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The poachers cried out in shock and fear as my command of nature dragged them down. Their panic was music to my ears—a symphony of retribution for their transgressions against this land.
Once it immobilized them, I stepped into their view. Their eyes widened at the sight of me—bronze skin gleaming in the moonlight, an avenging force conjured from their nightmares.
“You’ll find your traps disabled,” I said coldly. “Leave this place and do not return.”
They nodded vigorously, terror rendering them speechless as I released them from my earthen grasp. They scrambled away into the darkness, tripping over themselves in their haste to escape.
With a sigh, I turned back toward Arlet’s cabin. There would be questions now—questions I wasn’t sure I was ready to answer.
Arlet met me at the door with wide eyes. “Hayze? What happened? Are you?—”
“I’m fine,” I cut her off before she could finish. “But we had visitors.”
Her gaze sharpened with understanding. “Poachers?”
I nodded once.
Arlet stepped aside to let me in before closing the door behind us. The warmth of the cabin did little to ease the tension coiling in my gut.
“How did you...?” She trailed off as if unsure how to phrase her question.
“I called upon the earth,” I replied simply.
She studied me for a long moment before speaking again. “Thank you for protecting this place—and me.”
“It’s what I’m here for.” But even with it, we both knew it wasn’t just about duty anymore.
Arlet crossed her arms over her chest. “And how many times have you done this without me knowing?”
“A few,” I admitted reluctantly.
She let out a slow breath. “Hayze, your abilities... they’re incredible.”
“I have certain advantages,” I conceded with a shrug which was too casual for what we were discussing.
Arlet moved closer until she stood right in front of me. Her gaze was intense but not fearful—a mixture of gratitude and curiosity that seemed to pull me in.
“You’re not just here to be my shadow,” she stated firmly. “You’re here to be my ally.”
I couldn’t deny it any longer; our bond had become something far stronger than either of us had expected when this arrangement began.
“Yes,” I said—the word feeling like a vow between us.
The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable but filled with unspoken promises—a pledge to stand together against whatever threats might come our way. As we stood there in the cabin’s soft light, whatever lay ahead, we would face it side by side.
CHAPTER 5
Arlet
The forest was still, as if holding its breath. Hayze stood there, an enigma cloaked in the shadows of towering pines. The silence between us stretched like the expanse of wilderness that separated my old life from this new, uncharted existence.
“I want to... Can I touch your skin?” My voice broke the quiet, tentative yet driven by a hunger for understanding this connection that sparked between us.
His lips curved into a half-smile, the gesture softening the hard lines of his otherworldly face. “It may feel cold, but I am very much alive.”
My hand reached out, trembling slightly with a cocktail of fear and fascination. As my fingers brushed against the bronze of his arm, the coolness was a balm to my racing pulse. But then, a warmth blossomed beneath my touch, spreading like wildfire through my veins. My breath hitched in surprise, and I looked up to see a similar astonishment mirrored in Hayze’s eyes.
“Your skin...” I whispered, unable to find words that could encompass the experience.
