Moonlit Guardians

3.

All I could feel was warmth. For the first time since I moved to Forks, I was enveloped in such comforting warmth that I never wanted this moment to end. That feeling abruptly shattered as memories and pain rushed back with full force, the aches in my body overwhelming, and a small moan escaped my lips when I tried to move. My eyes fluttered open, realizing I was no longer in the forest with Bella. As I attempted to convince myself it was all just a dream—a terrifying one at that—deep down, I knew it was real.

Soon, I noticed I was in an unfamiliar room surrounded by windows, towering trees of the forest visible outside. I lay on a soft, hospital-type bed wrapped in a few blankets. But what caught my attention next caused my heart to skip a beat—a familiar dark-haired boy. His head rested on the bed next to me, propped up by his arm.

He was the most handsome man I had ever seen. His long, dark lashes and soft honey-colored skin gave him an almost otherworldly appearance. Towering at 6'4" with muscular arms, he exuded a warmth that felt almost inhuman.

As the memory of Jacob shifting into a wolf flooded my mind, everything else seemed to fade away. The grogginess of just waking up disappeared instantly, replaced by a cold rush of reality that hit me like a wave. My heart skipped a beat as I sat up too quickly, the shock of what had happened slamming into me.

Jacob startled at my movement, his eyes snapping open and locking onto mine with a sharp intensity. I froze, unsure of what to say, what to do. My chest tightened with panic. I was in a strange place, surrounded by windows and the sounds of the forest outside, and I was lying next to a guy who could turn into a wolf. He'd turned into a wolf. A wolf.

My pulse raced, and before I could even process it all, I moved—trying to adjust, trying to make sense of everything. But as soon as I shifted, a sharp pain shot through my wrist, and I recoiled, a strangled whimper escaping my lips. The injury from earlier—it was worse than I remembered.

I cradled my arm to my chest, my breath coming in shallow bursts as I looked down at it. Someone had wrapped it while I was unconscious, the bandages neat and tight. The warmth of them made me wonder—had Jacob done this?

"Hey, hey, you're okay. You're safe," a deep voice murmured softly, and I could feel the warmth of Jacob's presence before I even fully registered it. He moved closer, his hand gently wrapping around my injured wrist, steadying it to prevent any further pain. His touch was surprisingly tender, and despite the terror that was still coursing through me, I couldn't help but feel... safe in that moment.

His eyes locked onto mine, dark and intense, and for a second, the panic that had been consuming me seemed to ease—just a little. It was confusing, the way my heart skipped at the simple pressure of his hand on my wrist, the way I felt some part of me settle in the warmth of his gaze. I couldn't explain it, but there was something about him—something about the way he was looking at me—that made the overwhelming fear inside me calm, just enough to breathe.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice soft and tender. The way he said it made something flutter uncomfortably in my chest. My stomach tightened, and I could feel my face heat up.

I didn't know how to answer. I was still dizzy from the confusion of everything—of waking up here, of everything that had happened—but mostly, I was scared. Terrified. My thoughts were racing, and my breath was shallow. Jacob was close. Too close. And I couldn't shake the memory of what I had seen. The wolf.

"You were... a wolf," I blurted out, the words slipping from my mouth before I could stop them. The moment they left my lips, I immediately regretted it. I cringed, almost wishing I could take them back. I felt like a fool. My throat felt dry, my heart hammering in my chest, and I could feel the tension in the air thickening around us.