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Chapter 2

2

M azon

The forest whispers to me as I move silently through the undergrowth, my large feet barely leaving a trace on the damp earth. The scent of pine and moss fills my nostrils, a familiar comfort that has been my constant companion for over a century. But today, there's something different in the air. A new smell, foreign and intriguing, wafts on the breeze.

Human.

I've known for days that a newcomer has arrived in our territory. The birds and small creatures of the forest have been chattering about it incessantly. But it's not until now, as I crouch behind a massive cedar, that I lay eyes on her for the first time.

She's small, so much smaller than me, with hair the color of autumn leaves. Her movements are clumsy compared to ours, snapping twigs and rustling leaves as she explores the area around her newly inhabited cabin. Yet, there's a grace to her, a curiosity in her bright green eyes that reminds me of a deer venturing into a sunlit clearing.

I watch as she kneels to examine a cluster of mushrooms growing at the base of an old stump. Her slender fingers trace the delicate gills of a chanterelle, and I find myself fascinated by the gentleness of her touch. It's been so long since I've observed a human this closely.

Most flee at the mere whisper of our presence, their fear a palpable thing that taints the air.

But this one... this one is different.

She pulls out a small rectangular device – a camera, I recall from my limited knowledge of human technology – and begins to photograph the mushrooms. The soft click of the shutter carries to my sensitive ears, and I tilt my head, intrigued by her interest in the forest's offerings.

A twig snaps beneath my foot as I shift my weight and I freeze. The woman's head snaps up, her gaze sweeping the treeline. For a heart-stopping moment, I think she's seen me. But her eyes pass over my hiding spot without a flicker of recognition. Still, a frown creases her brow, and she rises slowly to her feet.

"Hello?" she calls out, her voice carrying clearly in the stillness of the forest. "Is someone there?"

I remain motionless, barely daring to breathe. Part of me wants to step forward, to reveal myself to this curious human who seems so at ease in our world. But centuries of caution hold me back. We've hidden ourselves from humans for good reason. Their fear, their greed, their inability to understand things beyond their narrow worldview – all of these have posed threats to my kind in the past.

And yet...

There's something about this woman that calls to me. An openness in her expression, a lack of fear that I find both refreshing and slightly alarming. Doesn't she know the dangers that lurk in these woods? Not just my kind, but the more mundane threats of bears, cougars, and treacherous terrain?

As if in answer to my unspoken question, she stumbles over a protruding root. I instinctively lurch forward, my protective instincts flaring. But she catches herself, laughing softly at her own clumsiness. "Careful, Kaitlin," she mutters to herself. "No one's going to come to your rescue out here."

Kaitlin. Her name is Kaitlin. I roll the syllables around in my mind, committing them to memory.

It's been so long since I've attached a name to a human face.

She brushes off her jeans and continues her exploration, moving deeper into the forest. I shadow her movements, keeping a safe distance but never letting her out of my sight. It's my duty to protect this land, to keep watch over all who dwell within it. And now that includes her.

As the day wears on, I observe her with growing fascination. She stops frequently to examine plants, take photographs, or scribble in a small notebook she carries. Her wonder at the forest is clear in every action, every soft exclamation of delight at a new discovery.

It's nearing dusk when she finally turns back toward her cabin. The fading light paints the forest in soft golds and deep shadows, and I hope she has the sense to hurry home. These woods can be treacherous in the dark, even for those who know them well.

Just as this thought crosses my mind, a low growl rumbles through the underbrush. Kaitlin freezes, her head whipping around to locate the source of the sound. I tense, my nostrils flaring as I catch the musky scent of a mountain lion.

The big cat slinks from the shadows, its tawny coat blending seamlessly with the dappled forest floor. Kaitlin's breath catches in her throat, a small, frightened sound that tugs at something deep in my chest.

I should stay hidden. I should let nature take its course. But as the mountain lion crouches, preparing to spring, I find myself moving without conscious thought.

In three long strides, I burst from my hiding place, placing myself between Kaitlin and the startled predator. A roar tears from my throat, echoing through the trees and sending birds scattering in alarm. The mountain lion yowls in response, but it's more fear than aggression. It knows it's outmatched.

For a moment, we lock eyes as two apex predators sizing each other up. Then, with a final snarl, the big cat turns tail and disappears into the gathering darkness.

Only then I turn and face Kaitlin.

Her eyes are wide with shock, her face pale in the fading light. She stares up at me, her mouth working soundlessly as she struggles to process what she's seeing. I know what I must look like to her – a creature out of myth and legend, over eight feet of muscle and fur, standing on two legs like a man but unmistakably other.

I should run. I should disappear into the forest and leave her questioning whether what she saw was real. But something holds me in place.

Perhaps it's the lack of screaming, the absence of the blind terror I've come to expect from humans who glimpse our kind. Or perhaps it's simply that after a century of solitude, I find myself craving connection, even if it's with a being so different from myself.

Whatever the reason, I stay. And as Kaitlin's shock fades, I see something new dawning in her eyes. Not fear, not revulsion, but a spark of the same curiosity I've been harboring all day.

"You're... you're real," she whispers, her voice filled with awe. "All the stories... they're true."

I nod slowly, unsure how to respond. It's been so long since I've spoken to anyone outside my kind. But as I open my mouth to attempt communication, a distant howl cuts through the twilight. It's a warning call from one of my tribe mates, and its meaning is clear. Danger approaches.

With one last look at Kaitlin's wonder struck face, I turn and melt into the shadows of the forest. But even as I put distance between us, I know with bone-deep certainty that this is only the beginning. For better or worse, Kaitlin's arrival has set something in motion, and I fear the ripples of this encounter will spread far beyond this quiet corner of the woods.

As I make my way back to my territory, my mind races with the implications of what just transpired. I saved a human, an act that goes against everything I've been taught, everything I've believed for over a century.

The elders of my tribe would be furious if they knew. We are supposed to avoid humans at all costs, to protect our secret existence and the sanctity of our forest home.

But as I replay the events in my mind, I can't bring myself to regret my actions. The thought of Kaitlin falling prey to the mountain lion fills me with a sense of dread I can't quite explain. There's something about her, a gentleness, a reverence for the forest, that resonates with me in a way I never expected.

I pause atop a ridge, looking back at Kaitlin's cabin. Even from this distance, I can see the warm glow of lights through the trees. Is she safe inside now? Is she telling herself that what she saw was just a trick of the fading light, a product of an overactive imagination?

Or is she, like me, lying awake and replaying our encounter over and over?

The sound of approaching footsteps pulls me from my reverie. I tense, ready for confrontation. I freeze, my ears swiveling to pinpoint the source of the sound. It's coming from a small clearing not far from where I stand. Silently, I move closer, keeping to the shadows of the massive trees.

As I near the clearing, the voices become clearer. I recognize them immediately Koru and Sela, two younger members of our tribe. Their tones are hushed, but there's an undercurrent of excitement that sets my nerves on edge.

"This human has no right to be here," Koru growls, his deep voice rumbling with barely contained anger. "Our ancestors have guarded these lands for millennia. We can't let some weak, hairless ape threaten our way of life."

"The elders have forbidden direct confrontation," Sela reminds him, her tone equally fierce but tinged with caution. "We can't risk exposure."

A low, menacing chuckle escapes Koru. "Who said anything about confrontation? We're apex predators, Sela. It's time we reminded this human of her place in the natural order."

My muscles tense at his words, a mixture of anger and protective instinct surging through me. I want to burst into the clearing and put these youngsters in their place, but I force myself to remain still, listening.

"What do you propose?" Sela asks, a note of eager anticipation in her voice.

"We unleash hell," Koru says, his voice dripping with dark promise. "Terrifying howls in the dead of night. Massive footprints circling her fragile little shelter. Glimpses of our massive forms in the shadows, just at the edge of her vision. We'll make her believe these woods are haunted by monsters far beyond her comprehension."

I can hear the savage grin in Sela's voice as she responds, "She'll be so traumatized, she'll flee back to her concrete jungle with her tail between her legs."

"Exactly," Koru affirms. "And if she dares to speak of what she's seen, who would believe such a fantastical tale? We'll crush her spirit and protect our secret in one fell swoop."

The cruel enthusiasm in their voices sends a chill down my spine. These young fools doo't know the dangers they're invoking, not just for Kaitlin, but for our entire tribe.

I've heard enough. Silently, I retreat from my hiding spot, my mind racing with the implications of this vicious plan. The situation has escalated far beyond my curiosity about Kaitlin. Now, I must protect her not just from the forest's natural perils, but from the misguided aggression of my kind.

As I make my way back to the edge of the clearing where Kaitlin's cabin stands, conflict rages within me. Part of me understands Koru and Sela's desire to defend our territory. For centuries, we've survived by remaining hidden, by driving away those who would threaten our existence.

But as I settle into my watchful position, my gaze fixed on the warm glow emanating from Kaitlin's windows, I know I can't allow their plan to unfold. There's something about her – a gentleness, a curiosity, and a clear love for the forest stirs something primal within me. Something that demands protection, not destruction.

I don't fully understand these feelings, and they unsettle me almost as much as they compel me. But one thing is certain. I will not stand idly by while members of my tribe terrorize an innocent woman, regardless of her species.

Tomorrow, I resolve, I will shield Kaitlin from this impending threat. It's a decision that flies in the face of everything I've believed for over a century, but as I sit there in the deepening night, I know it's the only choice I can live with.

The forest seems to hold its breath around me, as if sensing the seismic shift in the natural order. And as the first hints of dawn lighten the eastern sky, I steel myself for the challenges that the new day will inevitably bring.

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