Ava's heart hammered in her chest, the thrum of her pulse vibrating through every inch of her being. Damon Blackwood stood before her, his eyes like molten gold, glowing with a hunger she couldn't comprehend. The moonlight bathed him in an ethereal glow, his presence both terrifying and magnetic. The tension between them was palpable like a cord stretched to its breaking point.
Her breath came in shallow gasps as she took a step back, her instincts screaming at her to run, to escape the mysterious force that held her in place. But her feet remained rooted to the earth, as though she were bound by something deeper than fear, something that connected her to him in a way she didn't understand.
"You must have so many questions," Damon said, his voice low and commanding. The words seemed to reverberate through the night air, as though the forest itself was listening. "I know how it feels to be in the dark about who you are. To feel like you're living a lie."
Ava opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her throat was tight, constricted by an overwhelming sense of both awe and fear. Everything inside her told her to get away from him, yet something else the same pull that had drawn her to the forest kept her rooted in place.
"What do you mean, 'living a lie'?" she finally managed to whisper, her voice trembling. She wanted answers, needed them, but the raw intensity of his gaze made it hard to focus.
Damon took a step closer, his broad form towering over her. "I know it's a lot to take in. But you've been kept in the dark, Ava. Your parents everything they told you was a lie. You are not just any ordinary girl. You are part of the Blackwood legacy. You are a daughter of the pack."
Ava's chest tightened as his words sank in. She'd heard bits and pieces of the Blackwood name growing up, but she had never imagined it meant anything like this. Werewolves? Her? She could hardly wrap her mind around it.
"No… this can't be true," she muttered, shaking her head, her breath coming faster. "I'm just… me. I'm Ava Winters. I'm not part of any pack."
Damon's expression softened slightly, though there was an underlying urgency to it. "You are, whether you accept it or not. Your bloodline is tied to mine. You're a part of the pack's ancient history. The Blackwood family has always protected those with your blood, even if you don't understand why. That's why you've felt different all your life. The pull you feel to the forest, to me it's in your blood, Ava."
Her mind spun, the world around her feeling like it was shifting, rearranging in a way she couldn't control. She had spent her entire life feeling like an outsider like there was something inside her that didn't belong. Now, she was being told that everything she knew about herself was wrong, that she was connected to something… primal.
"I don't understand," she said, her voice shaky. "How can I be part of something like this? I don't even know who I am."
Damon's gaze softened further, and he stepped even closer, closing the space between them. His presence was overwhelming, but there was a tenderness in his eyes that confused her even more. "You're stronger than you realize, Ava. Your instincts have been guiding you, pulling you toward this moment. You are a werewolf, like me. And I'm here to help you accept that truth."
Ava stumbled back a few steps, her mind racing. She could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage, and the air around her seemed to thicken. She wanted to scream, to deny everything he was saying, but deep down, she couldn't ignore the truth of it. There was something inside her a darkness, a power that she had never understood. It had always been there, lurking beneath the surface, and now it was coming to light.
"I'm not a werewolf," she said, more to herself than to him. "I can't be."
Damon's eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. "You are, and you have no choice but to face it. You can try to deny it, but it will only make it harder for you in the long run. Your transformation is inevitable, Ava. The only question is whether you will accept it or fight it."
Her breath hitched at his words. Transformation. That was the thing she had feared, the thing that had haunted her dreams the idea that something inside her would awaken, something she couldn't control. But how could this be real? How could she be one of them?
"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I don't know if I'm ready for… whatever this is."
Damon took another step toward her, his eyes never leaving hers. He reached out and gently cupped her face in his large, calloused hand. His touch was electric, sending a shiver down her spine. The warmth of his hand on her skin made her feel as if she were burning, yet at the same time, it soothed a deep ache inside her, a hunger she hadn't even known existed.
"You don't have to be ready, Ava," he murmured. "I'm not asking you to understand it all right now. But you'll come to see that this is who you are. The blood of the Blackwood pack runs through your veins. And whether you want it or not, you're tied to me, to this world. To your destiny."
Ava shivered at his words, at the weight of what he was saying. She wanted to run, to escape this overwhelming truth, but part of her something deep inside was pulling her toward him, toward the unknown.
"I… I don't know what to do," she whispered, her voice breaking.
Damon's grip on her face tightened slightly, and for a moment, he simply stared at her with those piercing golden eyes. "You don't have to do anything yet. Just trust me, Ava. You're not alone in this. I'll help you every step of the way."
His words should have been comforting, but all they did was fill her with more confusion. She didn't know if she could trust him. She didn't know if she could trust herself. But what choice did she have? He was right there was something inside her that was waking up, and it wasn't going to be ignored.
For the first time in her life, Ava felt truly helpless. Her whole existence had been turned upside down, and she didn't know if she could survive the storm that was about to come. But Damon's presence and his raw power were a constant reminder that she wasn't alone. Not anymore.
"Come with me," Damon said softly, his voice commanding, but there was a gentleness to it. "Let me show you the truth. Let me show you the pack."
Without waiting for her response, he turned and started to walk away, his movements fluid and graceful, like a predator in its element. Ava hesitated for a moment, uncertainty gnawing at her. But then, something inside her stirred a deep, primal yearning that she couldn't ignore.
She followed him, her steps tentative but determined, unsure of what the future held, but knowing one thing for certain: nothing would ever be the same again.