🌙 Episode 4: Shadows & Sparks
The rain hadn't let up all day. By evening, the streets around the Blackthorn Grand glistened under the streetlights, puddles reflecting the restless city.
Lila's shift had stretched late. She was grateful when the night manager finally told her she could head home. She tugged her thin coat tighter and stepped outside, bracing herself against the cold drizzle.
The bus stop was just three blocks away, but the street felt unusually quiet. Too quiet.
Halfway there, she sensed it—footsteps behind her. Slow. Heavy.
Her pace quickened.
The sound followed.
She glanced over her shoulder. A tall man in a hooded jacket trailed her, his eyes glinting unnaturally under the streetlight.
Her stomach dropped.
She turned a corner sharply, heart racing, hoping to lose him. But he was faster. In seconds, he was on her, grabbing her arm.
"Going somewhere, little human?" His voice was a rasp, filled with a cruel amusement.
Lila gasped, struggling to pull free. "Let me go!"
The man leaned closer, and she swore his pupils flickered—elongated, inhuman.
Before she could scream, a blur of motion slammed into him, sending him crashing into the brick wall with bone-jarring force.
Ethan.
He stood between her and the attacker, his chest rising like a predator ready to kill. His eyes glowed bright gold, his voice a growl.
"Touch her again, and you won't leave this street alive."
The rogue—because Lila knew now he wasn't human—snarled, his teeth sharpening unnaturally. "She doesn't belong to you, Alpha."
Ethan's aura exploded, thick and suffocating. Even Lila felt it—power rolling off him in waves that made her knees weak.
"She's mine," Ethan snapped, his voice echoing with primal authority. "And you'll regret forgetting that."
The rogue faltered, eyes darting between them. Then, with a hiss, he bolted into the shadows, vanishing as swiftly as he'd appeared.
The silence that followed roared louder than the rain.
Lila clutched her pounding chest, staring at Ethan in shock. His golden eyes still burned, his chest heaving with the effort of restraining himself.
"Are you okay?" he asked finally, his voice rough.
"I—yes," she whispered, though her legs trembled.
Ethan stepped closer, his hand brushing her arm gently, checking for injuries. The simple touch sent heat spiraling through her body, her breath catching.
"You shouldn't have been out here alone," he murmured, his voice softer now, laced with something she couldn't name.
She tilted her face up to his, meeting the storm in his eyes. "I didn't know… that was real."
His hand lingered on her arm, his thumb unconsciously tracing small circles against her skin. "There's a lot you don't know yet."
Their gazes locked, and suddenly the world narrowed to just them. The rain pattered softly, the city faded, and the only thing that mattered was the heat between them.
Lila's lips parted, her breath mingling with his. She didn't think—she only leaned in, pulled by something deeper than reason.
Ethan's jaw clenched, his entire body taut with restraint. He was so close she could feel the warmth of him, the intoxicating scent of cedar and smoke surrounding her.
"Lila…" His voice was a warning, but it was laced with hunger. "You don't know what you're asking for."
Her hand, trembling, lifted to rest against his chest. The hard muscle beneath his shirt tightened under her touch. "Then tell me," she whispered. "Tell me why I feel like this when I'm near you."
His control snapped.
One moment he was staring at her like he shouldn't, the next his lips were on hers—fierce, desperate, claiming.
The kiss stole the air from her lungs. Fire surged through her veins, every nerve alight. She melted against him, her fingers clutching his shirt as if he were the only thing keeping her upright.
Ethan groaned softly, deepening the kiss, his hand sliding to cradle the back of her neck, pulling her closer.
For a heartbeat, nothing existed but them.
And then—he tore himself away, breathing hard, his forehead resting against hers.
"Damn it," he muttered, his voice raw. "This is exactly why I told you to stay away."
Lila's lips tingled, her chest heaving. "Why? What are you so afraid of?"
He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, pain and longing warring in his expression.
"Because once I start," he said hoarsely, "I won't be able to stop."
Her heart thundered, but instead of fear, a strange calm washed over her. "Maybe I don't want you to stop."
His hands fisted at his sides, his wolf howling for him to claim her. But Ethan forced himself back a step, his entire body trembling from the effort.
"You don't understand," he said, voice breaking. "If I let myself have you… there's no going back."
The rain continued to fall, but neither of them moved.
Lila's heart told her the truth even if he wouldn't say it.
Whatever bound them together—it was already too late to undo.
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✨ End of Episode 4