Chapter Five: The Truth in the Dark

Run.

Jace’s voice cut through the wind, sharp and urgent.

But I didn’t move.

I couldn’t.

Something deep in my chest told me that running wouldn’t change anything. That whatever was lurking in the woods—whatever had Jace on edge—was already too close.

The growl came again, low and hungry, slithering through the trees like a warning.

Jace’s grip on my wrist tightened. His breathing was uneven, his muscles locked in place like he was trying to hold himself together.

“Please,” he rasped. “Go.”

A part of me wanted to listen, to turn and run like any sane person would. But something wasn’t right.

Jace wasn’t afraid.

He was protecting me.

From what?

From himself?

Before I could answer, the shadows shifted.

And then—I saw it.

Glowing eyes.

Not Jace’s.

These were different. Sharper. Predatory.

And there were more than one.

I sucked in a breath as three figures emerged from the trees.

They moved with inhuman grace, their steps silent despite the brittle leaves beneath their feet. Their bodies were tall and lean, muscles coiled tight like they were built for speed.

But it was their eyes that sent my heart racing.

Amber. Burning. Not human.

The tallest one stopped just a few feet away, his lips pulling into a sharp, amused smile. “Jace,” he drawled, voice smooth as silk. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Jace shifted, his shoulders tensing. “You shouldn’t be here.”

The man—if he was even that—tilted his head. “Neither should you.”

His gaze flicked to me.

The moment our eyes met, something inside me lurched.

A sickening, twisting feeling, like my body was suddenly rejecting the air around me.

His smile widened. “Interesting.”

Jace moved in front of me, his body a solid wall of tension. “Leave. Now.”

The man’s amusement didn’t fade, but something colder settled beneath it.

“You know the rules, Jace.” His voice dipped lower. “You don’t get to keep secrets.”

Jace’s jaw tightened. “She’s not a secret.”

The man arched a brow. “No?” He inhaled deeply, like he was scenting the air. Then his gaze snapped back to me, something unreadable flickering across his face.

My stomach twisted.

I didn’t know what was happening.

But I knew one thing—

Jace was lying.

The Monster Beneath the Skin

The man took a step forward, and something in Jace snapped.

He lunged.

The movement was too fast, too fluid, more animal than human.

The man barely flinched, his own body shifting with the same unnatural ease, and suddenly—Jace wasn’t the only one who looked dangerous.

They moved in a blur, shadows twisting together in a way that didn’t make sense. I staggered back, heart hammering as their figures shifted—one second human, the next... not.

Then—

Jace growled.

And this time, it wasn’t just a sound.

It was a warning.

A deep, guttural sound that sent every instinct in my body screaming.

Then, before my mind could catch up, his body convulsed.

His back arched, muscles locking, breath hitching—like something inside him was breaking free.

And then—

Bones snapped.

My breath left me in a single, choked gasp.

Because Jace Wolfe was no longer standing in front of me.

Where he had been just seconds ago, now stood something else.

A wolf.

But not just any wolf.

Larger than any normal animal, its sleek black fur rippling in the moonlight. Golden eyes—Jace’s eyes—locked onto the man, every muscle coiled, ready to strike.

My blood turned to ice.

It wasn’t possible.

It wasn’t real.

But I had just watched it happen.

I had just watched Jace shift.

The Price of Knowing

For a moment, the world stood still.

Then, the man sighed, shaking his head. “Pity.”

With inhuman speed, he lunged.

Jace met him halfway.

The impact sent a violent shockwave through the clearing, a blur of fangs and claws and snarls. Leaves scattered, dirt kicked up in thick clouds, but I couldn’t move—I couldn’t breathe.

Jace fought like something feral, raw power crackling through his every movement. But the man was faster, dodging and countering with terrifying precision.

Then—

One of the other figures moved.

I barely had time to react before claws lashed out toward me.

I staggered back, heart slamming against my ribs, but before they could reach me—

Jace was there.

A snarl ripped from his throat as he slammed into them, sending them sprawling. His massive form landed in front of me, shielding me once again.

The world blurred.

Jace. The others. The impossible fight unfolding before my eyes.

And then, suddenly—

The man lifted a hand.

Everything stopped.

Jace froze, panting, his hackles still raised. But he didn’t attack again.

The man smiled, slow and knowing. “I think that’s enough for tonight.”

Jace’s snarl deepened, but he didn’t move.

The man turned his burning gaze back to me. “Elena, was it?”

My pulse skittered.

He smirked. “You should be careful who you follow into the woods.”

Then, just like that, he and the others melted back into the shadows.

The tension in the air didn’t fade.

Neither did the fear clawing up my throat.

Jace remained still for a long moment, his massive wolf form breathing heavy. Then, slowly, he turned to me.

Our eyes met.

The world seemed to tilt, something unspoken passing between us.

Then, with one last sharp breath, Jace shifted back.

The transformation was just as unnatural as before, but this timeI couldn’t look away.

Within seconds, he was human again.

Except he wasn’t.

Not really.

Not after this.

He stood there, shirt torn, skin covered in scratches that healed before my eyes. His chest still heaved, but his eyes—those golden, haunted eyes—were locked onto me.

I should have said something.

But no words came.

Jace took a slow, careful step toward me. “Elena...”

His voice was quiet, almost desperate.

Because he knew.

He knew that I had seen too much.

That there was no going back.

And as I stared at him—at the boy who was so much more than just a boy—I realized something terrifying.

This wasn’t just about him.

This was about me.

And somehow... I was a part of it.