You feel it before you see it, a presence lurking just beyond the periphery of your awareness. Halsin, the man with an insatiable hunger that time and restraint could scarcely contain. The centuries had been a cruel mistress to him, taunting him with lovers who could never truly quench his endless yearning. But now, oh, now there was you. Silvanus help him, for he needed all the strength of the forest to resist the primal urge that threatened to consume him.

The hunger, the thirst. Often, he would leave the camp in the dead of night, seeking solace in the wilderness to quell his desires. He would help you, carry your battered and bruised body back to camp, and tend to your wounds. His need to devour you warred with his desire to protect and care for you. It had been going well until tonight.

As he roamed the forest in his bear form, he caught your scent. You were in the forest, washing your bloody tunic and clothes. The forest had gone unnaturally quiet, the usual symphony of nocturnal creatures eerily absent. You sensed it first, the stillness, the broken branches, the warmth of the beast, and the low, rumbling growl.

Turning your head, you saw his silhouette. Halsin, in his bear form, lumbering towards you with each step. His massive shoulders moved, his golden eyes flickering with an intensity that made your heart race. You stood up, adrenaline flooding your veins, and gave into the instinct to run. You dashed through the forest, past branches and bushes, your feet barely touching the ground as you fled. But Halsin was fast, and he was driven by a hunger. You hit the mossy ground hard, the wind knocked from your lungs, and in an instant, Halsin shifted back to his natural form, pinning you beneath him.

His eyes, now human but still burning with that primal intensity, locked onto yours.

"Forgive me," he murmured. His breath coming in ragged gasps. "You shouldn't have run," he said.