Chapter 2

The moment stretched between them, thick with something unnamed. Serena knew she should step back, create distance between herself and this stranger with golden eyes and an aura of barely restrained danger. But she didn't.

Instead, she tilted her chin up, meeting his gaze without flinching. "If you're dangerous," she said, her voice steady, "then why haven't you hurt me?"

His jaw clenched, his body going rigid. "Don't test me."

She didn't move. Neither did he. The space between them felt charged, humming with a strange energy that sent goosebumps skittering down her arms.

"What's your name?" she asked softly.

For a moment, he didn't answer. The muscles in his forearms flexed, and she had the distinct feeling that he was waging some kind of internal battle. Then-

"Talon," he said, his voice rough, unwilling.

Serena exhaled. Talon. The name tasted familiar, like something she'd always known but never spoken aloud. She had heard it in her dreams, whispered in the darkness between visions, but now-he was real.

He was staring at her like he was trying to figure out whether she was a threat or a puzzle he couldn't solve. His golden eyes flickered in the moonlight, unreadable and intense.

"You need to go home, Serena."

She stiffened at the sound of her name. "How do you-"

His expression darkened. "You shouldn't be here," he repeated, his voice tight. "This forest... it's not safe for people like you."

Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. "People like me?"

His lip curled, as if he regretted saying it. "Humans."

Serena's breath hitched. "How do you know I'm human?"

Talon exhaled sharply, running a hand through his dark hair in frustration. "Because I can smell it."

The words sent a chill through her, but she fought to keep her expression neutral. "You can smell it?"

His gaze locked onto hers. "Yes."

Something inside her shifted, something instinctive, raw. She should have been terrified, should have turned and run the moment he admitted that. But instead, her mind latched onto something else.

If he could smell her, if he wasn't human-then what was he?

Talon took a slow step forward, and despite herself, Serena's breath caught. He moved like a predator-controlled, graceful, deadly. The moonlight outlined the sharp planes of his face, casting shadows that only made him look more dangerous.

"I don't know why you came here, but you need to forget you ever saw me," he murmured. "Forget my name. Forget this place."

Serena swallowed hard. "I can't."

His jaw tensed. "Why?"

"Because I saw you," she whispered. "I saw this-us-before it ever happened."

A muscle in his jaw ticked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Serena hesitated, but there was no turning back now. "I have visions," she admitted. "Dreams. And for the past few weeks, they've been about you."

Something shifted in his expression. It was subtle, but she caught it-a flicker of recognition, of something deeper. He was trying to hide it, but he knew something.

"What did you see?" His voice was softer now, but there was something in it-something dangerous.

She hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. But before she could speak, a sudden, sharp sound split the night-a low, guttural growl, deep in the forest behind them.

Talon's entire body went rigid.

Serena turned, scanning the darkness. The trees stretched high into the sky, their branches clawing toward the stars, but she saw nothing. Heard nothing.

Then-another growl. Closer this time.

A cold prickle ran down her spine.

Talon cursed under his breath. "Damn it," he muttered. "They followed me."

Serena's pulse skyrocketed. "Who-"

Before she could finish, Talon grabbed her wrist. His grip was firm, but not painful-just enough to make her skin tingle.

"No time," he said, voice low. "We need to move. Now."

Serena barely had time to process the words before he was pulling her into the trees.