Blood & Moonlight: The Silverveil heir

EPISODE 13: SHADOWS

Nyra POV

The night air was sharp, filled with the scent of damp earth and pine. The pack had settled for the evening, Rowan and Mara keeping watch over the clearing while most of the wolves slept or patrolled nearby. I lingered at the edge of the camp, wolf humming beneath my skin, muscles tense, senses alert.

It was supposed to be quiet. Safe. Predictable.

Then I felt it. A presence—slight, cautious, familiar. Not Rowan’s. Not Mara’s. Someone else. My heart thudded in my chest. Wolf instincts screamed recognition before my mind even caught up.

Liam.

He stepped from the shadows like a ghost, movements controlled, deliberate. His eyes met mine, soft but conflicted, guilt and longing battling in their depths. My wolf growled low, a warning that this was not welcome—or at least, that it could be dangerous.

“Nyra,” he breathed, voice low, almost reverent. “I didn’t… I couldn’t wait.”

I stiffened, body coiling, instincts sharp. “Liam… you shouldn’t be here,” I whispered, though part of me—wolf and heart alike—throbbed at the sight of him. “Rowan… the pack…”

“I know,” he said quickly, stepping closer. “I just… I had to see you. I needed to know you were… safe.”

My wolf surged beneath my skin, anger and desire mixing in dangerous ways. I wanted to push him away, to bite, to growl—to protect myself and my pack. But I also wanted… something else. Something dangerous.

We stood there, silent, only the faint rustle of the forest surrounding us. I could feel him, feel the tension, the pull between us, the unresolved history and loyalty and betrayal all tangled together.

“Liam,” I said finally, low, controlled. “This is reckless. You know it. If Rowan sees you—”

“I don’t care,” he interrupted, eyes searching for mine, my wolf coiled beneath him like mine. “I don’t care about anything but you right now. I shouldn’t have chosen Grayridge over you, but I did. And… I can’t take it back. But I had to know you were… okay.”

I took a step back, heart hammering, wolf trembling with conflict. The forest felt alive, vibrating with our tension, with the danger of the pack nearby, with the threat of Grayridge and humans alike.

“You can’t be here,” I said, trying to sound firm, trying to push down the surge of emotion that clawed at me. “Not here, not now. Rowan—he…”

“I know,” Liam said, his voice softening. “I’m not here to fight. Not to cause trouble. I just… wanted to see you. To make sure you’re okay. You… you didn’t deserve what I did.”

The words struck me in ways I couldn’t deny. Betrayal, guilt, longing—it all mixed into a pulse of emotion that made my wolf surge. I wanted to scream, to scold, to strike—but also… to forgive, or at least understand, even a little.

I exhaled, my wolf shifting, aware, tense. “You’re risking everything just for me,” I said, voice low. “This is dangerous. For you. For me. For the pack.”

He stepped closer, cautious, careful. “I don’t care,” he said again. “I just… needed to see you.”

I wanted to reach out. I wanted to lean into him. I wanted… so many things I couldn’t say aloud. But the sound of movement behind us, the faint rustle of the pack stirring, snapped me back to reality.

“Go,” I said sharply, my wolf bristling, instincts screaming. “Before someone sees you. Before—”

He hesitated, eyes dark with conflict. “I… okay. I’ll go.” His wolf shifted beneath him, coiled, tense, but obedient. And then, almost as quietly as he had arrived, he slipped back into the shadows, leaving only the faint scent of him lingering in the air.

I stayed where I was, heart hammering, wolf still coiled, senses alive. My emotions swirled like a storm—relief that he was unharmed, frustration at his recklessness, anger at my own conflicting feelings, and a spark of something dangerous and undeniable.

Rowan’s voice broke the moment, calm but precise. “Nyra.”

I spun, eyes narrowing, wolf bristling—but it was just him, standing at the edge of the clearing, awareness sharp, gaze steady. “Everything okay?” he asked, wolf humming beneath him, muscles tense, instincts alert.

I forced a calmness into my voice. “Yes,” I said, turning slightly to hide the lingering scent of Liam. “Everything’s fine.”

He studied me, eyes lingering, wolf alert. “If anything isn’t fine,” he said softly, “you come to me first. Always.”

I nodded, aware of the truth in his words, aware of the tension that had just passed. Wolf and heart both pulsed with energy I could barely control.

After he left to patrol, I remained at the clearing’s edge, wolf coiling, senses alert. Liam’s visit had reminded me of the past, of betrayal, of danger, but also… of trust, longing, and unfinished business. The forest felt alive, charged with tension, danger, and possibility.