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I just don’t know if I’m ready for them yet.
We need to get off this island. And soon.
I’m afraid if we don’t, we never will.
I’m not ready to die here.
If my grandmother left the island, she had a good reason. I will heed to her unintentional warning. Shadow Moon can’t have me too.
I jog through the dark forest, seemingly lit by the bright moonlight even though the canopy of trees overhead doesn’t allow much light in. It’s ethereal and magical, different than the area right around the shelter.
A figure appears within the trees, and I nearly slip on the loose dirt. I can’t see who it is, but I know it’s a man. My fear instincts say to keep my mouth shut, because what if it’s not one of the guys? What if it’s one of the monsters?
The figure pauses and raises their spear. “I don’t want any trouble, but if you’re here to threaten me, I will fight.” I recognize the deep, smooth tone of Evander.
I blow out a breath of relief. “I fight back,” I say, my nerves settling.
“Shit, Eliana. We were so fucking worried. Are you okay? We heard your screams and then you were gone.” Evander strides closer, maneuvering effortlessly through the dark forest, unfazed by the untouched terrain.
My first thought is to lie. It has always been an instinctual and automatic response over the years. I’m supposed to say what they want to hear. Evander will freak out if he knows that Kellan snatched me only to release me. If I didn’t want to lose the little ounce of trust we’ve already built, I’d fall into old habits.
“You’re wearing a shirt. A man’s shirt. What happened?” Evander touches the sleeve, rubbing it between his fingers. In the dim lighting shining through the branches of the trees, I stare into his dark eyes.
His concern gets to me on a deep level I’m not used to. Like with Chase and Adam, I’m not used to people worrying about me or caring what happens to me. It feels both amazing and terrifying.
Instead of answering right away, I throw my arms around him and hug him until he engulfs me in an incredible embrace. I breathe against his neck, standing on my tiptoes. Neither of us says anything for a minute, and I just listen to his soft breathing and his beating heart. I listen to the world around us and how silent it is as if a veil circles the forest, protecting us.
“I was taken by one of the natives here. Kellan.” I realize that I haven’t told everyone about the mysterious man who keeps stalking me in the woods. “He’s the one who helped me and Adam. He also interrupted me and Chase. You’re not going to believe any of this. He took me to a cave and gave me the shirt. He claimed that I belong to him.”
Evander stiffens, his muscles rippling with my words. He groans under his breath and pulls back only to give me another once-over. “Did he hurt you?”
I shake my head. “No. I don’t think he would. He didn’t chase after me after I broke free. He just wanted to talk.”
“If the fucker wants to talk, he could talk with all of us. Doesn’t he know how terrifying it is to have a stranger kidnap a woman? You don’t do that kind of bullshit. Especially not out here.” Evander squeezes my fingers. “You said he took you to a cave? Do you think you can show me?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Maybe. It’s south of here. He wasn’t living there or anything. He was just using it as a hiding place, I guess. He had a bag of some gear and supplies. This might sound crazy, but he said that his pack was planning something.”
It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around. But strangely enough, I know Evander will believe me. He’s seen the weird-ass things going on. He’s been through everything with me so far.
“His pack?” he asks, shifting on his feet and looking around.
“Werewolves or...moonborne? Lykoswulf? It was a word I’ve never heard. I don’t think it’s human.” I replay my conversation with Kellan over and over again, searching for clues or something I might’ve missed. But nothing changes. All I know is that we were taken from the human world onto this island. We are expected to fight for our lives and to survive turning like them.
Something cracks and leaves crunch to our right. Evander holds his index finger over his mouth and tugs me along, heading in the direction I came from. I race to keep up with his long legs. All I can think about is what Kellan said about the different packs coming for us.
What if they attack before we can make it back to the others? I need them to know everything I do. We need to come up with an escape plan instead of waiting around.
“Is that the cave?” Evander murmurs, keeping his voice low.
I can’t be sure, so I shrug my shoulders. “I didn’t look behind me. I just ran.”
“Did he have any weapons?” Evander slows down and pulls me into the crook of his arm protectively. We stroll a couple more feet in silence, staring at the flickering light within the cave. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but there was light inside. Was it a fire? I can’t even remember.
“He had a bag of supplies. The restraints he used were made out of vines. I don’t think he needs weapons. He—”
A snarl rips through the air, and a grey wolf barrels from the cave. I shriek in surprise, and Evander scoops me up and pulls me out of the way. But the wolf—no, I mean Kellan—doesn’t attempt to attack us. He runs past us and into the trees, hiding from view.
“Go back to your camp, Eliana,” Kellan says, his voice whispering through my mind. “Their time will come to find out information. You don’t need to be the messenger.”
