Chapter Two: The Call of the Wolf
776 Words
The night deepened, wrapping the hunter’s cabin in a thick blanket of silence. A lone candle flickered on the wooden table, casting dim light across the room. Elise sat on a stool beside the bed, her hands folded in her lap, her eyes never leaving the stranger’s face.
She should have gone back to the village. Mirella would be worried. But something inside her wouldn’t let her leave.
The mark on her hand still throbbed. Every time she looked at it, unease slithered through her chest. What had happened when she touched him? What was this connection between them?
Her gaze drifted to him. He was beautiful, even in his battered state. Strong jawline, sharp cheekbones, and dark lashes that contrasted against his pale skin. His muscular chest rose and fell in uneven breaths, the fever still raging through him.
Elise hesitated, then dipped the cloth in the cool water again and pressed it to his forehead.
The moment the cloth touched his skin—
His hand shot up, fingers wrapping around her wrist in an iron grip.
Elise gasped, her pulse skittering.
Golden eyes snapped open, burning with intensity and confusion. His breathing was harsh, his body tense beneath her touch. He looked at her, then down at the mark on her hand—the same mark that glowed faintly on his own.
A storm passed through his gaze.
Then, his voice came, low and dangerous.
“Who are you?”
Elise swallowed hard. “My name is Elise. I found you in the woods. You were injured.”
His fingers tightened on her wrist for a fraction of a second before he let go.
Elise rubbed at her skin, feeling the lingering heat of his touch. “You had deep wounds. I—” She hesitated. “I don’t understand how you’re even awake. They should have killed you.”
The man sat up slowly, wincing. Elise reached out instinctively, but his glare stopped her.
“I don’t need your help.” His voice was cold, edged with arrogance.
Elise’s brows knitted together. “You were barely breathing hours ago.”
His golden eyes locked onto hers. “And yet, I live.”
Elise stared at him, frustration bubbling beneath her worry. “Well, I’m sorry for saving your life,” she muttered.
He ignored her, glancing down at his wounds. The deep claw marks were gone—healed, as if they had never been there. Only faint scars remained.
Elise’s breath caught. “That’s… impossible.”
The man scoffed. “To you, maybe.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed, testing his strength.
“Wait—” Elise stepped forward. “You’re still weak. You should rest.”
He gave her a look of pure dismissal. “I don’t take orders from humans.”
Elise blinked. “Humans?”
The moment the word left her lips, a chill spread through her. The eerie way his wounds had vanished, the unnatural golden eyes, the deep animalistic growl she had heard in the woods—
No.
She took a step back. “What… what are you?”
The stranger didn’t answer. He simply stood, towering over her, his presence powerful, dominating.
Then, as if to answer her silent question—
A deep howl echoed in the distance.
Elise’s blood ran cold.
The man’s jaw tensed, his gaze shifting toward the darkened window. The sound was distant, but not far enough.
“There are more of you,” Elise whispered, realization dawning.
The man’s expression was unreadable. “Not mine.”
Elise’s heartbeat pounded. If they weren’t his, then—
The enemy.
She looked at him. He wasn’t just any wounded traveler. He was someone important, someone being hunted.
“Who are they?” she asked.
His golden eyes flickered. “Dangerous.”
A chill wrapped around her spine.
Elise took a breath, steadying herself. “You can’t go out there. You’re still recovering.”
The man’s expression hardened. “I don’t have a choice.”
Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten. He was running from something. From someone.
He turned toward the door, but Elise stepped in front of him. “At least tell me your name.”
For the first time, hesitation flickered across his face. Then, after a moment, he exhaled.
“Damian.”
Elise didn’t know why, but the name sent a strange shiver through her soul.
Damian.
The golden-eyed stranger with the mark that matched hers. The man who healed too quickly. The man who was not human.
And the man whose arrival in her life meant everything was about to change.
- Writer
