The woods behind Wolf Trap had always been a buffer, a familiar tangle of pine and shadow that held the world at bay. But today, the air felt different. It was thicker, charged with a strange, sweet humidity that didn't belong in Virginia. The light, filtering through the canopy, had a golden, honeyed quality that made the very leaves seem to glow from within. Will had followed the stream deeper than usual, his mind a weary blank, seeking only the numbing silence of nature.

Then he heard it. Not the chatter of squirrels or the whisper of the wind, but the distinct, sharp cadence of an argument. Voices, one clear and melodic, the other a fading, indistinct retort, tangled in a bickering exchange that felt entirely out of place. He moved on instinct, his old hunting habits taking over, melting into the cover of a thick cluster of ferns and moss-covered oak.

Peering through the lattice of green, he saw her.

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. She was standing in a small, sun-dappled clearing, one hand on her hip, her gaze fixed on a point in the trees where the undergrowth rustled as if someone had just departed. But Will couldn't look away from her. She was… breathtaking. An impossible vision. Her features were a masterpiece of elegant lines and soft curves, and she carried herself with an innate grace that made the very forest seem to arrange itself around her. The strange, golden light loved her, catching the rich tones of her hair and the fierce, intelligent fire in her eyes. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

His breath hitched in his throat, his heart hammering a frantic, sudden rhythm against his ribs. This was no lost hiker. This was something else entirely, a creature from a dream who had somehow stumbled into his woods. He pressed himself deeper into the foliage, the damp earth seeping through his jeans, his entire being focused on remaining unseen. The thought of her turning that formidable, gorgeous gaze his way was both terrifying and electrifying. He watched, utterly captivated, as she let out a final, exasperated sigh in the direction of the departed presence, the sound a quiet melody of frustration. The words left him in a stunned, involuntary whisper, a confession of shock meant only for the forest and himself.

“Good God.”