THE WILD BETWEEN US

Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17 — THE SHADOWS CLOSE IN

KAEL — POV

The forest waits.

Every rustle, every snapping twig is a question, and every shadow hides an answer I don’t want Selene to see. I can feel it in the air—the predator that watches from the darkness, its hunger thick and heavy. My claws itch, my senses sharpen, and every muscle beneath my skin is taut.

She’s out there. Alive. Safe… for now.

But I can’t let anyone near her. Not Mira, not Dalton, not whatever monsters crawl beneath Graypine.

The wolf inside me growls low, vibrating through my bones.

Territorial.

Protective.

Jealous.

And yes—jealous.

I catch the faint scent of them before I see them: Mira clutching Selene’s arm, Dalton scanning the treeline like he owns it. Their fear is sharp, like metal cutting skin. But it’s nothing compared to the heat that burns through me when Dalton’s hand touches her shoulder.

It should be a simple warning.

It should be contained.

But the forest senses it too. The air tightens. Shadows thicken. Something moves—fast, silent, hungry—and I realize that it wasn’t the humans who woke the danger. I did.

I step closer, emerging from the darkness, my presence a ripple of power through the clearing. They don’t see me at first, but I don’t care.

My voice is low, calm, controlled—but the growl underneath is unmistakable.

“You should leave.”

Mira freezes. Dalton stiffens. Selene’s eyes widen, heart hammering, but there’s no fear of me there. Only… something else.

I watch them, calculating, aware that this is more than a warning.

The forest shifts. The predator prowls closer.

And my claws flex, impatient.

I will not let it touch her.

No one will.

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SELENE — POV

I don’t understand why my heart beats so fast.

It isn’t just Dalton and Mira. It isn’t just the cold night pressing against my skin. It’s him.

Kael.

The way he steps out of the shadows—it’s like the darkness itself obeys him. Tall, broad, terrifyingly alive. His eyes are amber, glowing faintly in the moonlight, focused entirely on us.

“Kael…” My voice is barely a whisper, half warning, half plea.

He doesn’t answer at first. He just watches, the wolf beneath the surface coiled and ready. His presence is so strong it feels like it could tear the air apart.

Mira gasps. “Selene, what… who is he?”

Dalton steps forward, gun raised, but he doesn’t look at me. He looks at Kael like he’s insane. “Step away from her. Now.”

Kael’s growl rumbles through the clearing, a low vibration that makes every hair on my arms rise. His shoulders flex. His stance says I own this forest, I own this moment, I own her.

And for reasons I can’t explain, I want him to.

The predator in the trees moves again—a shadow larger than anything I’ve ever seen. The hairs on my neck stand. I feel my stomach drop. It’s watching. Waiting.

Kael doesn’t hesitate. He moves like lightning, stepping between us and the shadow, his body shifting, muscles rippling beneath dark fur. His eyes lock on mine for the briefest moment, a silent promise: I won’t let it touch you.

The forest explodes into motion. Leaves and branches whip through the air. Something snarls—a deep, guttural sound that shakes the ground.

I stumble back, frozen. Dalton yells, Mira screams. But Kael… Kael is everywhere. He’s fast, fluid, wild, and controlled all at once. His claws tear the earth. His teeth flash in the moonlight.

The shadow lunges.

Kael meets it midair, and the forest trembles.

I want to look away. I want to run. But I can’t. My eyes are glued to him, to the way he moves, the way he fights, the way he protects.

When the last growl fades, the shadow retreats—vanishing into the trees like smoke.

Kael stands there, towering, magnificent, every inch of him dangerous and perfect and impossibly alive. He turns to me, breathing hard. His amber eyes soften—just for a second.

“You’re alive,” he murmurs, voice rough, raw, almost human.

“I… I am,” I breathe, heart still racing.

He steps closer, closer than anyone should be allowed. Every instinct in me screams danger. Every desire in me says stay.

His hand brushes my cheek—a touch so gentle it could shatter glass. “I told you,” he growls, low and dangerous. “You don’t belong out here alone.”

I meet his gaze, and in that moment, the forest, the danger, the humans… none of it matters.

All that matters is him.

And for the first time, I realize just how deeply the wild has claimed us both.