The night hummed with the sound of rustling leaves, a quiet song only the forest knew. Silver mist curled between the trees, carrying the scent of rain and something wilder—something untamed.
She moved like a whisper, her bare feet gliding over the damp earth. White hair cascaded down her back, catching the moonlight like spun silk. Her ears, still half-shifted, twitched at every sound.
"He’s here."
A deep rumble—almost a growl—came from the darkness ahead.
"You shouldn’t be out this late," a voice murmured, low and smooth as midnight.
A shadow stepped forward, eyes gleaming like molten gold. He was taller than she remembered, broader, his presence as vast as the night itself. His black coat shimmered as he shifted fully, the air crackling with raw energy before he stood before her—a man once more.
"I wasn't looking for you," she said, though her pulse betrayed her.
He tilted his head. "And yet, here you are."
Silence. The kind thick with words left unsaid.
She exhaled, crossing her arms. "You left."
His gaze darkened. "You told me to."
"I didn’t mean forever."
The wind sighed through the trees, carrying the scent of rain and longing. His fingers twitched at his sides, as if resisting the urge to reach for her.
"I thought you were safer without me," he admitted, voice quieter now. "I thought…" He hesitated. "I thought if I stayed, I would ruin you."
She took a step closer, her silver eyes piercing through his guarded walls. "You never understood, did you?"
His breath hitched as she reached for him, her touch featherlight against his jaw. "It was never about safety, Orion. It was never about fear."
Her fingers traced the sharp angles of his face, her claws barely grazing his skin. He didn’t flinch. Didn’t move.
"You are my home," she whispered. "Even in the dark. Even when you run."
His control snapped.
In an instant, he had her caged against him, arms wrapped around her like the night itself. She gasped softly, but there was no resistance—only the rush of something inevitable. His lips hovered just above hers, their breath mingling in the cool night air.
"I would run to you," he murmured, voice raw, "if you asked me to."
She smiled, a secret thing. "Then stop waiting for me to ask."
And under the moon’s watchful gaze, he kissed her—slowly, fiercely, like a promise.
The night hummed with the sound of rustling leaves. The quiet song of something wild, something untamed.
Something eternal.
ns 15.158.61.17da2
