---
Caleb's POV
The night was thick with the scent of rain. Caleb stood by the window, watching as the sky darkened even further, heavy clouds rolling in like a second wave of doom. He hadn't slept—not that he could, not after tonight.
Elena's scream still echoed in his head. The terror in her voice had sliced through him like a blade, sharper than any claw or fang. For the first time in years, he had almost lost control.
The memory of his shift—violent, reckless—made him clench his fists. Caleb had always been careful to rein in his wolf, even in battle. Losing control meant losing himself, something he could never afford. Not with Victor lurking on the edge of their borders.
Not with her in danger.
"Staring out there won't make them disappear, you know."
Caleb turned his head to see Mason leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, his expression a mix of amusement and concern. A thin bandage wrapped around his forearm, but otherwise, he looked unfazed by the fight. Mason always bounced back quickly, no matter how many scrapes he got into.
"Did you check the perimeter?" Caleb asked, ignoring his remark.
Mason shrugged. "Twice. No sign of Victor's wolves—at least for now. You scared the hell out of them."
"They'll be back," Caleb muttered, turning back to the window. "They always come back."
Mason's gaze shifted, his teasing demeanor fading slightly. "You did good tonight, you know. You saved her."
Caleb's chest tightened. Did I?
Elena was alive, yes—but her world was crumbling piece by piece, and he was at the center of it. Her life had been normal before she'd stepped into this cursed forest. Before she'd met him.
Mason sighed when Caleb didn't respond. "You can't keep this up forever, Caleb."
Caleb frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"This." Mason gestured broadly. "The brooding, the lone-wolf act, the I-have-to-save-her-but-she-can't-know thing. It's exhausting just watching you."
Caleb turned to glare at him. "This isn't a game, Mason."
"Yeah, but it's also not just about you." Mason stepped closer, his voice softening. "Elena deserves to know what's going on. You can't protect her if you're keeping her in the dark."
Caleb's jaw tightened. Mason had a point—he always did, annoyingly—but the thought of telling Elena the truth made his stomach twist. She wasn't ready.
And if she knew what he was?
If she knew what she might be?
Caleb pushed away from the window. "She needs time. I'll tell her when she's ready."
Mason sighed heavily. "Fine. But don't wait too long, Caleb. She's tougher than you think."
---
Elena's POV
The soft crackling of the fire kept Elena grounded. Wrapped in the blanket, she stared into the flames, her mind racing with questions she couldn't answer.
Her body still hummed with adrenaline. The snarling wolves, Caleb's massive black form shielding her—it felt like a fever dream. A nightmare she hadn't fully woken up from.
But it was real. Too real.
The cabin door creaked open, and Elena looked up to see Caleb stepping inside. His expression was guarded, his gaze flicking to her briefly before he set a steaming cup on the table beside her.
"Tea," he said simply.
"Thanks," she murmured, taking it gratefully. The warmth seeped into her hands, chasing away some of the chill that had settled in her bones.
Caleb lingered near the fire, his face partially shadowed as he stared into the flames. He looked tired, worn down in a way that went beyond physical exhaustion.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly.
Caleb's gaze shifted to her, dark eyes studying her as if weighing how much to say. After a long moment, he nodded. "I'm fine."
Liar.
Elena took a sip of the tea, her gaze fixed on him. "You're not a very good liar, you know."
Caleb's lips twitched, almost forming a smile. "So I've been told."
The room grew quiet again. Elena hesitated, the words bubbling up before she could stop them. "What happened out there tonight?"
Caleb's expression hardened, and he turned his gaze back to the fire. "You don't need to worry about that."
"But I am worried," Elena said, her voice firmer this time. "Those wolves—they were after me, weren't they?"
Caleb didn't respond.
"I'm not stupid, Caleb," she pressed. "You're hiding something. And whatever it is, it's connected to me, isn't it?"
His shoulders stiffened, but he didn't turn to face her. "It's complicated."
Elena set her cup down, her frustration bubbling over. "Everything about this town is complicated! Blackwood Hollow isn't normal, Caleb. The woods, the wolves, the way everyone acts like they're hiding something—it's like I'm living in a bad horror movie."
Caleb's head dropped slightly, his dark hair falling over his forehead. "You're right," he said quietly.
Elena blinked, startled. "What?"
He finally turned to face her, his gaze intense and unflinching. "You're right. Blackwood Hollow isn't normal. And you're caught in the middle of something you don't understand."
Elena's heart pounded. "Then explain it to me."
Caleb opened his mouth, then closed it again, as if the words were stuck in his throat. He ran a hand through his hair, the tension radiating off him like heat.
"Not yet," he said finally.
Elena's shoulders sagged. "Why not?"
"Because I'm trying to protect you."
The quiet sincerity in his voice made her chest tighten. Caleb looked at her then, really looked at her, and for the first time, she saw something raw and vulnerable behind his usual guarded expression.
"I know you have questions," he said softly. "And you deserve answers. But I can't give them to you—not yet. Trust me when I say that knowing the truth will change everything."
Elena stared at him, her frustration warring with a deep, inexplicable trust that she couldn't shake. Caleb wasn't lying to her. He was protecting her—she just didn't know from what.
"Fine," she said after a long pause. "But promise me something."
"What?"
"When the time comes… you'll tell me everything."
Caleb hesitated, then nodded once. "I promise."
The words hung heavily in the air, like an oath that neither of them could take back.
---
Later That Night
Sleep didn't come easily. Elena lay curled on the small cot, staring at the ceiling as the events of the night replayed in her mind.
Wolves. Snarling teeth. Caleb's massive black form standing over her.
And the look in his eyes when he promised to tell her the truth.
She turned onto her side, pulling the blanket tighter around her. The fire had burned low, casting flickering shadows across the room. Outside, the wind howled through the trees, a lonely sound that made her shiver.
Something was coming. She could feel it.
And no matter how hard Caleb tried to protect her, she knew it was only a matter of time before the truth found her.