Lila was unable to sleep.
Even though it was bigger than any bed she had ever had, it wasn't the bed. Despite being more opulent than she had ever imagined, it wasn't the room. Not even the knowledge that she was stuck in a world she didn't belong in, enmeshed in a curse she didn't completely comprehend, or the fear that was eating at her, kept her awake. He was the one.
Alexander.
There was no denying the attraction between them, and even now her heart raced at the way he had gazed at her in the study—so certain, so intent. He needed her assistance. Although she wasn't sure she could say no, she wasn't sure she could give it either. Something within her was roused by his suffering and vulnerability. Despite everything he had lost, he was still attempting to persuade her that she could lift the curse.
She wasn't sure whether she could, and she didn't know how.
However, she kept thinking about what he had said. The key is you.
She pondered the extent to which this was the result of a novel that had been written long before she had ever entered this home and the extent to which it was fate.
Under the full moon, Lila stood and moved toward the window, gazing out at the expansive grounds. Behind her, the mansion loomed, enigmatic and gloomy. She missed the ease of her former existence when she was not burdened with werewolves, curses, or links she couldn't comprehend.
She turned to look at the trees on the other side of the land. They swayed with the wind, a dark mass against the night sky. They had a strangely reassuring quality. She could picture herself escaping from all of this by racing through the forest. Where would she go, though? Who was she to believe?
Just as she was thinking that, a figure emerged from the darkness outside. Lila's breath caught in her throat as she froze.
Alexander was the one.
The way he was staring at her, his countenance unreadable, made her heart skip a beat, even though she had no idea how long he had been standing there. At the same time, he felt both close and distant to her.
She remained silent since she was unsure of what to say to him.
They stood silently for a while, simply observing one another through the glass. There was something more there, something softer, but his eyes were fierce, as though he could see right through her. She nearly trusted him because of something.
At last, he spoke in a low, nearly hushed voice. "Come outside, Lilia."
She wasn't sure why she did it; perhaps it was the way he called her name or the way he seemed to occupy all available space in the room. However, she opened the door and stepped out into the night before she could stop herself.
She felt the cool breeze of the outdoors caress her skin. Behind her, the imposing outline of the mansion appeared far away. The woodland was covered in silvery light from the full moon, and the darkness of the trees spread out before her.
With his back to her and his eyes fixed on the trees, Alexander waited for her. Despite his black profile blending in with the night, he had an indisputable magnetic quality. Despite the warning in her head, she was unable to stop herself from approaching him.
He looked at her as she drew closer, something inscrutable flashing in his golden eyes.
He murmured, as though he could hear her hesitancy, "You don't need to say anything." Come with me, please. I need you to comprehend.
A knot formed in Lila's gut as she swallowed. She had gone this far, but she had no idea what he meant when he said, "understand." He led the way toward the trees after she nodded.
The soil beneath their feet muffled the sound of their footsteps as they strolled in quiet. The noises of darkness filled the forest: an owl hooted, crickets chirped, and something big scuttled through the underbrush in the distance.
Lila detected a change in the air at that moment. It was more than just the forest's wet scent or cool breeze. Something thick in the air, something else. The hairs sprang up on the back of her neck.
When they came to a little clearing, Alexander paused and looked at her.
Sensing that something was going to happen, Lila stepped back. Her voice trembled as she questioned, "What is this?" "What are you doing?"
Simply, "I'm showing you," he said.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Something changed a second later. Lila gazed in wonder as his shape started to shift in front of her.
Energy seemed to hum in the air around them. His shoulders widened, his bones appeared to move and fracture beneath his skin, and suddenly he was no longer a man standing before her.
He was a wolf.
As the enormous, dark wolf in front of her gazed at her with those same golden eyes, Lila gasped and put her hand to her lips. His fur was glowed almost ethereally in the moonlight. The wolf's presence was overwhelming; it was majestic, muscular, and sleek.
She was momentarily unable to breathe. She had heard tales, of course, but it was a whole other to witness it firsthand—to see him as he was. The beast before her was strong, frightful, and yet... lovely.
As if to draw her nearer, Alexander, in his wolf form, lowered his head a little. He wasn't snarling. He wasn't making an attack. Rather, he just waited there.
As Lila moved forward, her instincts telling her to run, she experienced a flood of amazement and terror. But she resisted something. The man she had been avoiding was this one. This was the curse-bound beast, the Alpha.
And now she stood in front of him, confronting the truth about her destiny.
"Why are you displaying this to me?" She took another hesitant step toward him and muttered, her voice shaking.
When the wolf's golden eyes flashed, it briefly appeared as though Alexander was staring at her rather than the animal. She sensed the relationship was there.
Despite his wolf shape, he spoke in a low, guttural voice, "The curse isn't just in my blood." It's a part of who I am. And you now have it as well.
Lila felt her heart tighten. Like a tidal wave, the weight of his words struck her.
"What happens now, then?" Her voice was almost heard as she asked.
He moved in closer, giving her a little prod with his big, furry muzzle.
With a gentle yet resolute tone, he declared, "Now, we begin the journey to break the curse." "With each other."
Lila's heart pounded as she gazed at him. This was not what she had requested. None of this was her request. But she was no longer able to deny the connection, the tie.
The only sound in the wilderness was their breathing. The world appeared to stop, and Lila became aware of something that frightened her: she was no longer in control of her life. There was no turning back once it was entangled with Alexander's.