Chapter Two: Secrets in the Shadows
The bell above the diner door jingled softly as Ava stumbled back inside, her hands shaking. She pressed her back against the wall, gripping the edge of a counter as if it could ground her in reality. What had she just seen? Her mind raced with questions, none of which made any sense.
Through the diner window, the parking lot lay eerily quiet, illuminated by the pale moonlight. She could no longer see the man or the creature, but distant growls and the sharp sound of something breaking in the forest sent shivers down her spine.
"Hey, Ava," called Betty, the night cook, peeking her head out from the kitchen. "Everything okay out there? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Ava tried to calm her breathing, forcing a shaky smile. "Yeah, uh…just thought I heard something strange. Probably nothing."
Betty frowned but didn't press further. She disappeared back into the kitchen, muttering about how people needed to secure their garbage to keep bears away.
Ava couldn't concentrate. Her gaze drifted back to the door. Against her better judgment, she crept toward it and peeked outside again. The growls had ceased. The parking lot was deserted.
Before she could decide what to do next, the door swung open suddenly, and he walked back in.
His jacket was draped over one shoulder, his white shirt slightly wrinkled. There was a faint smudge of dirt on his cheek, but otherwise, he appeared unharmed. The intensity in his eyes had softened, though they still held an air of mystery.
"Everything okay?" Ava asked cautiously.
He studied her for a moment before nodding. "It's taken care of."
"Taken care of?" She frowned, crossing her arms. "What does that even mean? What was that thing out there? And…who are you?"
He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "You ask a lot of questions."
"And you provide no answers," she retorted, surprising herself with her assertiveness.
His lips twitched, hinting at a smile. "Fair enough. But this isn't the place to talk about it."
Ava glanced around the nearly empty diner. "Seems private enough to me."
He leaned in closer, his golden eyes locking onto hers. "Not here," he said firmly, his voice dropping to a near growl.
A shiver ran down her spine, but she stood her ground. There was something about him that was both terrifying and fascinating, like standing too close to the edge of a cliff.
"Fine," she said, stepping back. "But you owe me an explanation."
"I'll owe you nothing," he replied, though there was no malice in his tone. If anything, he sounded… resigned. "Go home, Ava. Forget what you saw tonight."
Before she could respond, he turned and left, the door closing behind him with a soft thud.
---
Ava didn't sleep that night. She lay in her small, cluttered apartment, staring at the ceiling and replaying the night's events in her mind. The glowing eyes, the monstrous figure, and the man who had faced it without fear—it all felt like a scene from a supernatural thriller.
But it wasn't fiction. It was real.
By morning, her curiosity had only intensified. She needed answers.
---
The next evening, Ava arrived at the diner for her shift, scanning the room for any sign of him. Part of her hoped he wouldn't show up, that he'd simply vanish and take the mystery with him. But another part—a bigger part—needed to see him again.
And just as if summoned by her thoughts, he walked in just after midnight.
This time, he chose a seat at the counter. Ava hesitated for a moment before approaching him, a cup of coffee in hand.
"You're back," she said, sliding the cup toward him.
"I needed coffee," he replied, his tone neutral.
"Right," she said, leaning on the counter. "Because this is definitely about caffeine and not, oh, I don't know, the giant monster you fought last night."
He looked at her, his golden eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and irritation. "You're persistent, I'll give you that."
"I'm also not stupid," she retorted. "So, how about we stop beating around the bush and you tell me what's really going on?"
He looked at her for a long moment before letting out a sigh. "You're not going to drop this, are you?"
"Not a chance."
He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "Alright. But you might not like what you find out."
"Go ahead, I'm listening."
He scanned the diner, making sure no one was eavesdropping, then continued. "That 'thing' you saw last night? It's called a rogue. A werewolf that's lost its pack and its sanity. Very dangerous, completely out of control."
Ava's breath caught in her throat. "Werewolf? You can't be serious."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
She examined his face, looking for any sign of a joke. There was none.
"And you?" she asked quietly.
"I'm not like them," he replied, his voice firm but laced with something more. "But I'm not entirely human either."
Ava felt her world shift. Werewolves, rogues, and this man who seemed to walk the line between hunter and guardian
. What had she stumbled into?
One thing was clear: her life would never be the same again.