The Wolf's Secret

The rain had finally stopped by the time Aria Hayes reached the outskirts of Black Hollow. The town was even smaller than the map suggested-a single main road lined with weathered shops, a gas station, and a diner whose flickering neon sign promised Hot Coffee and Warm Pie. It wasn't much, but that was exactly what she wanted. A quiet town where nobody knew her name. A place to disappear.

The old truck she'd bought for cash sputtered as she turned onto the gravel road leading to her rental cabin. Just a few more miles and she could unpack, lock the door, and breathe for the first time in months.

She didn't make it that far.

The engine coughed once, twice, then died completely. Aria cursed, coasting to the side of the lonely road. The surrounding forest pressed in, tall pines stretching like skeletal fingers toward the cloudy sky. The silence was unsettling-not even the chirp of crickets, just the distant rush of the wind through branches.

Aria climbed out, boots crunching on gravel as she lifted the hood. She didn't know the first thing about engines, but staring down at a tangle of metal and wires made her feel less helpless. She blew out a frustrated breath and pulled her jacket tighter around her.

That's when she heard it.

A growl-low, rough, too deep to belong to any normal animal.

Aria froze, every nerve in her body sparking with alarm. She scanned the tree line, but saw nothing. Her pulse thundered in her ears. She told herself it was just her imagination, a trick of exhaustion and fear. Until glowing silver eyes appeared between the trees.

Her breath caught.

Before she could run, the figure stepped out of the shadows. A man-tall, broad-shouldered, with dark, messy hair and an aura that screamed danger. Even from a distance, his presence was overwhelming, like the forest itself bowed to him.

He moved closer, boots silent on the gravel, gaze fixed on her with unnerving intensity. The strange glow in his eyes faded as he drew near, but it didn't make him seem any less wild.

"You shouldn't be out here." His voice was deep, rough, like it hadn't been used in years.

Aria swallowed hard, forcing her voice to work. "My truck broke down. I didn't exactly plan this little roadside adventure."

His lips quirked-not quite a smile, but not unfriendly either. "This road isn't safe after dark."

She hesitated, glancing toward the woods again. "Why? Are there bears?"

He stepped closer, close enough that she caught the faint scent of pine and rain on him, and something darker beneath it, something that made her skin tingle. His gaze softened, just barely.

"Worse," he said quietly.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The night stretched around them, thick and heavy. Something about him made every instinct scream danger-but there was something else, too. Something that told her this stranger was the only thing standing between her and whatever was still watching from the dark.

Finally, he jerked his chin toward her truck. "Come on. I'll get you where you need to go."

Aria hesitated but nodded. And as he opened the passenger door for her, one thought kept repeating in her head, chilling and thrilling all at once:

What the hell have I just walked into?