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Lost on a lonely road deep in the woods, Isla Monroe never expected her life to change forever. But when a terrifying creature with glowing golden eyes attacks her car, she barely escapes with her life-only to be saved by a mysterious, dangerously attractive man with piercing silver eyes. He appears out of nowhere, his presence both alluring and unsettling. And when he whispers, "You smell... different," she knows something is terribly wrong. Drawn to him against her better judgment, she soon discovers the dark truth: he is no ordinary man-he is a werewolf. More than that, he is an Alpha, a ruler among his kind, bound by ancient laws and a prophecy that warns against falling for a human. But something about her defies all reason. Her scent, her presence-everything about her calls to his wolf in a way that should be impossible. As she tries to escape the growing tension between them, strange things begin to happen. She wakes up with a mysterious mark on her skin, nightmares turn into memories of a past she doesn't remember, and she starts to sense the creatures lurking in the shadows of the town. When she learns that the rival pack sees her as a threat to their survival, she realizes she is caught in a war she never asked for. But the greatest danger isn't the enemy pack. It's him. The more she fights her attraction, the more her body betrays her-pulled toward the Alpha like she was made for him. As dark secrets unravel, she must face the truth: she was never meant to be ordinary. And the mark she bears is not just a symbol of desire... it is a claim. She is his. But will she embrace her fate and the powerful bond that ties them together, or will she resist-knowing that rejecting him could cost her everything?
Chapter 1 The Forbidden Encounter
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Prologue – Something Watches
The forest was too quiet.
No owls hooted. No crickets chirped. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Somewhere in the darkness, hidden between the towering trees, something watched. Its golden eyes gleamed beneath the full moon, locked onto its prey.
It was patient. Hungry. Waiting.
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Scene 1: A Wrong Turn
Lena Carter cursed under her breath, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Her GPS had completely failed, leaving her stranded on a narrow, winding road that wasn't on any map. The last thing she wanted was to be lost in the middle of nowhere-especially at night.
Her car's headlights barely cut through the dense fog creeping over the pavement. Shadows stretched unnaturally across the road, twisting like dark fingers.
"Where the hell am I?" she muttered, glancing at her phone again. No service.
She exhaled sharply. Just her luck.
Then-out of nowhere-a shadow darted across the road.
Her heart slammed against her ribs as she jerked the wheel to the side, narrowly avoiding whatever it was. The tires skidded, and the car swerved violently before coming to a screeching halt.
For a moment, everything was silent.
She swallowed hard, her hands trembling as she scanned the darkness. There was nothing there.
Or at least, that's what she thought-until something heavy slammed into the side of her car.
The impact sent the vehicle rocking. The unmistakable sound of claws scraping against metal sent ice through her veins.
She turned her head slowly toward the window.
Two golden eyes stared back at her.
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Scene 2: The Stranger in the Shadows
Her breath hitched. A massive creature stood outside her car, its dark fur blending into the night. Its growl was low, guttural-almost as if it were laughing at her fear.
She barely had time to react before the thing lunged.
CRACK!
The windshield splintered.
Pure terror shot through her. She didn't think-she acted.
Throwing open the door, she ran.
Branches lashed against her skin as she sprinted into the woods, her lungs burning. Behind her, the heavy pounding of footsteps followed-fast. Too fast.
Then-silence.
She slowed, gasping for breath. Had it stopped chasing her?
That's when she heard it.
A whisper. Low. Inhuman.
"Mine."
Her body went cold.
The hairs on her neck stood on end as she turned ever so slightly-
A figure stood between the trees, just out of reach of the moonlight. Tall. Unmoving. Watching.
Something wasn't right. The golden-eyed beast was gone, yet she still felt hunted.
Then, the figure stepped forward.
He was human. Or at least... he looked like one.
Towering, broad-shouldered, and shirtless despite the cold. His dark, tousled hair barely moved in the wind, and those piercing silver eyes locked onto her like she was prey.
"Are you lost?" His voice was deep, velvety, but laced with something unreadable.
She couldn't speak. Her heart pounded.
Something about him felt off.
He took another step toward her, his gaze never wavering.
"You smell... different."
A shiver ran down her spine.
She should run. Everything in her screamed to run.
But she couldn't move.
She could only stare at the stranger who had appeared from nowhere-right after the monster had vanished.
And for the first time, she wondered...
Had she escaped one predator-only to run into another?
To be continued...
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