Chapter 1: Introduction
Walking through the forest in the middle of the night should've been scary, and maybe it was a little, but no more than the anticipation of whatever I was about to see. I followed the illuminated path from our cabin, ignoring the goosebumps prickling up my arms.
My heart pounded in my chest. I couldn't believe I was doing this. Most people, when they found out their lover was inhuman, would've made a dash straight for the door, eyes squeezed shut.
But not me.
Curiosity had always been my vice, one of the reasons why Luke seemed to have such a fascination with me. Maybe it was foolish, but I couldn't help feel drawn to all things forbidden.
Crickets chirped their hypnotic tune as I approached the clearing where we usually spent our evenings talking and laughing and sharing ourselves in ways words never could. Something primal hung in the air tonight, a scent I had never noticed before, dark and musky and earthy.
It seemed to grow thicker the closer I got to the familiar glowing circle of light. My pulse raced, excitement building inside me like a gathering storm.
And then I saw him. The sight of Luke halfway through his shift stole the air from my lungs. His body bent and twisted at unnatural angles, thick black fur merging with his shifting human flesh. The stark agony on his face was almost too much to bear, yet I couldn't tear my gaze away.
My heart ached with empathy, but beneath that was something else.
Something that took me by surprise.
The wolf before me was the embodiment of raw, unhinged power. A creature so much stronger and more dangerous than the man I had come to love. There was something beautiful about the transformation, a primal beauty that ignited a spark deep within me. Watching the beast's smooth muscles shifting beneath the glossy pelt, I knew in that instant that I wanted him, needed him to dominate me in this form.
The thought terrified me and thrilled me all at once.