EPISODE - 1 Into The Forbidden Forest

It was early evening.

The sky was a canvas of melting oranges and pinks, slowly deepening into purples as the sun began its descent. Birds were calling it a day, and street lamps blinked to life. Cities buzzed. Restaurants opened. Couples laughed. Businessmen rushed. Kids whined.

But not here.

This road—snaking like a shadow through a dense, whispering forest—was a different world altogether. Not a soul in sight. Trees loomed like quiet sentinels, their roots gnarled and twisted. Wind rustled leaves like secrets being passed. The air smelled of moss, pine, and something ancient. Wild.

No one drove this road. Not anymore.

The stories kept people away. Tales of disappearances, of eyes glowing in the dark, of how even the bravest rescue teams never returned.

And right now, tearing down that cursed road like a bat out of hell, was a severely damaged black sports car—one headlight blinking pathetically, tires squealing for mercy, engine roaring like a dying animal.

Inside it?

A girl. Nineteen. Bloody, bruised, brilliant. Armed with a stubborn spirit and some very dangerous secrets.

Aira Verma.

If her brother saw her like this, he'd kill her. If her best friend—no, best idiot—saw her, he’d throw her over his shoulder, lock her in a vault, and then personally burn this road.

Too bad he wasn’t here.

Aira glanced in the rear-view mirror. The cars were still tailing her. Damn it.

Of course they were. She was carrying research that could rewrite the future—or destroy it. Depending on who had it.

The cars behind hesitated as she drove deeper into the forest, their headlights flickering in uncertainty.

Cowards, she thought.

But a few were too stupid—or too greedy—to be afraid. They followed.

“This car is going to fall apart before I even crash it,” Aira muttered, slamming the wheel right. Her seatbelt cut into her shoulder as the car screeched and hurtled into the jungle.

Branches slapped at her windshield. She was driving blind, fast, and borderline feral.

Then—BANG.

A shot rang out. Her left tire blew. The car twisted, kissed a tree, and flew off a ledge like a poorly-written action movie.

“Of course!” Aira screamed as she yanked the door open mid-air and flung herself out.

Gravity said: Yeet.

She rolled. Rocks tore at her back. Her arm screamed. Her ribs protested.

The car exploded behind her like a scene from Fast and Furious: Budget Forest Edition.

The blast wave threw her into a bush, where she curled up, clutching a metal briefcase to her chest and hissing in pain.

Still breathing. Good sign.

Then, darkness.

Meanwhile, somewhere deeper in the forest…

“We found a human on the western ridge,” reported Guard Number Four to Beta Rayne, who was busy looking like he hadn’t slept in a week.

Rayne scowled. “What part of ‘no humans’ was unclear?”

“She’s unconscious. Bleeding. Smells like smoke and—burnt eyebrows?”

Rayne pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ugh. Alpha’s gonna lose it. Again.”

The Alpha in question—Kian Rael—was not in a good mood. For one, he was stuck doing boring werewolf politics when all he wanted to do was spend time with her—Aira. His partner-in-crime. His reason for being slightly less homicidal. His secret mate.

Also, his eighteenth birthday was tomorrow. The day he'd finally find out if the girl he’d been glued to since he was five was really his fated mate or just someone he’d imprint on anyway out of sheer obsession.

Spoiler alert: he didn't plan on letting her go either way.

Rayne sighed. “Should we toss her in the dungeon?”

“She’s injured,” Guard Four said. “Looks…important?”

Rayne groaned. “Fine. Infirmary. But lock the door. And call the Alpha.”

Fifteen minutes later…

Kian walked into the infirmary, already rehearsing a speech in his head about how humans weren’t allowed and why Rayne was the dumbest Beta to ever exist.

Then he saw her.

Covered in blood. Her clothes singed. Clutching a locked briefcase like her life depended on it.

And despite everything—despite all his training, his cold control, his deeply feared alpha temper—he froze.

His voice was hoarse. “Aira…?”

The guards and medics stared, wide-eyed, as the usually terrifying, emotionless Alpha King scooped the unconscious girl up in his arms like she was made of glass and stormed out.

“Where are you taking her?” one guard dared to ask.

Kian didn’t even turn.

“To my quarters,” he growled.

Everyone gasped.

Rayne nearly choked on air. “That place is off-limits to even your parents!”

Kian didn’t look back. “She’s the only one who’s ever been allowed there. She always was.”

To be continued .......

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