Episode 4- Echoes in the dark
1010 Words
Elena spent the rest of the morning trying — and failing — to shake the strange encounter with Lucas Blackthorn.
She told herself it was just the isolation getting to her. The way his amber eyes had locked onto hers, the electric spark when their fingers brushed, the low rumble of his voice… it was nothing. Just hormones and the thrill of meeting a ridiculously attractive man in the middle of nowhere.
Still, her skin tingled every time she remembered how close he had stood in that cramped shed.
By afternoon, she forced herself outside with her camera. The forest around the cabin was breathtaking — towering Douglas firs draped in moss, shafts of pale sunlight cutting through the canopy, and the distant rush of a river. She lost herself in the work, framing shots of dew-covered ferns and the intricate patterns of bark. For the first time in months, her mind felt quiet.
Until the howls started again.
This time they were closer. Two distinct voices rising and falling, weaving together in a haunting duet that sent goosebumps racing across her arms. Elena lowered her camera and turned toward the sound, heart beating faster. The pull was magnetic, almost as if the wolves were calling her specifically.
She should have gone back inside like Luke warned.
Instead, she grabbed a light jacket and followed the trail that wound deeper into the woods behind the cabin. The ground was soft and fragrant with pine needles. Her boots sank slightly with every step. The air grew cooler, heavier with mist.
A twig snapped somewhere to her left.
Elena froze, camera raised instinctively. Through the viewfinder, she scanned the trees.
Nothing.
Then she felt it — the unmistakable sensation of being watched. Not in a creepy way, but in a way that made heat bloom low in her belly. Her breath quickened. She slowly lowered the camera.
“Anyone there?” she called, voice steadier than she felt.
Silence answered.
She took one more step forward — and the ground suddenly gave way beneath her foot.
With a sharp cry, Elena tumbled down a short, muddy embankment, sliding through wet leaves and moss until she landed hard on her backside at the edge of a small, hidden clearing. Her camera strap had saved the Nikon, but her palms were scraped and her jeans were filthy.
“Ow… damn it,” she muttered, pushing herself up.
A low growl rumbled from the shadows across the clearing.
Elena’s head snapped up.
There, half-hidden by ferns and dappled light, stood an enormous black wolf. Bigger than any she had ever seen in documentaries or zoos. Its fur was glossy and dark as midnight, muscles rippling beneath the coat. Amber eyes — the exact shade of Luke’s — burned into her.
She should have been terrified.
But instead of fear, a strange warmth spread through her chest. Recognition. Longing. As if some forgotten part of her had been waiting for this exact moment.
The wolf took one slow step forward, nostrils flaring as it scented the air. Its ears flicked. Another soft growl — this one almost… concerned?
Elena held perfectly still, breathing shallow. “Hey… beautiful,” she whispered. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
The wolf’s head tilted. For a heartbeat, she swore she saw something almost human in those glowing eyes — conflict, hunger, restraint.
Then, as quickly as it appeared, the wolf melted back into the trees, vanishing like smoke.
Elena let out a shaky breath and sat back on her heels. Her hands were trembling, but not from cold or fear. From want. From the insane urge to follow it deeper into the woods.
“What is wrong with me?” she whispered, pressing a hand to her racing heart.
High above, the sun was already dipping lower. Shadows lengthened between the trees. The forest, which had felt welcoming earlier, now hummed with unseen energy.
She climbed back up the embankment, wincing at the ache in her hip, and hurried toward the cabin. By the time she reached the porch, the sky had turned deep lavender.
Inside, she locked the door, lit the fireplace again, and tried to focus on editing the day’s photos. But every few minutes her eyes drifted to the window, searching the tree line.
She didn’t notice the dark figure standing just beyond the edge of the woods, watching the warm glow of her cabin windows.
Luke Blackthorn clenched his fists at his sides, claws pricking his palms. He had shifted back the moment he realized she was following the howls. The sight of her falling, the scent of her blood from the scrapes on her hands — it had taken every ounce of willpower not to rush to her, scoop her up, and carry her somewhere safe.
His wolf was furious with him for retreating.
She is ours. Protect. Claim.
Luke growled under his breath and forced himself to turn away.
He couldn’t do this. Not with the full moon approaching. Not when the pack elders were already whispering about his distraction. Selene had sent him a message earlier — a not-so-subtle reminder that their mating ceremony was only weeks away.
But the bond was growing stronger every hour. Every breath he took carried Elena’s scent now, imprinted on him like a brand.
He pulled out his phone and typed a quick text to Maya:
Keep an eye on the Voss cabin tonight. Make sure she stays inside after dark.
Maya’s reply came almost instantly:
You’re playing a dangerous game, brother. How long do you think you can fight this?
Luke didn’t answer.
He melted back into the trees, shifting once more. The black wolf raced through the forest, trying to outrun the pull that was quickly becoming impossible to deny.
Inside the cabin, Elena stood at the window, staring into the darkness. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt… safe. Watched over. Desired.
And for the first time since arriving in Silverpine, she wasn’t sure she wanted to run from that feeling anymore.
- Writer
