Tempting the Huntress

Chapter 7- A Stranger under the Moonlight

The headache started slowly.

At first, it was only a dull pressure behind Lilith’s eyes as she made her way back toward the compound. But with every step through the forest, it grew heavier, throbbing, pulsing with her heartbeat until the world around her seemed slightly blurred at the edges.

The smell of sulfur from the mutant wolf still clung to the back of her throat. She rubbed her temple with two fingers, exhaling slowly.

Too much had happened in the last week.

Nightmares were getting more and more real. Her father’s reappearance. Her grandfather suddenly returned to their life. The weight of it all pressed down on her skull like iron. Lilith stopped walking.

The forest was quieter here. The compound lights glowed faintly in the distance behind her, but ahead, the land sloped downward toward the lake that rested at the edge of the woods.

Moonlight shimmered across its surface like spilled silver. She changed direction without thinking. Just for a few minutes. She needed some air, some quiet, and a little alone time with her thoughts.

The lake was still when she reached there. A thin mist hovered above the water, curling softly over the glassy surface. The moon hung low and bright, reflected perfectly in the dark mirror of the lake. Lilith stepped closer to the shore. Cold wind brushed across her face, carrying the scent of wet earth and pine. It cleared her mind a little.

Her shoulder throbbed. The mutant wolf had grazed her earlier. Its claws tore through fabric and skin before she had managed to roll away. Nothing serious. Just a long cut across her upper arm.

Her body was covered with so many scars, most of which had healed. Still, the dull ache pulsed with every heartbeat.

She crouched near the water’s edge and rinsed the blood from the wound. The cold water bit sharply against her skin, forcing a small hiss from between her teeth.

Then she leaned back against a large stone near the shore. The moonlight washed over the clearing.

For the first time in weeks, the tension in her muscles began to loosen. Her eyes drifted upward toward the sky. The moon glowed brilliantly tonight.

Her eyelids felt heavier than she expected. Just a minute, she thought to herself. The cool air brushed against her face. The steady rhythm of water against the shore lulled her senses.

And without realizing it…

Lilith fell asleep.

—

Cold water hit her face.

Lilith jolted upright with a violent gasp.

Her hand moved instinctively toward the knife at her thigh…but froze when she saw the man kneeling beside her.

“What the hell!!”

“You’re alive!” he blurted, sounding almost relieved.

Lilith blinked rapidly, trying to shake the fog from her mind. Her hair clung damply to her face, droplets of water sliding down her neck.

“Why the hell are you spraying me?” she snapped.

The man held up a half-empty bottle defensively. “You were lying here completely still,” he said. “I thought you were dead.”

Lilith stared at him. “You tried to waterboard a sleeping person?”

“I sprinkled,” he corrected quickly.

“That was not sprinkling.”

He squinted at her face for a moment, clearly assessing.

“Well… good news,” he said casually. “You’re up now, good morning.”

Lilith pushed herself up from the ground, brushing damp dirt from her jacket.

“Yeah, all thanks to you.”

The man stood as well. He was tall. Annoyingly tall. Dark hair fell loosely over his forehead, and moonlight caught in eyes that were a strange shade…somewhere between amber and a bit coppery. She has never seen eyes like that before.

There was something oddly calm about the way he stood there in front of her. Completely relaxed and unbothered. Like, he didn’t think she was dangerous.

Which was a mistake most people didn’t make twice.

“You shouldn’t sleep by a lake in the middle of the forest,” he said. “This isn’t the 18th century, where you just chill by the lake in the middle of the night. There are hotels and lodges around to sleep.” He gave her a stare down. “And it clearly looks like you need one.”

Lilith folded her arms.

“You shouldn’t sneak up on strangers and throw water at them. What are you, 12?”

“Fair. Sorry for that!”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. It was infuriatingly charming. Lilith narrowed her eyes slightly.

Something about him felt… off.

Not threatening exactly. But not ordinary either.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Zane.”

She waited. “That’s it?”

“That’s my name.”

Lilith exhaled slowly.

“And why exactly are you wandering around a forest at midnight? I thought it was not the 18th century.”

He shrugged easily. “I work down at the garage near the highway,” he said. “Night shift pays better. Unfortunately, this is my walk back home.”

He nodded toward her arm suddenly. “You’re bleeding.”

Lilith glanced down. The cut across her arm had reopened when she moved earlier. A thin line of blood slid down toward her wrist.

“It’s nothing.”

“Sure,” he said lightly. “Nothing that’s actively dripping.”

Before she could protest, he crouched beside the lake and soaked a clean cloth from his pocket in the water. Lilith stiffened slightly as he reached for her arm.

“Relax,” he murmured.

She didn’t. But she didn’t pull away either. His fingers were warm against her skin as he gently cleaned the wound. His touch was careful. His fingers were soft. Too soft for someone who claimed to work in a garage.

Lilith studied his face quietly. There were faint scars across his knuckles. And something in his eyes…

“Garage work gives you medical training now?” she asked.

His lips curved faintly. “I like fixing things.”

Lilith’s gaze sharpened. “So what, is it the same as patching up one of your cars?”

He tied the cloth around her arm with quick, practiced movements. Then he looked up at her again.

For a brief moment…

Their eyes locked.

Something strange passed between them. A flicker. A pull. Lilith felt it deep in her chest before she could stop it. For a brief second, Lilith forgot what she had been about to say.

His smile faded slightly. The air between them suddenly felt heavier.

“More or less.” He stood quickly, taking a step back. “You shouldn’t fall asleep out here again.”

Lilith crossed her arms again. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

He nodded once. Then turned as if to leave.

But paused.

“Hey,” he said over his shoulder. She raised an eyebrow. “If you’re going to pass out by the lake,” he added, “maybe pick a less dramatic position. You looked like a murder victim.”

Lilith stared at him. She huffed a quiet laugh despite herself. Zane’s mouth twitched again. For a second, he looked like he might say something more. But instead, he simply gave her a small nod.

“Get home safe.”

Then he turned and disappeared into the trees.

Lilith stood there for a moment longer. The forest felt quiet again.

Her fingers brushed the cloth tied around her arm. He had wrapped it well.

Professional, almost. She frowned slightly. Then, she slowly looked toward the trees where he had vanished.

Something about him lingered in her mind.

Who was this stranger who didn’t even bother to ask her name? Lilith had a lot of attention from the fellow hunters and boys in general, but except for some flings, she hadn’t had much experience in their area. And of course, on top of that, her father’s warning and discipline had prevented her from exploring it actively.

She picked up her bag, ready to make her way back to the compound with a last lingering look at the woods where he disappeared.

And somewhere deeper in the forest…a pair of golden eyes watched her from the shadows.