Forbidden Mate

st with each step. Every direction looked the same, thick with towering trees and a carpet of fallen leaves. My hear

ray branch and watching it bounce away. "Of course,

ait for a map?" His teasing words had dug under my skin, making me grit my teeth with each taunt. He'd made

possibly go wrong?" Well, here I was, no Lucas, no map

quiet, the birdsong and rustling leaves faded into an unsettling silence. Every direction looked the sam

follow a faint trail between the trees, only to st

the trees. He was half-shrouded in shadow, his face obscured, but there was a glint of something in h

ce low and smooth, like he was am

ous, but something about him made my instincts scream for caution. The smi

my voice steady. "I got... turned around

ing. "Of course," he said with a small smirk. "Happy to hel

toward him, keeping my distance, but following nonetheless. As we walked, I kept stealing glances at him. He seemed at ease, navigating the fo

finally said, his tone casual but his eyes

d," I said carefully, not wanting to reveal

e unsettling. "Seems like your friend

ore than I wanted to admit. "Gues

blocking out most of the sunlight. I tried to memorize the way we were going, but every twist and turn blurred together in my mind, each t

out the faint outlines of familiar paths, the comforting scent of my pack's territory drifting

naging a polite nod. "I

Be careful out here, Lyra," he said, his voice lingering on my name in a wa

never been there at all. I watched the spot he'd vanished into, a strange sense of unease settling in my chest. My skin p

heavier, the shadows deeper, the silence pressing in around me. Lucas was in for it when I s

e last time. The trees stood silent, undisturbed, but the memory of Der

of the pack's territory. The distant sounds of laughter and chatter drifted through the trees, and I found myself striding toward them with

nown my name? I hadn't menti

ts. Lucas. His tall frame came into view, his smirk widening

, the corner of his mouth lifting in that all-too-familiar teas

. "I wouldn't have been lost if someone hadn

t fade. "Hey, I thought you were having fun," he replied, that grin still firmly

n my mind. I decided not to mention him, not yet. The last thing I wanted

. "Really? Because you looked pretty rattled

I just... got turned around," I lied, brushing off the unease

aint frown. "Lyra, if something

, pushing each other's limits and seeing who could get under the other's skin more effectively. But unde

his time. "Just... ran into some str

playful expression gone. "A

alant. "Yeah, but he was just...

d, his tone su

's dangerous territory, especially for someone who isn't famili

g my arms I sighed lookin

get to dict