PAWS OFF MY HEART

Silverwood smelled like rain and secrets.

Riley Hayes had lived in this town her whole life, long enough to know its stories the whispers of creatures in the woods, of missing hikers and glowing eyes in the dark. Long enough to know better than to believe any of it.

The legends were Silverwood’s favorite bedtime stories, repeated over bonfires and hushed in the hallways of Silverwood High. But Riley had never been the type to believe in fairy tales.

Until tonight.

The storm was rolling in fast, thick clouds swallowing the sky and casting the woods in shadows. The damp air carried the scent of pine and something else, something electric like the moment before lightning struck. Riley tugged the hood of her jacket higher over her head and picked up her pace.

She should never have taken the shortcut through the woods.

But Nova had bailed on their study session at the last minute (probably to make out with Jake Carter behind the gym, not that Riley could judge), and she hadn’t wanted to wait another forty-five minutes for her mom to pick her up from the library. Walking through the woods shaved ten minutes off her route home.

It wasn’t supposed to feel like walking into a horror movie.

The air pressed heavily against her skin, thick with silence. The usual sounds of the forest chirping crickets, rustling leaves, and distant howls were gone. Something about it was wrong, and Riley wasn’t the type to ignore a gut feeling.

She pulled her phone from her pocket, the glow of the screen the only light in the growing darkness. No service. Because of course.

A sharp snap echoed through the trees.

Riley froze.

A branch breaking. Something moving.

She told herself it was just a deer. A raccoon. Anything normal.

But the feeling creeping up her spine wasn’t normal. It was the kind of instinct she couldn’t explain, the kind that made every cell in her body scream and run.

And then she saw them.

Two figures, barely visible in the shadows between the trees.

Not figures.

Eyes.

Glowing, golden eyes that burned through the darkness.

Riley’s breath caught in her throat as she took a slow step back. The figures moved, too fast, too fluid like something wild, something dangerous.

Then snarling. Low, guttural, not human.

Her pulse slammed against her ribs.

She turned and ran.

The forest blurred around her as she sprinted, branches whipping against her arms, rain starting to fall in sharp, cold droplets. The ground was slick and uneven, but she didn’t stop she couldn’t stop.

The sound of footsteps pounded behind her. Not one set. Two.

Too fast. Too close.

I’m not going to make it.

Then something crashed into her from the side.

The impact sent her flying, her breath ripped from her lungs as she hit the ground. Pain shot through her shoulder, leaves, and dirt pressing against her skin.

Before she could move before she could even think, the shadow loomed over her.

A creature.

Not a wolf. Not a man. Something in between.

It stood on two legs, its massive frame

The creature towered over Riley, half-shadow, half-nightmare. It stood on two legs, but its body was covered in dark, coarse fur. Its hands and claws flexed at its sides, and its golden eyes burned with something almost human.

Almost.

Riley couldn’t move. Couldn’t scream.

Then the second one stepped into the clearing.

This one was different leaner, its fur a lighter shade, eyes gleaming a deep, unnatural red. It was watching the first creature, not her. And something in the way its lips curled back, exposing long, gleaming fangs, told her that whatever was happening, she wasn’t the one it was hunting.

The first wolf the bigger one turned to face the red-eyed one.

A low growl rumbled from its chest, a sound so deep that Riley felt it in her bones. The red-eyed wolf growled back, stepping forward, muscles tensed.

They weren’t just animals.

They were fighting.

And Riley was caught in the middle of it.

Her survival instinct kicked in. She scrambled backward, fingers digging into the damp earth, every inch of her body screaming at her to move, now, before they remembered she was here.

But before she could push herself up, the red-eyed wolf lunged.

It was too fast just a blur of movement, claws slicing through the air. The bigger wolf dodged, pivoting with an impossible kind of grace before slamming into its attacker with bone-crushing force.

The sound of impact sent shockwaves through the night.

The red-eyed wolf snarled, snapping at the bigger one’s throat. They tumbled through the dirt and leaves, claws slashing, teeth bared. For a moment, Riley couldn’t tell who was winning just flashes of fur, growls that sounded almost like words, and the metallic scent of blood in the air.

Then a yelp.

The bigger wolf had the other pinned, teeth buried in its shoulder.

The red-eyed wolf thrashed, kicking up dirt, but the hold was too strong. With one final, guttural snarl, the bigger wolf threw it back, sending it crashing against a tree.

Silence.

Riley barely breathed as she watched the red-eyed wolf stagger to its feet, shaking with rage. It turned its glowing gaze toward the bigger wolf, snarled one last time then bolted into the darkness.

The storm swallowed the sound of its retreat.

The only thing left in the clearing was the remaining wolf. And Riley.

Her heart was a wild drum in her chest. She forced herself to move, crawling backward, desperate to get away before

The wolf turned to her.

Not just turned. Looked at her.

Like it knew her.

Riley’s breath hitched as she met those golden eyes. Closer now, she could see flecks of hazel buried beneath the glow, something almost… familiar.

The wolf took a slow step toward her.

She froze.

Then impossibly, horrifyingly it shifted.

One moment, a massive wolf was standing in front of her.

The next, a boy was kneeling in its place.

His body was bare except for the shadows and streaks of blood on his skin. His dark, rain-soaked hair clung to his forehead, his sharp jawline bruised.

And his eyes.

Golden, still burning, but unmistakably human now.

Riley knew that face.

Everyone at Silverwood High did.

Kieran Wolfe.

The guy who had shown up in town two months ago with a reputation that reeked of trouble. The guy who never talked to anyone, who always looked like he was one wrong move away from wrecking something.

The guy who had just turned into a wolf right in front of her.

Riley’s body finally caught up to her brain. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the way her limbs trembled.

“What the” Her voice broke. “What the hell was that?”

Kieran didn’t answer immediately. His breathing was rough, and uneven, his muscles still shaking like shifting had drained every ounce of strength from him.

Then he exhaled a slow, sharp breath, and lifted his gaze to hers.

“That,” he said, voice hoarse but steady, “was me saving your life.”

Riley’s pulse thundered. Her hands clenched at her sides.

A normal person would’ve thanked him. A normal person would’ve run.

Riley wasn’t normal.

She took a step back.

Kieran frowned. “You’re scared.”

“No kidding,” she snapped. “I just watched you” She gestured at him, still unable to fully process what she’d seen. “You, you turned into a freaking wolf!”

Kieran flinched, but not from the words. His eyes flickered toward the darkness where the red-eyed wolf had disappeared.

“He’ll be back,” he muttered, mostly to himself.

Riley’s chest tightened. “Who will be back?”

Kieran’s gaze slid back to hers. His lips pressed into a hard line.

“You need to go home, Riley.”

Her stomach dropped.

He knew her name.

She had never spoken to Kieran Wolfe a day in her life, but he knew exactly who she was.

She should’ve run. Should’ve done the smart thing, turned around, and never looked back.

But Riley Hayes had never been good at walking away from a mystery.

And right now, Kieran Wolfe was the biggest damn mystery Silverwood had ever seen.

So instead of running, she folded her arms and met his stare head-on.

“You just fought whatever that thing was, turned into a wolf, and you think I’m just going to go home like nothing happened?”

Kieran sighed like he didn’t have the patience for this. “That would be the smart thing to do.”

Riley narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, well. I don’t do smart.”

A flicker of something crossed his face exasperation, maybe, or the barest hint of amusement.

But then the storm rumbled overhead, and whatever softness had been there vanished. Kieran stepped closer, lowering his voice.

“This isn’t a game, Riley.”

The way he said her name sent a chill down her spine.

“I need you to listen to me,” he continued. “Forget what you saw. Forget me.”

A cold, sinking feeling settled in her stomach.

“Why?” she asked. “Because it’s dangerous?”

He held her gaze. “Because now they know you’ve seen too much.”

Lightning flashed. Thunder cracked overhead.

And in that single, shattering moment, Riley knew one thing for sure.

She wasn’t getting out of this alive.

Not unless she trusted the boy who had just turned into a monster.