Page 3 of Wolf Mate’s Forbidden Fire (Esoterra Shifters World #1)
Chapter Three
Aurora
I hiked through the Esoterra forest at dusk, my flashlight beam slicing through the dim light.
The oversized paw prints I’d found near the cabin pulled me deeper into the woods, their size throwing everything I knew about wolves out the window.
My wildlife training screamed that these tracks were impossible, way too big for any known species, but they were real, pressed deep into the damp earth.
My boots crunched on pine needles, and the air buzzed with a strange energy, like a storm waiting to break.
I gripped my flashlight tighter, my other hand brushing the quartz pendant under my shirt, its weight a small comfort.
The forest was eerily quiet, no birds, no rustling, just my own breaths and a faint hum I couldn’t place.
The prints led me to a clearing, a wide open space ringed by towering pines, the ground soft with moss.
I crouched to study a fresh track, my fingers tracing its edges, when a twig snapped behind me.
I spun around, my flashlight cutting through the shadows.
A man stepped out, tall and shirtless, his skin marked with faint scars that caught the fading light.
His gray eyes locked onto mine, the same eyes from my dream, the same eyes as the black wolf on my camera.
My heart slammed against my ribs, but I held my ground, raising my flashlight like a club.
“Who the hell are you?” I said, my voice sharp despite the shake in my hands. “This is private land.”
He stood still, his chest rising and falling, his black hair messy like he’d been running. “You’re the one who doesn’t belong here,” he said, his voice low and rough, like it was scraped from the earth. “You need to leave, Aurora. Now.”
I blinked, my grip tightening on the flashlight. “How do you know my name? And what’s with the cryptic nonsense? I’m here to study wolves, not deal with some shirtless guy lurking in the woods.”
His jaw tightened, and he stepped closer, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’re in over your head. These woods aren’t safe. Pack your gear and go back to the city.”
I laughed, short and defiant, stepping toward him until we were only a few feet apart.
“You don’t get to order me around. I’ve got a job to do, and I’m not scared off by local legends or oversized paw prints.
” My pulse was racing, but it wasn’t just from standing my ground.
Something about him, his voice, his eyes, it tugged at me, like a thread pulling tight in my chest. The heat rolling off him was palpable, even in the cool air.
He moved fast, grabbing my wrist before I could react.
His grip was strong, his skin scorching against mine, sending a jolt through me.
“You don’t understand,” he said, his voice dropping to a near-growl, his eyes burning into me.
“You’re stirring up trouble you can’t handle. Leave, or you’ll regret it.”
I yanked my wrist free, but instead of stepping back, I closed the distance, my chest almost brushing his. “Try me,” I said, my voice steady despite the fire in my veins. “I’m not some tourist you can spook. What’s your deal? Why are you out here, half-naked, acting like you own the forest?”
His eyes flickered, something wild and hungry flashing in them, and I thought he might grab me again.
Instead, he leaned closer, his breath hot against my cheek.
“You’re too stubborn,” he said, his voice softer now, almost a whisper, but it carried a weight that made my skin tingle.
“You have no idea what you’re walking into, Aurora. ”
My breath caught, and I couldn’t look away from those stormy eyes.
They pulled me in, like a tide I didn’t want to fight.
My flashlight slipped from my hand, hitting the ground with a soft thud, and I reached out, my fingers grazing his bare chest. His skin was warm, the scars rough under my touch, and a spark shot through me, electric and alive.
“Then tell me,” I said, my voice barely audible, my fingers lingering on his skin. “What’s out here? What are you hiding?”
He didn’t answer, just stared at me, his chest heaving, his eyes dark and intense.
Then his hands were on me, one gripping my waist, the other sliding to the small of my back, pulling me flush against him.
His lips crashed into mine, fierce and demanding, and I kissed him back, hard, my hands roaming up his chest, fingers digging into the taut muscle.
The kiss was raw, hungry, all heat and need, his tongue teasing mine, sending shivers down my spine.
His fingers slipped under my jacket, tugging it open, his calloused hand brushing the bare skin of my lower back, igniting a fire that spread low and deep.
I gasped into his mouth, my hands sliding down, tracing the hard lines of his abs, dipping just below the waistband of his jeans.
My body pressed closer, craving more, the cool air forgotten as his heat enveloped me.
We stumbled back, my spine hitting a mossy boulder, the stone cold against my back but doing nothing to cool the fever in my blood.
His lips moved to my jaw, then lower, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down my neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin just above my collarbone.
I tilted my head back, a soft moan escaping as his hand slid lower, cupping my hip, his fingers teasing the edge of my jeans.
My shirt was half-undone, his was nonexistent, and I could feel every inch of his bare chest pressed against me, his heart pounding as fast as mine.
My hands roamed his sides, nails grazing his skin, pulling a low growl from his throat that vibrated against my neck.
I tugged at his hair, bringing his lips back to mine, and the kiss deepened, slower now but no less intense, his tongue exploring mine like he was memorizing me.
“What are we doing?” I whispered against his lips, my voice shaky, my body still pressed tight against his. “This is insane.”
He pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, his hand still on my hip, his thumb brushing a slow circle that made my breath hitch. “You feel it, don’t you?” he said, his voice rough, like he was fighting to keep control. “This isn’t just us. It’s bigger. And it’s dangerous.”
I swallowed, my hands still on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart under my palms. “What does that even mean? You’re talking in riddles.”
He leaned his forehead against mine, his breath hot and uneven. “I can’t explain it,” he said, his voice tight, his fingers tightening on my hip. “Not now. But you need to stay away from this place, Aurora. There are things here that’ll hurt you, things you can’t understand.”
I pulled back, zipping up my jacket with shaky hands, my cheeks flushed. “You don’t get to kiss me like that and then tell me to run,” I said, my voice sharper now, though my body was still humming from his touch. “If there’s something out here, I’m going to find it. With or without you.”
He growled, low and frustrated, running a hand through his hair. “You’re impossible,” he said, but there was a flicker in his eyes, something like respect mixed with hunger. “Just watch yourself. You’re not as safe as you think.”
Before I could snap back, he turned and vanished into the trees, his footsteps silent, leaving me alone in the clearing.
My lips burned, my skin still tingling where his hands had been, and my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it.
I grabbed my flashlight, the beam trembling in my hand, and started back toward the cabin.
The forest felt alive now, every shadow and rustle making my nerves jump, but it wasn’t fear driving me.
It was him, the way he’d felt, the way he’d looked at me, like I was the only thing that mattered.
I touched my lips, still tasting him, and shook my head.
“Get it together, Aurora,” I muttered, picking up my pace.
Back at the cabin, I locked the door and leaned against it, my breath coming in short bursts.
My jacket was still half-open, my shirt askew, and I could still feel the ghost of his hands on my skin, low and possessive.
I sank into the chair by my laptop, the camera feeds flickering on the screen, but I couldn’t focus.
His face, those gray eyes, the way his touch had set me on fire, it was all I could think about.
I grabbed my journal and flipped it open, my pencil moving fast, sketching his face next to the wolf I’d drawn before.
The sharp jaw, the intense gaze, they were too similar, the man and the wolf, and it made my stomach twist. “Who are you?” I whispered, staring at the sketch.