Chapter 3 The Beast Within

Liam killed the engine on the edge of the forest road, the silence descending instantly like a heavy blanket. He rounded the car to open my door, his movements fluid and predatory in the dim light.

I stepped out, my breath hitching in my throat.

Ahead of us, a narrow path wound its way into the dense treeline, illuminated not by the moon, but by hundreds of tiny white lights strung through the branches. They looked like captured stars, guiding us into the belly of the woods.

"Liam?" I breathed, staring at the glowing trail. "What is this?"

"Come." He didn't explain, just extended a hand. His palm was warm, his grip firm as he interlaced our fingers.

He led me into the dark. The air here was cooler, heavy with the scent of damp earth and ancient wood. We walked until the trees broke, revealing a hidden meadow bathed in moonlight.

It was breathtaking. A sea of wild lavender rippled in the breeze, filling the air with a scent so thick it was almost intoxicating. In the center of the clearing, beside a massive, moss-covered boulder, sat a table for two. A crisp white tablecloth, a single candle flickering inside a glass hurricane, and a bottle of dark red liquid.

"This is..." I trailed off, overwhelmed. "Liam, this is insane."

"For you, Luna-bear, nothing is too much."

There it was again, that flash of intensity in his eyes, raw and unsettling, before he plastered on his usual charming grin. He pulled out a chair for me.

"I didn't bring food," he admitted, pouring the drink, sparkling grape juice, rich and dark as wine into crystal glasses. "I figured we could hit that Italian place you like afterwards. Get some pizza."

"Pizza sounds perfect," I said, my voice sounding small in the vastness of the clearing.

We talked for a while, the candle flame dancing between us. He spoke of the business, of the future, but his eyes never left my face. They tracked my every movement, dilating in the low light.

"Luna," he said suddenly, his voice dropping to a gravelly timber. "Caroline."

I set my glass down. "What's wrong?"

"I need to tell you something. Something Mum and Dad should have told you years ago." He leaned forward, the candlelight casting sharp shadows across his cheekbones. "But I wanted to be the one. I needed to be the one."

A cold knot of dread tightened in my stomach. "Is Mum sick? Is that why she was crying?"

"No. This is about us." He paused, his jaw working. "Luna, promise me. No matter what I say, no matter what happens in the next five minutes... promise you won't run."

"You're scaring me, Liam."

"Promise me."

"I... I promise."

He took a deep breath, the sound loud in the quiet clearing. "We aren't siblings, Luna. You were adopted. Mum and Dad took you in when you were four."

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. The crickets, the wind, the rustle of leaves-it all stopped. Adopted. The word echoed in my skull, shattering the foundation of my reality.

"What?" I whispered. "That's... that's a lie."

"It's the truth. I was there. I was the one who asked them to take you."

"Who are they?" My voice rose, shrill and trembling. "My real parents. Who are they?"

"I don't know," he said softly.

"How can you not know?!" I stood up, my chair scraping violently against the rock. Tears pricked my eyes, hot and stinging. "My whole life... it's a lie?"

"Luna, stop." He reached for my hands, trapping them in his. His skin was burning hot. "You are our family. Blood or not. But there is a reason I'm telling you this now. A reason I needed you to know we don't share blood."

He stared at me, his gaze scorching. "You are my mate, Caroline."

I blinked, the tears spilling over. "Mate? Like... a soulmate? Liam, stop it. This isn't funny."

"I am a Werewolf," he stated, the words falling like stones between us. "And you are the other half of my soul."

I stared at him. The handsome face I had known my entire life, the brother who taught me to ride a bike, who chased away my nightmares. He was looking at me like I was the only water in a desert.

"You're crazy," I whispered, backing away. "You're actually crazy."

"I'm not."

"Prove it," I snapped, anger surging through my panic. "If you're a monster, show me."

He looked at me, a flicker of pain crossing his face. "Just a moment," he murmured.

He stood and walked away from the light of the candle, disappearing into the shadows of a massive Oak tree at the edge of the clearing.

I waited, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.

Crack.

The sound was sickening-wet and loud, like a branch snapping, but... meatier.

Snap. Crunch.

A low, guttural growl vibrated through the air, deep enough to rattle my bones. I gripped the back of my chair, my knuckles white.

"L-Liam?"

Silence.

Then, from the darkness, a shadow detached itself.

It wasn't a man.

A wolf stepped into the moonlight. But to call it a wolf felt like an insult to nature. The creature was massive, easily the size of a pony, its shoulders thick with muscle. Its fur was a midnight blend of black and brown, rippling with every movement.

It prowled toward me, silent as a ghost.

My brain short-circuited. "Oh god."

The beast's eyes caught the candlelight. They were gold. Intelligent. And they were locked on me.

Panic, blind and primal, took over. I grabbed the wine glass and hurled it. It shattered against the creature's chest, dark juice staining its fur like blood. The wolf didn't even flinch.

I grabbed the vase. The bottle. The plates. I threw everything I could reach, screaming, "Get back! Get away from me!"

The wolf kept coming. Relentless. Inevitable.

It stopped ten feet away, towering over me. It let out a soft whine, a sound so heartbreakingly human that it stopped my hand mid-throw.

"You killed him," I sobbed, sliding down to the ground, pulling my knees to my chest. "You ate him."

The wolf watched me for a long moment, its golden eyes filled with a sorrow that mirrored Liam's. Then, it turned and bolted back into the shadows.

I buried my face in my knees, rocking back and forth, waiting to be eaten. Waiting to die.

"Luna?"

The voice was rough, broken.

My head snapped up. Liam stood at the edge of the clearing. He was a mess-barefoot, his shirt gone, his pants torn and hanging low on his hips. His hair was wild, and his chest was heaving, sweat glistening on his skin in the moonlight.

"Liam!" I scrambled up and ran to him, colliding with his chest. "The wolf... it was huge... it..."

I hugged him tightly, burying my face in his neck. His skin was scorching hot, radiating a feverish heat that seeped into my clothes.

"It's okay," he rasped, his arms winding around me like iron bars. "It's me, Lu."

I pulled back slightly to look at him, relief washing over me. But then I saw his eyes.

They weren't brown. They were gold.

The same gold as the beast.

The realization hit me with the force of a physical blow. I stumbled back, but his grip on my waist didn't loosen.

"You..." I whispered, horror dawning. "You are the wolf."

Liam nodded, his expression shifting. The softness vanished, replaced by a raw, hungry look that sent a jolt of terror straight down my spine.

"Forgive me," he growled, the sound vibrating in his chest against mine.

Before I could scream, he dipped his head.

I felt his lips, hot and wet, against the sensitive curve of my neck. Then, sharp pain. a sudden, piercing bite that tore through skin and muscle.

"Ah!"

My knees buckled. A wave of heat exploded from the bite mark, flooding my veins with fire. The world tilted, the moonlight blurring into streaks of silver.

The last thing I felt was Liam catching me, pulling me flush against his burning chest, before the darkness swallowed me whole.