Bounded by moonlight

pine. Elora ran her fingers through her dark, her breath visible in the crisp air. She stood at the edge of the woods, her heart poundi

here this late," came a

His messy blonde hair caught the moonlight, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to look straight through her. Joel was th

up on people," Elora sho

f-smile. "Fair enough. But seri

energy that had driven her to the woods? She shrugged

ment longer than necessary. "The wood

ted, raising an eyebrow. "I

ne serious now. "People have gone mis

es. "Oh, let me gues

Elora's teasing smile faded as she caught the tensio

id firmly, taking a step close

not when someone told her what to do. "I'm not afrai

ubborn as ever." He hesitated, then added, "Fine.

ence, though infuriating at times, was oddly reassuring. Togethe

a wolf. Elora felt her pulse quicken at the sound, though she couldn't tell if it was from fear or excitement. B

ason you're out here?" J

ivid, haunting dreams of a wolf with eyes like fire and a voice th

," she said finally

shadow between them. His silence was both a relief and a challenge, as thoug

d the sounds of the forest faded into an unsettling quiet. Elora glanced at Joel, whose posture had shifted. He wa

d, trying to sound casual, though h

her, his expression grave. "You th

't distant like the howl they'd heard earlier; it was close-too close. She fro

that?" sh

ead tilted slightly as if listening for something, his eyes scanning the shadows.

Joel ordered, his

t are

s gone, replaced by an intensity that made her heart pound. She took a st

seen. It was massive, its fur dark as the night, its eyes glowing an unnatural amber. It

ldn't look away, even as every n

is stance protective. "Elora," he said without looking back, his voice stead

her voice trembling.

Joel said, his tone leavin

shed her aside, his body colliding with the beast in a blur of motion. Elora s

with a ferocity that didn't seem human. For a moment, it looked

, his voice cutting th

ushed deeper into the forest. But even as she ran, she couldn't shake the feeling that this