Moonlit Captive

Ava’s pov. “One more drink, let me have one more to get my head out of this mess” I muttered, raising my hand to signal the bartender. The dim light of the Howling moon casts long shadows across the wooden floor. My mind was a storm of anger and disappointment after years of dedication, yet my research partner had stolen my work, leaving all the credit to himself. I needed an escape, possibly a fresh start at Blackridge which seems to be the perfect place for me. “You look so stressed or did you have a rough night?” a deep voice asked beside me. I turned and met the most intense ember eyes I had ever seen. The man was tall with broad shoulders carrying an air of danger around him. I kept mute observing him. But he smirked slightly as if he could see through my thoughts. “It's something similar to that,” I replied, sipping my whiskey. “What about you?”. “Don't think so, I’m just passing through” He leaned against the bar, studying me. “You look different like you don't belong here.” I chuckled. “Neither do you”. The corner of his lips lifted, amused. “Looking at you I believe we have the same thing in common.” I noticed how the other patrons kept their distance from him, sneaking glances as if they were afraid I could feel the air between us growing heavily with something unspoken. But as we talked, There was something about him that felt different–almost looking unnatural. “So what brought you here to Blackridge?”. He asked. “Nothing but work, just have to carry some research over here,” I swirled my drink. “I’m a wildlife biologist studying predator behavior”. His eyes darkened for a split second before leaning slightly. “You study predator behavior, huh? That sounds dangerous”. “I’m not scared of danger; predator behavior has been part of me, although it can be deadly,” I admitted. “But something is fascinating about understanding them”. “Then you should be careful about what you're trying to understand,” he murmured, his voice low and mysterious. My skin tingles. There was something about Ryder Flynn–it was something magnetic and terrifying at the same time. “You still haven't told me your name,” I pointed out. “Sorry about that, it escapes my mind. I’m Ryder. “ He said, holding out a hand. I shook it, his hands lingering longer than necessary. His skin was always too warm. We spent the next few hours talking about the wilderness, about life and betrayal. I found myself drawn in a way I couldn't explain. I couldn't even control myself; it was as if he saw something in me that no one else did. Could it be that I was influenced by alcohol? Or maybe it was the way he looked at me that made me lose my mind. “Come with me. I need to show you something,” he suddenly whispered in his voice, sending a shiver down my spine. I hesitated but nodded. We left the train, walking under the moonlit sky with a secluded quiet step. His cabin becomes deep in the woods. He shut the door behind me, pulling me close with his lips crashing against mine. The kiss was fire, consuming, and desperate. I didn't stop him. I didn't want to. The night was a blur of passion and heat. But as we lay there afterward, his back slightly turned, and then I noticed something strange. I saw long deep scars that seemed to shift under the dim light. I reached out to touch them as curiosity got the best of me. His hands clamped around my wrist with inhuman speed before I could touch him. I was overwhelmed by his almost painful grip. “What are you trying to do?”. I let out a pretense smile. “Just want to see the scars on your back”. “My scars?” He stepped closer, his eyes locked on mine. “Is a painful memory. It hurts when someone asks a question about it.” “Can I have a look?”. “Don't even try it,” he warned, his voice deeper, almost growling. “Ryder…..what—Are you hiding something from me?” A chill ran down my spine. An eerie bone-chilling howl split through the night, intruding on our conversation loud and close. His eyes flashed gold. “They have found me. This could be dangerous, you have to leave now”. My heart pounded heavily as I scanned around. “What are you talking about Ryder? Who found you?” Another howl struck through the air. This time it was louder and closer. He turned to me, his expression torn between fear and something else—it was something primal. “Ava,” he said, his voice loud and urgent. “You won't understand. You may put your life at risk. You have to go”. “What risk? Who's after you? Make me understand because I don't know what you're talking about,” I curiously asked, looking confused. “I believe you may not like to see what might happen next. The earlier you leave, the better you're safe,” he said. I could hear the sound of footsteps approaching from outside the cabin. It was heavy and deliberate. This made my body freeze as I kept looking in that direction. I couldn't react, there was no time for that. The door slammed open with a loud bang, changing everything. I gasped and jumped to my feet, grabbing the blanket to cover myself. A man stood in the doorway, his eyes glowing red, his body large and wild looking he had just stepped out of a nightmare. “Ryder,” The man growled. “You broke the code and you know the consequences of that” Ryder stepped in front of me. He was calm but tense. “She's a stranger. She doesn't know anything”. “She isn't a stranger but a human. She's not supposed to be here”. He snapped. My heart thudded. “What code are you talking about? If I'm a human then what are you?”. Ryder didn't answer me. Instead, he looked at the stranger. “Give me one night I'll fix this”. “One night shouldn't be more than a night I'm watching,” the man said, then disappeared into the trees like a shadow. I stared at Ryder. “What do you want to fix? Who are you? And what aren't you telling me?”