beast and man, as if it couldn't decide what to be.

"You " The words choked in my throat.

Another growl then a yelp. The black wolf turned, rage in its eyes, and disappeared into the night.

It was silent for a second.

Then the golden-eyed creature dropped to his knees, gasping for air.

I hesitated, every instinct telling me to get out. But I couldn't move. I couldn't stop staring at the man kneeling before me, his body trembling as his fur fell away from his skin.

A man.

Not just any man.

High cheekbones, tall and broad-shouldered, sharp features, wild, uncombed dark hair. His yellow, glowing eyes lingered on mine.

I swallowed hard. "You're... you're not human."

A faint smile crept at the corner of his lip. "Neither are you."

My stomach twisted. "What?"

He huffed while running a hand through his hair. "It's complicated."

I folded my arms. "Try me."

He looked up at me, scrutinizing my face for a moment. Then he sighed and shook his head. "I don't have time to get into the detail that I want to."

"Why not?" I challenged myself.

His jaw tightened. "Because if that comes back, I'm not going to stand in the way of it a second time."

I hesitated. The fear I'd felt before still lurked beneath, but now something else burned beneath it. Curiosity. An inexplicable, powerful longing for this man, this being, I couldn't fathom.

Finally, I nodded. "Fine. But I am not going anywhere until you give me some answers."

His smirk returned, tired but wry. "You're stubborn."

"I have no clue," I mumbled.

He got up slowly, his body still perked up, as if bracing for another assault. "Come with me," he said. "I'll explain everything."

I didn't know if I could trust him. But a little voice told me I had to.

And so I trailed behind him into the night, wordlessly.

The Dialectic of The Unknown in The Dark

I jogged after him among the trees, legs burning every time I stepped. It was cold at night, but I hardly felt it. My mind was racing too fast.

A werewolf. A real one. Right in front of me.

And I had just helped him battle another one.

I should have been terrified. Maybe I was. But mostly, I wanted answers.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my breath uneven.

The man Ronan  turned his head over his shoulder. "Somewhere safe."

I frowned. "Safe from what? That wolf?"

"That wasn't just any wolf." His voice was tense. "That was Kael. And he isn't going to stop until he gets it."

I swallowed hard. "And what does he want?"

Ronan didn't answer right away. He walked on, muscles stiff as if forcing something in, holding something back. When he did speak, his voice was low. "You."

I froze. "Me?"

He turned to me with his golden eyes locked onto mine. "You don't belong out here, Arden. But you came anyway. "When we go to places like this, something calls you here, right?

I pulled my arms around myself. I hated to admit it, but it was true. The dreams. That feeling that had called me into the woods.

"I don't know why," I replied, quietly.

For a moment, Ronan appraised me from head to toe. Then he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Nor do I. But Kael believes he does. And that makes you a target."

My stomach twisted. I had been in danger before, but this was different. This was bigger than me.

I forced my legs into motion again and ran to catch him. "Why did you save me?"

His lips pressed together. "Because I had to."

"That's not an answer."

Ronan exhaled sharply. "Because if Kael had you, things would be worse than you could imagine."

I shivered at the thought. "Why?"

He stopped in his tracks and fully faced me. "Because if Kael is correct about you … well, then, you may very well be more dangerous than any of us."

The words hit me like a glass of ice water. I shook my head. "That's insane. I'm just… me."

Ronan's jaw tightened. "Not anymore."

I swallowed, my chest tight. None of this made sense. But I wasn't stupid. I had seen the wolves fight for me.

There was something they weren't going to share with me.

Before I could pry, a wave of dizziness came over me. I started to lose my vision and my knees started shaking.

Ronan grabbed my arm before I fell. "Whoa. Easy."

I clasped his wrist, my heart racing. I don't — I don't know what's going on.

"Your body feels the poise, which you have been posing for." His voice was softer now. "It's normal. Just breathe."

I complied, breathing methodically, unevenly. That dizziness subsided, but the heat in my chest did not.

I glanced up at him, suddenly acutely aware of how close he was. His skin felt warm against the cold, and his hand was steady on my arm.

He smelled fresh for someone who'd just clawed like a wild animal. Like pine and something more malign, something that craned my neck in a way that was quite separate from vertigo.

I pulled back, cleared my throat. "I'm fine."

Ronan slid his eyes over me before nodding. "We need to keep moving."

My heart was still pounding as I followed. Not from fear.

From him.