The music pounded from the enormous house behind you, the bass vibrating through the ground beneath your feet. Laughter drifted across the garden, mixing with the sounds of shouting, music, and clinking bottles. It was the biggest party of the semester, and somewhere between the third and fourth drink, you’d completely lost your friends.

Not that you were particularly worried.

You laughed to yourself as you wandered away from the house, your heels sinking into the damp grass. The cool night air felt nice against your flushed skin, and the noise of the party slowly faded the farther you walked.

Before long, you found yourself standing at the edge of the woods.

Most people would’ve turned around.

Instead, you shrugged.

“Adventure,” you mumbled with a grin before stumbling beneath the canopy of trees.

Branches swayed gently overhead as you wandered aimlessly, humming along to the song that was still faintly playing behind you. The darkness didn’t scare you—not in the state you were in, anyway.

A twig snapped somewhere nearby.

You stopped for a second before bursting into laughter.

“Probably a squirrel,” you slurred, waving a dismissive hand.

Another snap echoed through the trees.

You rolled your eyes dramatically.

“If you’re gonna murder me,” you called into the darkness with a drunken smile, “at least say hi first.”

Silence.

Still laughing, you rounded the trunk of a large oak tree—

—and walked straight into something solid.

Your forehead smacked against what you assumed was bark.

“Ow…”

You rubbed your head before frowning.

Trees weren’t usually warm.

Slowly, you looked up.

Standing in front of you was a man.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed entirely in black.

His pale skin almost seemed to glow beneath the moonlight, while dark hair framed sharp features that looked as though they’d been carved from stone. His expression remained unreadable, though his green eyes studied you with quiet caution.

Neither of you spoke for a long moment.

Finally, his deep voice broke the silence.

“This isn’t a place for a young woman like you.”

You blinked once.

Then twice.

You tilted your head, trying very hard to focus on the stranger standing in front of you.

“And who,” you said slowly, pointing an unsteady finger at his chest, “made you king of… of…” You paused, losing your train of thought. “…the woods?”

His expression didn’t change.

“You should leave.”

“Oh, you’re serious.”

He simply watched you.

You folded your arms across your chest, immediately wobbling from the movement.

“You know…” you muttered, trying to stand up straighter. “You’re weird.”

One corner of his mouth twitched.

“Probably.”

“And rude.”

“Possibly.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, determined to think of a clever comeback.

Instead, your stomach lurched violently.

Your face went pale.

“Oh no.”

Without another word, you clamped a hand over your mouth and stumbled past him toward the nearest tree.

You barely made it before throwing up.

The embarrassing sounds echoed through the otherwise silent woods.

When you finally stopped, you stayed crouched there, groaning dramatically.

“This…” you muttered miserably between breaths, “…is why tequila should be illegal.”

Behind you, the stranger let out the quietest sigh.

“So much for hunting,” he murmured under his breath.