Chapter 3 3

The next day, Mina decided to visit Alec. If anyone in town could confirm the truth about the Nightbound, it was him. Her heart pounded as she approached his house, her footsteps crunching in the gravel. She didn't know what she would say or how he would react, but she had to know.

She stood at the edge of his porch, she could feel his presence behind the door, watching her. And, for the first time since she had arrived in Dunford, she felt a sense of anticipation. She had crossed a threshold, and she couldn't turn back now.

Mina hesitated on Alec's porch, her heart thumping wildly. She wasn't sure what she hoped to find or even what she planned to ask him, but she couldn't shake the pull drawing her to his door. The past few days had left her feeling tangled in Dunford's mysteries, and Alec seemed to be at the heart of them. She took a steadying breath, lifted her hand, and knocked.

The sound echoed in the quiet morning, and for a moment, there was no response. Just as she was about to turn away, the door opened. Alec stood there, silhouetted against the dim light inside, his face shadowed but unmistakably intense. His eyes met hers, and Mina felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Mina," he said, his voice low and cautious. "What brings you here?"

"I... I wanted to talk," she managed, the words feeling inadequate. "There are some things I need to understand."

He studied her, his gaze unreadable. "Come in."

Mina hesitated on Alec's porch, her heart thumping wildly. She wasn't sure what she hoped to find or even what she planned to ask him, but she couldn't shake the pull drawing her to his door. The past few days had left her feeling tangled in Dunford's mysteries, and Alec seemed to be at the heart of them. She took a steadying breath, lifted her hand, and knocked.

The sound echoed in the quiet morning, and for a moment, there was no response. Just as she was about to turn away, the door opened. Alec stood there, silhouetted against the dim light inside, his face shadowed but unmistakably intense. His eyes met hers, and Mina felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Mina," he said, his voice low and cautious. "What brings you here?"

"I... I wanted to talk," she managed, the words feeling inadequate. "There are some things I need to understand."

He studied her, his gaze unreadable. "Come in."

Mina stepped past him into the house, feeling a strange mix of relief and trepidation. Alec's home was simple but cozy, with the faint smell of pine and the warm light of

Mina's pulse quickened as she knocked on Alec's door, her hand shaking slightly as she withdrew it. The sound echoed in the silent forest around her, swallowed by the dense wall of trees encircling Alec's home. She didn't know what she expected, but something inside her insisted that Alec held answers she couldn't find anywhere else.

She waited, glancing around his porch. It was simple and tidy, but there was an air of neglect in the way the steps creaked, and a weathered rocking chair sat empty, covered in a light layer of dust. Everything about Alec's house felt untouched, like a place that belonged to someone who was never truly home.

Just as she was about to turn away, she heard footsteps inside. The door creaked open, and Alec appeared, his expression unreadable as he looked at her. She felt the intensity of his gaze as he studied her face, his piercing gray eyes searching for something.

"Mina," he said, his voice low, holding a hint of caution. "Did something happen?"

She hesitated, her words caught somewhere between curiosity and fear. Finally, she gathered her courage. "Can we talk? I... I have questions, and I think you might be the only one who can answer them."

He looked at her, a flicker of something-maybe worry or reluctance-crossing his face, but he stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter.

The inside of Alec's house was dim and sparsely furnished, with large windows that allowed narrow shafts of light to spill across the wooden floor. It felt as if he lived here with one foot always ready to step back outside, like he didn't quite belong indoors. There was an aura of quiet strength in his surroundings, but also a restless energy that seemed to match his own.

She followed him into the living room, where he motioned for her to sit on a worn leather couch. He took a seat across from her, his elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped. He seemed guarded, as if he were bracing himself for her questions.

"You're a brave one to come here alone," he said, his voice softer now, with a note of something she couldn't quite place.

"Brave, or foolish," she replied, attempting a weak smile. But the weight of her questions settled on her shoulders, and she found herself leaning forward, unable to contain them any longer. "I spoke to Harold at the library," she began. "He told me some things... about this town, and about the Nightbound."

Alec's expression darkened, his jaw tightening slightly. "He shouldn't have said anything to you," he murmured, more to himself than to her.

Mina bit her lip. "Maybe not, but I need to know the truth. Ever since I came here, I've felt like there's something... watching me. Something dangerous, lurking just out of sight. And then last night..." She hesitated, her voice trembling. "I saw something outside my window. A creature, standing on two legs. It looked like a wolf, but it wasn't... It wasn't natural."

For a moment, Alec's face softened, and he looked at her with a strange mix of sympathy and resignation. "Mina, there are things about Dunford that no one talks about," he said finally. "Things that most people choose to ignore, because the truth is hard to bear."

She met his gaze, her heart pounding. "Tell me."

Alec looked away, his jaw clenched, but after a long silence, he began to speak. "Dunford is one of the oldest towns in this part of the country, and it was founded by families who came here seeking solitude. They brought their secrets with them, and those secrets have been kept for generations. The Nightbound curse... it's real. It's a burden carried by a few families in town, passed down through bloodlines. We call it a curse, but it's more like a prison. One we can't escape."

Mina's breath caught, her eyes widening as she listened. "You're... you're one of them, aren't you?" She whispered, the realization hitting her like a thunderclap.

Alec didn't answer right away, but he didn't deny it either. Instead, he looked down at his hands, his expression heavy with something that might have been guilt or shame. "Yes," he said quietly. "I am."

A strange mixture of fear and sympathy surged through her. The guarded, solitary way he carried himself, the reluctance to speak to her or anyone else-it all made sense now. He was haunted, trapped by a part of himself he couldn't control.

"But it's not... it's not like the stories, is it?" Mina asked, trying to understand. "You're not just a monster that prowls the woods at night. There has to be more to it than that."

Alec met her gaze, and for the first time, she saw vulnerability in his eyes. "You're right. It's... complicated. The curse isn't just about changing form. It's about losing control. The wolf takes over, and everything human fades into the background. I remember bits and pieces-flashes of the night, the thrill of the hunt-but there's always blood, and I can never be sure who or what I've hurt."

Mina felt a shiver run down her spine as he spoke, but there was also a strange sense of understanding. Alec wasn't just a man who turned into a beast. He was someone who was fighting against something dark and primal within himself, struggling to keep his humanity.

"Is that why you warned me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Because you knew there were others like you, out there in the woods?"

He nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the floor. "Yes. Not everyone can control it. Some of us are careful, only changing far from town, where we can't hurt anyone. But others... they give in. They let the beast take over completely, and they become something else. Something dangerous."

Mina swallowed, her throat dry. "Is that what's been happening? The attacks... are they because of the Nightbound?"

Alec sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yes. I think so. I've been trying to track down whoever's responsible, but it's difficult. Most of us keep to ourselves, avoid each other to keep things... safer. But there are some who have embraced the curse, who see it as a gift rather than a burden. Those are the ones responsible for the attacks."

Mina's heart was racing, the pieces of the mystery finally coming together. She understood now why Alec had been so distant, so guarded. He was carrying the weight of his own curse, but he was also trying to protect the town from others like him. It was a dangerous, lonely existence.

"Why do you do it?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Why not just leave, go somewhere far away, where you wouldn't have to worry about hurting anyone?"

Alec looked at her, his eyes filled with something close to desperation. "Because this is my home," he said, his voice raw. "And the people here... they're my family, in a way. Even if they don't know the truth. I can't abandon them. If I don't stay and try to protect them, who will?"

Mina's heart ached at the pain in his voice. He was a man caught between worlds, trying to hold on to his humanity while fighting a beast within. She felt an urge to reach out to him, to offer some kind of comfort, but she held back, unsure of what he needed.

"Thank you for telling me," she said softly. "I know it wasn't easy."

Alec managed a faint smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "You're braver than I gave you credit for," he said. "Most people would have run the other way by now."

Mina laughed, though the sound was hollow. "I think I should be terrified, but... I'm not. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm meant to be here, that I'm supposed to help somehow."

Alec's expression softened, and for a moment, they sat in silence, the weight of everything they'd shared settling between them. Finally, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

"There's something you should know, Mina," he said. "Once you're aware of the Nightbound, once you've crossed that line... there's no going back. You're a part of this now, whether you like it or not."

She met his gaze, her heart racing, but she nodded. "I understand."

Alec looked at her, a mix of admiration and sorrow in his eyes. "Then I'll do my best to protect you. I don't know what's coming, but whatever it is, I promise I won't let it hurt you."

Mina felt a surge of warmth at his words, and despite the danger, she felt a strange sense of safety with him. She realized, in that moment, that she trusted him completely.

But as they sat together, a howl echoed in the distance, low and mournful. Alec stiffened, his expression hardening. He glanced out the window, his eyes narrowing.

"They're getting bolder," he murmured. "Whoever's behind this... they're close."

Mina swallowed, her heart pounding. "What can we do?"

Alec stood, his gaze steely with determination. "We'll have to be careful. I'll track them down, but I need you to stay safe. Don't go out alone, and keep your doors locked at night. I don't know what they want

, but until we find them, you're not safe."

Mina nodded, feeling a renewed sense of fear, but also resolve. She wasn't about to back down now-not when the truth was so close.

As Alec walked her to the door, she glanced back, meeting his gaze. She knew there were still secrets he hadn't told her, mysteries that lingered in the shadows of his life. But for now, she trusted him, and she was willing to take the risk.

"Be careful," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You too, Mina. And remember-if you hear howling at night... stay inside."

With a final glance, she stepped out into the twilight, the forest casting long shadows across the path. She knew now that danger lurked in the darkness, but she also knew she wasn't alone. As she made her way home, her mind was filled with thoughts of Alec and the mysterious world of the Nightbound that had opened before her.

And she knew, deep down, that her life would never be the same.