THE GOLDEN EYES

Chapter 1

Lena's pov

“Who’s there?”

My voice cut through the night as I stood in front of my grandmother’s cabin door.

I was just about to grab the handle when a deep, low growl came from the woods–like something out there was watching me.

I went still, trying to place the sound.

The wind?

No… that didn’t sound like wind.

A chill slipped down my spine.

I tightened my grip on the door handle, forcing a shaky breath. “You’re overthinking it, Lena,” I muttered. “It’s just an animal.” I pushed the door open.

The growl came again, louder and closer than before.

Not the wind.

Not my imagination.

My hand froze on the door. Slowly, I pulled it shut. Silence followed, but it wasn’t comforting.

I dropped my bag onto the porch. My fingers trembled as I reached into my bag and pulled out my flashlight. It slipped from my fingers.

“Come on…” I whispered, catching it on the third try.

I smacked it lightly against my palm until the beam flickered to life, cutting a thin line through the darkness.

Slowly, I stepped off the porch.

The night air felt colder than it should. My shoulders tightened as I moved along the side of the cabin, sweeping the light across the trees.

Shadows stretched and twisted between the trunks, shifting with every small movement of my hand.

Every rustle made a jolt run through me.

The beam caught something, a shape perched on a branch.

Air caught in my throat.

An owl blinked back at me.

I exhaled shakily, a weak breath of relief slipping out. “Great,” I murmured. “I’m scaring myself over nothing.”

But the feeling didn’t leave.

If anything, it got worse.

Emory used to say the woods weren’t empty…

What if… this is leading me to him?

I stepped closer to the tree line, the crunch of leaves beneath my feet sounding too loud in the silence.

“What’s out there?” I whispered, squeezing my flashlight tightly.

“Who’s there?” I called again, softer this time.

No response.

I swallowed hard and forced my feet to move. One slow step. Then another. Branches scraped against my face as I pushed deeper into the trees.

The beam of my flashlight shook as I swept it across the ground.

I took another step, and something smacked straight into my face.

“Ugh!” I choked, coughing as leaves brushed across my mouth and nose. I wiped at my face quickly, My pulse spiked.

“Get it together,” I whispered under my breath, though my voice trembled.

I pushed forward again until the trees thinned out into a small clearing.

Then I saw it.

The light landed on the ground and stayed there. A massive footprint pressed deep into the soil.

I couldn't breathe for a second.

Four long claw marks stretched out from it, too wide, too deep to belong to any dog.

What kind of animal makes a print like that?

Slowly, I lifted the flashlight, following the trail.

One footprint.

Then another.

Then more.

All leading deeper into the woods.

A cold shiver crawled down my spine.

Something had been here.

Something big.

And it hadn’t been long.

The forest suddenly felt… wrong. Too quiet. Too still. Like everything around me was watching.

I licked my dry lips, my feet refusing to move even though every instinct screamed at me to go back home.

Home was right behind me.

Just a few steps.

So why couldn’t I turn back?

Then.

I heard a strange sound.

My head snapped up.

A low, uneven breath dragged through the darkness.

My grip tightened on the flashlight as I swung it toward the trees.

Only the trees stood there, silent and watching.

I took a step back.

Then another.

Leaves crunched behind me as I slowly retreated, my pulse hammering in my ears.

“Okay… okay… just go back,” I muttered. “You’ve seen enough.”

Suddenly, the bushes to my left shook violently.

I gasped, whipping the flashlight toward it.

Nothing.

Then the bushes to my right exploded with movement.

My breath hitched in my throat.

“Hello?” My voice trembled. “Is anyone there?”

Everywhere was just still.

Out of nowhere a flock of birds burst into the sky, wings beating wildly through the trees.

I flinched hard, my heart slamming against my ribs as I snapped the light toward where they’d come from.

Nothing.

Only emptiness stared back.

“This is stupid,” I whispered, more to convince myself than anything else. “Just go home.”

I turned.

One step.

A growl ripped through the darkness.

Low.

Vicious.

Right behind me.

I froze.

Slowly… painfully slowly… I turned back.

The flashlight beam shook violently in my hand as I pointed it toward the trees.

Something moved.

Heavy, uneven breaths drifted through the dark, close enough to make my skin crawl.

I stared, unable to look away.

And then it came.

Bursting out of the darkness.

Charging straight at me.

“Run!”

The word tore from my throat as instinct took over. I spun and bolted through the trees, my feet slipping on loose leaves as I pushed myself forward.

Branches cracked beneath me. Roots snagged at my shoes.

I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t.

My lungs burned as I forced myself faster, I held the flashlight so hard my knuckles ached. The beam bounced wildly, barely lighting the ground ahead.

I dared a glance back.

And saw it.

Huge.

Fast.

Moving faster than it should have been possible.

It moved between the trees like it belonged to the darkness itself.

I stumbled, catching myself just before I hit the ground, and kept running.

Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Don’t stop.

Suddenly.

The forest went dead quiet.

I slowed, my breath ragged as I looked around.

No footsteps.

No growls.

My breathing came uneven as I turned in a slow circle, sweeping the flashlight in every direction.

“Where… where did it go…?”

The words barely left my lips.

All of a sudden, it slammed into me. I hit the ground hard, air knocked from my lungs.

Pain exploded through my shoulder as claws tore into me.

“Hah!” I screamed.

My flashlight flew from my hand, spinning across the forest floor as its beam cut wildly through the trees.

I clutched my shoulder, blood spreading beneath my fingers.

I dragged myself backward, my elbows scraping against the ground as I tried to get away.

But it was already there.

A massive black beast stepped into the light.

Its golden eyes glowed in the darkness, locked onto mine.

Its mouth opened, revealing rows of long, jagged teeth, too sharp, too many.

It growled.

Low.

Hungry.

My back hit a tree.

No way to escape.

I used my hands to search blindly along the ground until my fingers closed around a thick piece of wood.

The creature lunged straight at me.

I shoved the wood forward just as its jaws snapped down.

The force of its bite sent a shock through my arms as the wood splintered between its teeth.

Hot, foul breath washed over my face.

Its eyes burned into mine.

I gritted my teeth, my arms shaking as I tried to hold it back.

It was stronger than anything I could push back.

“Hah…” I gasped, my strength slipping.

The wood began to creak.

Then.

Another growl.

Louder.

Deeper.

Furious.

I whipped my head toward the sound, dread flooding my chest.

No…

Not another one.

Before I could react, something massive crashed through the trees.

A white-and-black wolf.

It slammed into the beast, knocking it off me with brutal force. The two creatures tumbled across the ground, crashing into a fallen tree as their snarls tore through the night.