A Man in the Woods

I ran through the woods, the cool evening air brushing against my skin as I raced between the towering trees. The crisp air provided the comfort and relief I had sought for the past few days. I continued racing, trying to clear my head, and didn't realize when I crossed the border of our pack.

Feeling exhausted, I found a clean stream. In my four-legged form, I strolled over, bent down, and began quenching my thirst. I was still drinking when I suddenly sensed a presence. It felt as if someone was watching me. My ears perked up, and my body tensed. A low growl rumbled in my throat as I spun around, my sharp eyes scanning the woods. Someone was here. My instincts screamed at me to be on guard.

I howled in warning, ready to attack if necessary. The underbrush rustled, and within seconds, a large black wolf emerged from the trees. My fur bristled as I assessed him—he was strong, his stance confident, but there was something oddly unsettling about him.

Then, right before my eyes, the wolf began to shift. Bones cracked and reshaped, fur receding to reveal smooth skin, and within moments, he stood before me in his human form, naked.

My frown deepened when I noticed it was a man. He had a good physique, probably in his early thirties, with black jet hair, brown eyes, and a faint scar running down the left side of his jaw. My wolf let out a low growl, ready to pounce, but the man simply lifted his hands in surrender, as if he had no intention of fighting.

“I mean no harm,” he said suddenly.

I furrowed my brow and studied him for a moment, then realized he had the tattoo of the Shadow Pack on his left arm. That was when I realized this man was from the Shadow Pack. But how did he get here? I looked around, and that’s when I realized I had crossed the border of our pack and was now in Shadow Pack territory.

Shit! How long have I been running?

Suddenly, the sound of pounding paws against the earth filled my ears, and then the scent of Louis filled the air. Without being told, I knew it was Louis coming in his wolf form.

The naked stranger, realizing Louis was coming, smirked at me. “It seems you have company. I will see you some other time, Luna Olivia.”

Without another word, he shifted back into his wolf form, his sleek black fur blending into the darkness as he sprinted away.

Where I stood in my wolf form, I stared at him, watching him run farther until he was out of sight. I was confused, wondering how he knew me, but I didn’t have time to dwell on that because Louis appeared out of the trees in his gigantic, wine-colored wolf form.

Louis skidded to a stop in front of me, his massive, wine-colored wolf towering over me. His eyes burned with anger and concern as he sniffed the air, his ears twitching.

“Olivia!” he growled, his deep voice laced with frustration as he shifted seamlessly into his human form. Just like the stranger, Louis didn’t seem to care about his nakedness, his focus entirely on me. “What the hell were you thinking, racing past our border?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to. My mind was still replaying the moment with the strange wolf—the way he knew my name, the way he smirked like he had some sort of plan.

Louis took another deep breath, his expression darkening. “Someone was here,” he muttered, his eyes narrowing as they swept the area. “Who was it?”

Again, I said nothing. Instead, I turned sharply and sprinted back toward our pack, my paws digging into the earth as I pushed forward. I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to explain myself.

“Olivia!” Louis barked behind me, his voice full of authority, but I ignored him. I just needed to get away, to clear my mind.

I could hear Louis cursing before shifting back into his wolf form and chasing after me. I knew he wouldn’t let this go, but for now, I didn’t care.

I continued racing down the woods until I got to where my clothes were. Slowing down, I shifted back into my human form, the cool evening air brushing against my bare skin. My breaths came in short gasps as I reached for my clothes, quickly slipping on my shirt and leggings.

A sharp rustle in the underbrush made me tense. I didn’t have to turn around to know Louis was here. His presence was unmistakable, his scent thick in the air. I straightened just as he emerged from the shadows, his brown eyes blazing with barely contained anger.

“You’re not going to ignore me this time,” he said, his voice dangerously low. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, his chest rising and falling with deep, frustrated breaths.

I turned to face him, meeting his intense gaze with a steady one of my own. “I don’t feel like talking, Louis,” I muttered, pulling my hair into a messy ponytail.

Louis scoffed, stepping closer until there was barely any space between us. “That’s not your choice, Olivia. You crossed the border into Shadow Pack territory. Do you have any idea how reckless that was?”

I exhaled sharply and folded my arms. “You should be happy about it… at least if I’m dead, you’ll get to be with Anita—the woman you love—instead of being in a marriage with me,” I spat.

In the blink of an eye, I was pinned against a tree, his hand wrapped around my throat. Not tight enough to choke me, but enough to hold me in place.

“You really wish to die, don’t you?” he growled angrily, as if the thought of me being dead was traumatizing him.

I swallowed hard, my hands gripping his wrist, but I didn’t push him away. Instead, I met his gaze, refusing to back down. “What does it matter to you, Alpha Louis?” I whispered, my voice laced with defiance. “Wouldn’t it be good news to you and your brothers if I were gone?” I spat. Louis’s frown deepened, and his hand around my neck tightened further.

“You have no right to die, you bitch,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “You don’t get to decide that—not unless my brothers and I say so.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine, not out of fear, but something far more unsettling. I could feel the raw possessiveness in his touch, the way his fingers pressed against my skin—firm but not crushing. He was furious at the thought of me dying.

A bitter laugh escaped me. “Why does it matter, Louis?” I whispered, staring up at him, challenging him. “You don’t want me. You never did. If I were dead, you wouldn’t have to deal with me anymore. You and your brothers could finally be free of the mate bond. Isn’t that what you want?”

Louis flinched, his eyes flashing with something dark and conflicted.

I leaned in, my breath warm against his face. “I should just let the Shadow Pack take me,” I murmured, my voice dripping with provocation. “Maybe they’ll finally put an end to this joke of a marriage. Maybe they’ll—”

“Stop.” His voice was strained, as if he were holding himself back.

But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

“Maybe I should have let that man in the woods take me,” I continued, pushing him, testing him. “Maybe—”

Louis let out a snarl, his control snapping like a thread stretched too thin. In an instant, his grip on my throat tightened just enough to make my breath hitch, and before I could say another word—

His lips crashed against mine.