Chapter One

Elena

I still remember being told I was crazy to come here and do this. Honestly, I might have told myself the same thing. To drop everything, just like that as if nothing else mattered but this and come here; in the middle of nowhere, all for that one, elusive magical shot that will make me famous. I know it sounds like a child's dream. But that is all I have left now. Just my camera and my dreams.

My hands work with a familiar skill, one honed by years of experience, as I secure the tent's corners into the earth. The crisp air of Pinehaven wraps around me, almost as if to welcome me, carrying the essence of pine needles and untold mysteries. Everywhere I turn, there seems to be a corner beckoning for my camera to come and explore it. There is newfound excitement brimming inside of me, and I can't help but embrace it.

With a methodical rhythm, I place all my photography gear neatly on a small blanket, each piece carefully selected for the enchanting creatures that are said to dwell in these woods.

Bear shifters, I think to myself. The notion itself defies all odds, all reason, and yet, legends claim that there are still bear shifters roaming these woods. I know that others like me would focus on something else, something of more importance, as one of the editors for a paper I used to work at told me. People wanted to see photographs that would move them, that would make them think.

"Well, what's better than to see an actual photograph of a creature we thought didn't even exist?" I asked that same lady, but she didn't sound all that convinced.

"That is stuff for kids," she said, shaking her head at me. "I doubt you'd find a buyer for anything you capture in the woods, Elena. But you go on chasing your dream, while the rest of us keep ourselves firmly planted on the ground."

I knew that she meant well, although she sounded a bit harsh. She was trying to be a friend in a world that was full of competition. But something was drawing me here, to this place. I didn't know what, but the moment I saw the sign with the name Pinehaven on it, I knew that I was at the right place. But for what exactly… that I still had to find out.

I glanced at my camera, which has always been an extension of my curiosity. It stands ready on its tripod, lenses glinting in the soft lightof the sun, trickling through the thick branches of the trees above me. I managed to find a lovely little place right on the outskirts of Pinehaven, at the edge of the woods.Far enough from civilization, and at the same time, close enough to be able to run there in case I need any help.

The thought of camping out in unknown woods still fills me with dread, but I know that I have to be brave. The best shots will come unexpectedly, not when I'm lying in a comfortable bed in a motel in the village. No. I have to be here, and this forest, bathed in this warm glow, will become my canvas.

I smile to myself, adjusting the lens, eager to capture the elusive beings which have called this place their home for ages. A vintage notebook and pen lie nearby, awaiting tales that I am yet to write. I continue to organize my equipment, ensuring that every lens is easily accessible for the unexpected wonders that will surely unfold here.

I can feel it in my bones. I have been called here. And I will find out the secrets that these woods hold.

Just at that moment, I hear a branch crack somewhere behind me. I turn around immediately, and my eyes lock with the eyes of a bear twice my size. His looming shadow emerges from the dense foliage, but he doesn't move closer to me. A chill runs down my spine as the air thickens with tension. I swallow heavily, as a low growl reverberates through the air around us, shaking the very ground beneath my feet.

Paralyzed with fear, my breath catches in my throat, my eyes fixed on the gleaming eyes of the frightening creature before me. Its fur, dark and sparkling seems to absorb the light, which only adds to its imposing presence. My every instinct is to run. My every thought is screaming in danger, a primal warning ringing inside my mind, but I dare not move.

The bear growls more menacingly, and all I can hear is a guttural symphony that is drawing me closer and pushing me away at the same time. My mind races, grappling with reality. I have come looking for bear shifters, but instead, found a bear who might stop me from doing everything I have come here to do.

"Easy now…" I slowly say, lifting my arms into the air.

A silly thought occurs to me. Maybe if I make myself bigger, it will become frightened of me. Bigger and louder, another thought occurs.

"Aaaargh!" I shout, my voice on the verge of breaking, but it is either this or running away. I doubt I would be able to play dead long enough for it to go away.

"Aaaaargh!" I shout again.

"Louder!" Someone suddenly says from somewhere behind me, and a deeply masculine, earthy scent follows immediately. I dare not turn around to see who the voice belongs to. Then, that same voice whispers into my ear. "Louder…"

I swallow heavily, doing exactly as I'm told. "Aaaaarrrrrrgh!" A roar escapes my chest, a sound unlike anything I've ever heard myself produce.

The bear lowers itself on its front legs. It tilts its head at me, while I can feel little droplets of sweat rolling down my temples. A moment later, it disappears into the bushes where it came from.

I quickly turn around, and my eyes fall on a striking figure, a man whose good looks seems to defy the very essence of time. His hair, pulled back into a perfectly tousled bun, accentuates the strong angles of his face. A well-groomed beard and moustache frame his lips that harbor a hint of mystery and undeniable charisma. I try not to look down from his face, but I'm unable to, and the sculpted contour of his muscular physique is noticeable even through the fabric of his shirt.

"You got lucky," he tells me.

"Lucky?" I frown, feeling my heart beating in my very throat.

"Camping alone in the woods that are infested with bears," he explains, clicking the tip of his tongue against his upper teeth in disagreement. "You are either crazy or crazy stupid."

"I'm neither," I snarl at him, trying to focus on the fact that he just insulted me, and not how handsome he is. "I'm here to photograph bear sh… bears."

"Oh," he nods. "Was that what you were trying to do just now?"

"I… I have bear mace," I mumble, reaching into my pocket and extracting exactly that.

He grins. "I see."

"I would have used it, you know."

"I'm sure," he nods. "In time."

"He uhm… he was too far away for me to use it," I pout.

He tilts his head at me, as if all of this is beyond amusing to him. "You could just say thank you, you know."

At that moment, there is a noise from behind him and we both turn in that direction. Another man jumps out, much different than this one, but equally attractive. The play of shadows on his face highlights his chiseled features, adding an air of rugged allure, with his unshaven beard and dark curls. His eyes, deep pools of pitch black, hold a magnetic intensity as he approaches us. But it is his smile that sets the whole scene ablaze, almost as if he has just ended one adventure and is more than ready to dive right into the next one, taking us all with him. I don't know why that idea tickles me immediately.

"Did I miss anything?" he asks, as if we're all friends who happened to stumble onto each other by accident.

"Some," the first guy replies.

"Your friend just saved me from a bear," I blurt out. While the first guy annoyed me, this one made me want to tell him everything.

"A bear?" he replies, lifting an eyebrow, then he nods. "These woods are infested with them."

"I know, that's why I'm here," I explain again, gesturing at my tent and everything around it.

He approaches and stands by the other guy, as they both keep their eyes on me.

"A photographer?" the second guy asks.

"Mhm," I nod.

"You could take a photo of me," he adds mischievously, and becomes equally annoying as the first one, as he playfully shows me his muscles, which bulge through the short sleeves of his t-shirt.

"Only if you're an animal," I reply.

"I could be," he says, winking at me. "Under the right circumstances, in the dark…"

"Cal," the first one addresses him.

"What?" Cal shrugs, still with that annoying smirk. "I'm just teasing."

"You should really head back to Pinehaven," the first one advises me. Suddenly, the whole atmosphere has taken a turn for the serious. "It is not safe to be here alone."

I frown at him. I'm not sure if he is trying to help me or get rid of me. "I'll be fine, thank you."

"Somehow, I doubt that," he replies.

"You know, I didn't ask you to save me," I snap back. I'm not usually this forward, but these guys are strangers. I have to show them that I'm not afraid. "You came out of nowhere, while I was perfectly fine by myself, thank you very much."

"Alright," he says, lifting his hands in the air in a defeated manner.

I don't know what I found more annoying, the fact that he was talking to me like that; or that I couldn't stop thinking about the sound of his voice in my ear and how he smelled so earthy and masculine. And that friend of his…

Focus, Elena, I tell myself. You know why you're here.

I inhale deeply, trying to smile. "Thank you for your help. But really… I'll be fine."

"Rock," he says.

"Rock?" I lift an eyebrow. "What about it?"

Cal chuckles. The first guy doesn't.

"My name," he says. "Rock."

"Oh," I blush softly. "I'm… Elena."

"Shining light," he says. I frown again, but this time he just continues. "Your name. It is derived from Helene, which means bright, shining light or torch."

"Oh…" This time I can't resist smiling. "No one ever told me that. It might be why I love taking photographs. You know, the light, the camera."

I have no idea why I'm babbling like this. One moment, I'm upset, and the next, obviously not. What on earth is wrong with me?

"Could be," Cal joins in.

Rock turns to him and nods. It's obviously some hidden signal I'm not privy to. Then, Rock repeats his warning. "Don't stay here, Elena. It's not safe."

I lock eyes with him in determination. "I'll be fine… Rock."

He doesn't say anything to that. Instead, they both turn around, leaving me alone with the cacophonous beating of my own heart, and the knowledge that I definitely could have died minutes ago.

I exhale deeply once alone, shaking my head. What else have these woods got in store for me?