Chapter 1: Shadows in the Pines
The forest was a cathedral of whispers, pine needles crunching under Allen’s boots as he set up his tent beneath the silver glow of a full moon. At eighteen, he craved solitude, an escape from the mundane hum of small-town life. The air was crisp, biting at his skin, but the thrill of being alone in the wild warmed his blood. He was lean, wiry, with a mop of dark hair falling into hazel eyes that scanned the darkness for any sign of life. Little did he know, life—or something far more primal—was watching him.
A low growl rumbled through the trees, and Allen froze, his breath catching. ‘Just a coyote,’ he told himself, but his pulse quickened. He crouched by the fire he’d built, poking at the embers with a stick, when a shadow loomed at the edge of the clearing. Tall, broad-shouldered, and impossibly still, the figure stepped into the flickering light. A man—or something like one. His eyes glinted amber, wild and hungry, his bare chest heaving under a sheen of sweat despite the chill. Dark hair dusted his jaw, and his presence was a storm, electric and untamed.
‘Lost, kid?’ the stranger’s voice was gravel and honey, a smirk curling his lips as he eyed Allen up and down. ‘Or just looking for trouble?’
Allen stood, gripping the stick like a weapon, though his voice didn’t waver. ‘I could ask you the same. You stalking me, or do you just wander around shirtless in the middle of nowhere?’
The man chuckled, a deep, predatory sound, stepping closer. ‘Name’s Kade. And I don’t stalk. I hunt. Big difference.’ His gaze lingered on Allen’s mouth, then dropped to the pulse hammering in his neck. ‘You smell... fresh. Untouched. Makes a man curious.’
Allen’s cheeks burned, but he held his ground, a mix of fear and something hotter coiling in his gut. ‘Curious about what? I’m not some prey for you to sniff out. Back off.’
Kade’s smirk widened, teeth flashing too sharp in the firelight. ‘Oh, I don’t back off, pup. But I like a challenge. You’ve got fire in you. Let’s see how hot it burns.’ He closed the distance in a heartbeat, his scent—earth and musk—flooding Allen’s senses. One rough hand gripped Allen’s jaw, tilting his face up, while the other slid to his hip, firm and possessive.
‘Get your hands off me,’ Allen snapped, but his voice trembled, not with fear, but with a raw, confusing need. His body betrayed him, leaning into the touch, his breath hitching as Kade’s thumb brushed his lower lip.
‘Tell me to stop, then,’ Kade growled, his voice a dare, his amber eyes boring into Allen’s. ‘Tell me you don’t feel it. That heat. That pull. I can smell how bad you want this.’
Allen’s mind screamed to push him away, but his body was a traitor, his skin flushing as Kade’s grip tightened. ‘You’re full of shit,’ he spat, but the words lacked bite, his hazel eyes locked on Kade’s mouth, so close now he could feel the heat of his breath.
‘Am I?’ Kade purred, his hand sliding lower, brushing the edge of Allen’s jeans, teasing the hardness already straining there. ‘Your cock says otherwise, pup. Hard as hell already, and I’ve barely touched you.’
Allen’s breath came in sharp pants, his resolve crumbling under the weight of raw desire. The fire crackled beside them, but the real heat was between their bodies, a storm building as Kade’s fingers dipped beneath the waistband, brushing skin that made Allen gasp. The night was about to explode into something wild, something neither of them could control—and Allen wasn’t sure he wanted to.
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