Moonbound Hearts

Close Call

The next evening couldn't come fast enough for Aidan. Victoria's words echoed in his mind all day—I'm falling for you, Aidan. Hard. The confession had both thrilled and terrified him. She was falling for him, but she was falling for a lie. Every moment they spent together was built on deception, and the weight of it was becoming unbearable.

He arrived at the creek early, pacing the small clearing like a caged animal. His wolf was agitated, sensing his internal turmoil. The promise he'd made to Victoria—that his secret wouldn't hurt her—felt like poison in his veins. How could he promise that when his very existence was dangerous to her?

"You're early tonight," Victoria's voice came from behind him, soft and amused.

He spun around to find her watching him with those beautiful green eyes, her head tilted in that curious way that made his heart skip. She was wearing jeans and a soft blue sweater that brought out her eyes, her auburn hair loose around her shoulders.

"Couldn't wait to see you," he said honestly, moving toward her.

She smiled and stepped into his arms, fitting against him perfectly. "Good, because I have something for you."

"You don't need to bring me things," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I wanted to," she said, pulling a small wrapped package from her jacket pocket. "It's nothing big. Just... I saw it and thought of you."

Aidan unwrapped the small gift to find a simple leather bracelet with a small silver charm in the shape of a crescent moon. His breath caught in his throat. The irony wasn't lost on him—she'd given him a moon, the very symbol of what he truly was.

"Do you like it?" Victoria asked, suddenly uncertain. "I know it's not much, but when I saw it at the little shop in town, it reminded me of our first night here. The way the moon looked through the trees."

"It's perfect," he said, his voice rough with emotion. He slipped it onto his wrist, the leather warm against his skin. "Thank you."

"I was worried you might think it was too soon for gifts," she said, relaxing against him. "We've only known each other a few days, but it feels like—"

"Like we've known each other forever," he finished, understanding exactly what she meant.

"Yes," she whispered. "Exactly like that."

They settled onto their log, Victoria curled against his side, her head on his shoulder. For a while, they just sat in comfortable silence, listening to the water and the night sounds of the forest. Aidan felt some of his tension ease. This was what he needed—her presence, her warmth, the peace she brought to his chaotic world.

"Tell me about your childhood," Victoria said eventually. "What were you like as a kid?"

Aidan chose his words carefully. "Wild," he said with a smile. "Always running off into the woods, driving my mother crazy. Marcus used to have to come find me when I'd been gone too long."

"You've always loved the forest, haven't you?" she observed. "I can see it in the way you move here. Like you belong."

More than you know, he thought. "It's always felt like home," he said instead.

"I was the opposite," Victoria said. "City girl through and through. I didn't even see a real forest until I was in college. But there's something about this place..." She gestured to the trees around them. "It's magical. Like anything could happen here."

If only you knew, Aidan thought again, his chest tightening.

"What about you?" he asked. "What were you like as a kid?"

"Bookish. Shy. I spent most of my time reading or drawing pictures of animals. My parents thought I'd grow out of the animal obsession, but obviously I didn't." She laughed softly. "They wanted me to be a doctor—a real doctor, they said—but I couldn't imagine anything better than helping animals."

"They must be proud of you now," Aidan said.

"Sometimes I think they are. Other times..." She shrugged. "They still don't understand why I chose to work in a small town instead of a big city practice. They think I'm wasting my potential."

"You're not," Aidan said fiercely. "What you do matters. The animals you help, the families you keep together—that's not a waste. That's a calling."

Victoria lifted her head to look at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "How do you always know exactly what to say?"

Because I love you, he thought but didn't dare say aloud. Instead, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly.

The kiss deepened, becoming more urgent, and Aidan lost himself in the taste of her, the feel of her lips against his. His wolf rumbled with satisfaction, recognizing its mate, wanting to claim her completely.

A branch snapped in the forest behind them.

Aidan's head shot up, his senses immediately on high alert. He scanned the treeline, his wolf's instincts screaming danger. Someone was out there, watching them.

"What is it?" Victoria whispered, following his gaze.

"Probably just a deer," he said, but his muscles were coiled, ready to spring into action if needed. His enhanced hearing picked up the sound of retreating footsteps, moving away from them through the underbrush.

Pack member. Had to be. No human could move that quietly through the forest, and no wild animal would have approached so close to them without him detecting it earlier.

"Should we go?" Victoria asked, suddenly nervous.

"No," Aidan said, forcing himself to relax. Showing fear would only make her more suspicious. "It's fine. Just wildlife."

But it wasn't fine. Someone from the pack had seen them together. Someone knew about Victoria now, and that meant his time was running out.

They stayed another hour, but Aidan couldn't shake his unease. Every sound in the forest had him on edge, every shadow could hide another pair of watching eyes. When Victoria finally said she needed to head home, he was almost relieved.

"Same time tomorrow?" she asked, as always.

"Always," he said, kissing her goodbye.

But as he watched her disappear into the trees, Aidan knew that tomorrow might be the last time he could make that promise. Someone in the pack knew his secret now, and it was only a matter of time before word reached Marcus.

His phone buzzed with a text message. Jake.

We need to talk. Meet me at the old oak. Now.

Aidan's blood ran cold. Jake's usual easy humor was nowhere to be found in that message. This was serious.

As he made his way deeper into pack territory, toward the ancient oak that had served as their childhood meeting place, Aidan felt like he was walking toward his own execution.

The reckoning he'd been dreading was finally at hand.