~Ciara Pov~

“You need to leave.”

I stared at my grandfather from across his study, exhaustion sitting heavily inside my chest, rain tapped softly against the massive windows behind him while silence filled the room between us.

It had been two days since the graduation party, two days since my life imploded and somehow the house already felt different like I no longer belonged there.

“I can’t just run away,” I said quietly.

Grandpa sighed and leaned back in his chair. “This isn’t running, sunshine. It’s survival.”

I looked away, downstairs, I could hear distant voices from the kitchen staff preparing dinner while my parents pretended nothing had happened, Vivian hadn’t even tried apologizing, not once, Instead, my mother spent the last forty-eight hours pampering her because “stress was bad for the baby.”

The memory made bitterness rise in my throat.

Grandpa watched me carefully before sliding a cream-colored envelope across the desk. Moonridge Haven.

I frowned slightly. “You really think I should go?”

“I know you should.”

His voice was firm, I picked up the envelope slowly.

“The facility contacted me months ago asking if I knew a pediatric specialist willing to relocate permanently.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re good at what you do.”

I smiled weakly.

“You’re biased.”

“I’m honest.”

That almost made me laugh.

Grandpa’s expression softened. “The children there need someone patient. Someone kind.”

I looked down at the envelope again.

“They mentioned trauma care specifically.”

“Yes.”

“That’s oddly specific for a pediatric rehabilitation center.”

Something unreadable crossed his face briefly.

“They deal with difficult cases.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly. “You’re being vague.”

“Maybe because I know you’d overthink yourself out of going.”

He wasn’t wrong.

I rubbed my tired face. “I just… I didn’t expect my life to fall apart this fast.”

Pain tightened in Grandpa’s eyes instantly.

“They failed you, Ciara.”

My throat burned.

“Your parents should’ve protected you.”

I swallowed hard before looking away.

“But they didn’t.”

“No,” he said quietly. “They didn’t.”

Silence settled heavily between us, then Grandpa stood and walked toward me.

“You’ve spent your entire life taking care of everyone else while nobody took care of you.”

His hand rested gently on my shoulder.

“Go somewhere new. Breathe. Heal.”

I blinked back tears.

“What if I don’t come back?”

Grandpa smiled sadly. “Then maybe that place became home.”

The private jet landed just after sunrise, I stepped out slowly, freezing as cold mountain air hit my face, my eyes widened immediately, this was not what I expected at all.

Massive black security gates surrounded the property hidden deep between endless mountains and dark forests. Tall fences stretched across the perimeter while armed guards patrolled elevated watchtowers, what kind of pediatric facility needed watchtowers?

The place looked less like a hospital and more like a military compound, unease curled inside my stomach, the pilot began unloading my luggage while I stared at the isolated property ahead.

Moonridge Haven stood in the center of the mountains like something pulled from another world, dark stone buildings, heavy security, fog rolling through the trees, the entire atmosphere felt strangely unsettling.

A woman dressed in black approached me calmly, she was tall, sharp-eyed and beautiful in an intimidating kind of way.

“Dr. Monroe?”

I nodded slowly. “Yes.”

She extended her hand. “Nyra Vale. Head physician here.”

Her grip was firm.

“Welcome to Moonridge Haven.”

I glanced around again. “This place is… intense.”

Something amused flickered in her dark eyes.

“You get used to it.”

That was not comforting.

Nyra gestured toward a black SUV waiting nearby. “Come on. It’s a long drive through the inner grounds.”

Inner grounds? How large was this place?

As the SUV drove deeper into the sanctuary, my confusion only grew, the property was enormous, Cabins hidden between trees, training fields, medical buildings, underground entrances guarded by armed men and everywhere people watched me, not openly hostile, just cautious and suspicious.

“Is everyone here always this serious?” I asked awkwardly.

Nyra smirked faintly while driving. “You arrived during a difficult time.”

“What happened?”

“You’ll learn eventually.”

Not creepy at all, I looked outside again, the deeper we traveled into Moonridge, the stranger everything felt, yet beneath the fear creeping into my chest, there was also curiosity.

Eventually the SUV stopped outside a large medical building, fhe moment I stepped inside, the atmosphere changed completely.

Children.

Tiny laughter echoed through the hallways while nurses moved quickly between rooms. Some children played quietly in a colorful recreation area while others slept inside medical units, my chest softened immediately, children always made everything easier.

“They’re beautiful,” I whispered.

Nyra’s expression unexpectedly gentled.

“Yes,” she said quietly. “They are.”

Several nurses greeted me warmly while introducing themselves. Unlike the tense guards outside, the medical staff seemed genuinely relieved to see me, one exhausted-looking nurse nearly hugged me.

“Thank God you’re here.”

I laughed awkwardly. “That bad?”

“You have no idea.”

Nyra led me toward the nursery wing, the moment the doors opened, my breath caught.

Babies, at least twelve newborns rested inside specialized incubators and cribs, some sleeping peacefully while some crying softly, my heart instantly melted.

“Oh my God…”

One tiny baby wrapped in dark blankets opened glowing silver eyes briefly before falling asleep again, I froze. Glowing?

I blinked hard, no, I imagined that, exhaustion probably, Nyra smoothly stepped in front of the incubator before I could question it.

“These are the children needing the most care.”

I walked closer slowly, most of the babies had unusual medical charts attached beside them.

“What happened to them?” I asked softly.

Nyra exchanged a quick glance with another nurse.

“Abuse,” she answered finally.

Pain twisted inside my chest immediately. Monsters, who hurts children?

One tiny infant suddenly started crying loudly in the corner, without thinking, I moved toward the crib and gently lifted the baby into my arms, Instantly the crying stopped, the entire room went strangely silent.

I frowned slightly. “What?”

Several nurses stared at me oddly, even Nyra looked shocked, before I could ask why, the nursery doors suddenly opened and the entire atmosphere shifted, every person in the room straightened instantly, I turned slowly and froze.

A man stepped inside wearing black combat clothing, heavy boots echoing against the floor.

No, not just a man, he looked like something dangerous pretending to be human.

Tall, easily over six foot four with a body built like violence itself. Broad shoulders strained beneath his dark shirt while black tattoos disappeared beneath the fabric covering his arms and throat, scars marked his exposed skin, not small scars, the kind left by torture.

His dark hair fell messily across a brutally handsome face sharp enough to make my breath catch painfully in my chest, but it was his eyes that destroyed me. Grey-green it was cold, predatory and Inhumanly intense, for one terrifying second, I couldn’t move, neither could he.

His gaze locked onto me like he’d never seen another person before, then his eyes dropped to the baby sleeping peacefully in my arms, something dark flickered across his face, shock. The room became suffocatingly silent.

“Gerald,” Nyra said carefully.

The man didn’t answer, he was still staring at me and suddenly every instinct inside me screamed danger.

~ Ciara Pov~

The room went dead silent the second he stepped in, every single person froze, even the nurses looked like they wanted to melt into the walls, I couldn’t look away from the man.

He stood tall and powerful near the doorway, shoulders wide, black shirt stretched tight across a chest that looked hard as rock. Dark hair fell messily over his forehead, framing a face so sharp and handsome it almost hurt to stare at him. His jaw could cut glass. Scars ran down the side of his neck and slipped under his collar, telling stories of fights and pain I didn’t want to imagine. He looked like trouble. The kind of trouble that made your pulse race for all the wrong and right reasons.

His eyes locked on mine. Grey-green, stormy, glowing just a little too bright under the hospital lights. My throat went dry. Heat crawled up my neck and spread across my cheeks. I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the sudden ache low in my belly. This man was dangerous. Not just in the way he looked. He felt like a storm ready to break, wild and untamed.

"Gerald," Nyra said again, her voice tight.

He blinked slowly, like he was coming out of a trance. His gaze dropped to the baby sleeping peacefully in my arms. Something shifted in his expression—not soft, exactly, but surprised. Almost hungry.

"He stopped crying?" His voice rolled out deep and rough, vibrating through the room and straight into my chest. It was the kind of voice that made my thighs press together without thinking.

I nodded, barely trusting my own words. "Yes."

The silence stretched, thick and heavy. One nurse smiled nervously. "He’s been crying nonstop for hours."

"He was probably hungry," I said.

"No," another nurse whispered. "He already ate."

I frowned, confused, but Gerald’s eyes were back on me, burning. That stare made my skin feel too tight, too hot. Like he could see right through my clothes, through my professional mask, straight to the way my body was reacting to him. My nipples tightened under my shirt. I shifted the baby slightly, hoping no one noticed how breathless I suddenly felt.

"You’re the human doctor," he said. Low. Almost accusing.

I let out an awkward laugh. "Last time I checked, yeah."

No one laughed with me. Gerald’s eyes narrowed. He took one slow step closer, and the air between us crackled. I could smell him now—dark pine, leather, and something wild that made my mouth water. My heart hammered against my ribs.

"Interesting," he murmured.

Nyra stepped between us quickly. "Dr. Monroe has had a very long journey."

"I can see that." His gaze never left my face. It traced my lips, my throat, the rise of my breasts as I breathed. I felt exposed. Naked. And shamefully turned on.

The baby stirred against me, pressing closer. Gerald’s cold expression cracked for half a second when he looked at the child. I saw it—raw protectiveness. This terrifying man actually cared. Deeply. The realization made something warm bloom in my chest, mixing dangerously with the heat pooling between my legs.

Nyra cleared her throat. "Ciara, this is Gerald Green. He owns Moonridge Haven."

Owns it? He looked too young, too feral, to run a whole facility. But power rolled off him in waves.

"Nice to meet you," I said, my voice softer than I meant.

He nodded once, slow and deliberate. "Welcome to Moonridge."

The words were simple, but the way he said them felt like a promise. Or a warning. One of the nurses gently took the baby from my arms. When her hands brushed mine, Gerald’s jaw tightened, like he didn’t like anyone else touching me. The thought sent another rush of heat through my body.

He turned to Nyra, voice dropping colder. "Office."

She sighed but followed. The second the door shut behind him, the whole room exhaled. I realized I’d been holding my breath too.

"Does everyone always stop breathing when he enters a room?" I asked.

A nurse gave a shaky smile. "You get used to him."

I wasn’t sure I believed her. Or wanted to.

Nyra came back and led me through the halls. Security guards stood like statues outside certain doors. This was supposed to be a safe place for sick kids. Why did it feel like a fortress?

"Is someone threatening the hospital?" I asked.

"You ask a lot of questions," Nyra replied.

"I’m a doctor. It’s my job."

She showed me to a beautiful cabin at the edge of the forest. Stone, wood, big windows looking out at the mountains. It was perfect. Private. Isolated. Exactly what I needed after everything I’d been through.

Inside, fresh flowers waited on the table. My bags were unpacked. The fridge was stocked. Tears stung my eyes for a moment. No one had taken care of me like this in years.

Nyra dropped medical files on the table. "Read these tonight."

The cases were wild. Kids healing too fast. Strange fevers. Eyes that glowed. Bones knitting together in days. I read for hours, lost in the mystery, until a soft knock sounded at my door around nine.

I opened it to find a small boy, maybe eight, clutching a stuffed fox. Dark hair, big golden eyes that seemed to shimmer. He looked up at me nervously.

"Are you the new doctor?"

I smiled and crouched down. "I am."

He studied me carefully. "You really are human."

There was that word again. Human. Like it was rare.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" I asked gently.

He blinked. "You don’t know?"

Before he could explain, a deep voice cut through the night. "Ezra."

The boy jumped back. Gerald stood just a few feet away on the path, wearing a black jacket that made him look even bigger. The moonlight carved shadows across his sharp face, highlighting the scars and the hard lines of his body. My breath caught. Heat flared between my thighs again. God, what was wrong with me? This man was intimidating as hell, and all I could think about was how those big hands would feel on my skin. Ezra mumbled an apology and ran off.

I stood up slowly, heart racing. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying Gerald’s scent to me again—wild, masculine, addictive. He didn’t move closer, but it felt like he filled the entire space between us.

"What did he mean?" I asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Gerald stared at me for a long moment. The night wrapped around us, dark and intimate. Moonlight painted his face silver. His eyes dropped to my mouth, then lower, tracing the curve of my hips like he couldn’t help it. I felt my body respond instantly—pulse throbbing, skin tingling, a slick warmth building.

"You really don’t know anything," he said. Not a question.

"No. I don’t."

He stepped closer. Just one step. Close enough that I could see the rise and fall of his chest. Close enough to feel the heat coming off him. My nipples ached. I wanted to reach out and touch those scars, trace them with my fingers, maybe with my tongue. The thought shocked me, but I couldn’t push it away.

"You accepted a job here without asking questions," he said, voice rough.

"My grandfather recommended it. Evander Monroe."

That surprised him. His eyes flashed. "Evander."

"You know him?"

He didn’t answer. Instead, he looked into the dark forest, jaw tight. The shadows around him seemed to move, like they belonged to him. I shook my head. Exhaustion was making me see things.

"Everyone keeps calling me human," I pressed.

His gaze snapped back to mine, intense and burning. "Because you are."

My breath hitched. "And what are you?"

The question hung between us. Something dark and painful crossed his face. For a second, the dangerous mask slipped, and I saw raw suffering. Years of it. It made me want to step forward, press my body against his, and chase that pain away with heat and touch. Stupid. Reckless. But the pull was so strong it scared me.

He took another step. Now we were almost touching. His height towered over me. I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes. The air felt electric. My lips parted. I could imagine it so clearly—him grabbing my waist, pulling me hard against that solid chest, kissing me like he was starving. Rough. Deep. Claiming.

"I stopped being human a very long time ago," he said, voice low and gravelly.

Chills raced down my spine, but heat flooded everywhere else. My core throbbed. I was wet. Aching. For him. A man I barely knew. A man who looked like he could break me in half.

"What does that mean?" I whispered, barely able to speak.

His eyes dropped to my throat, watching my pulse jump. I saw his hands flex at his sides, like he was fighting the urge to touch me. The tension stretched so tight I thought I might snap. One more inch and I might throw myself at him. Kiss him. Beg him to take me right here against the cabin wall.

He leaned in slightly. His breath brushed my ear. "You should get some sleep, Doctor."

Then he turned and walked away, I watched frozen as he disappeared into the shadows. One moment he was there, tall and powerful. The next, the darkness swallowed him whole. Like he had never been real.

My heart slammed against my ribs. Fear mixed with raw desire, making my knees weak. I stepped forward, but the path was empty. Just wind in the trees and the heavy beat of my own pulse between my legs.

What the hell was this place? Gerald wasn’t just the owner, he was something else, something dangerous and magnetic and despite the fear crawling up my spine, I knew one thing for sure, I want him badly.

I went back inside on shaky legs, body still humming with unspent tension. The files lay open on the table, but I couldn’t focus. All I could think about was his voice, his eyes, the way he looked at me like he wanted to devour me.

I lay in bed later, staring at the ceiling. Sleep wouldn’t come easy tonight. Not with the ache he left behind. Not with the memory of his scent still clinging to the night air.

Moonridge Haven was hiding secrets, big ones and Gerald Green was at the center of them, I touched my lips, imagining his mouth on mine. Rough hands sliding under my shirt. That deep voice growling my name while he drove into me, hard and relentless.

A soft moan escaped me in the dark cabin, this job was going to be a lot more complicated than I thought.

I sat up around three in the morning, staring out the window at the black forest. “What the hell is wrong with me?” I whispered. People don’t just vanish. But I saw it. Or I thought I did. The stress from the last few weeks was messing with my head, my cheating ex, my sister stabbing me in the back, my whole family turning away. Maybe I was losing it, eventually I crashed, but the dreams were full of grey-green eyes and rough hands.

Morning light hit the cabin and someone knocked softly. I opened the door and found little Ezra standing there with a big basket.

“Good morning, Doctor Ciara,” he said, holding it out.

I smiled big. “Morning, buddy. What’s this?”

“Breakfast. For you.”

Inside I found warm bread, fresh fruit, coffee that smelled amazing, and scrambled eggs. My heart melted. “Thank you, Ezra. This is really sweet.”

He shuffled his feet, those golden eyes watching me carefully. Kids usually warm up to me fast, but Ezra studied me like I was the weird one here.

“Do you like it at Moonridge?” I asked while sipping the coffee.

He nodded fast. “It’s safe.”

Safe. Not fun. Not pretty. Safe. That word hit me hard.

“How long have you lived here?”

“A long time.” His voice got small. “I don’t have parents.”

I felt a sharp pain in my chest. “I’m sorry.”

He shrugged like it was nothing. “Gerald says family isn’t always blood.”

Those words stuck with me as we walked toward the main medical building. The place looked different in daylight, huge mountains all around, tall walls, guards everywhere, cameras on every corner. This wasn’t a normal children’s home. It felt like a fortress.

Kids played outside on the grass. One little girl laughed loud and jumped. Not a normal jump. She flew six feet straight up, easy, and landed soft like a cat. My mouth fell open.

I stopped dead. “Ezra… did you see that?”

He glanced over. “Oh. Yeah.”

Just “oh.” Like it was normal. My pulse started pounding. No kid jumps like that.

Before I could ask more, Nyra appeared with a stack of files. “Good, you’re up. Rounds start in twenty minutes.”

I followed her inside, trying to shake off what I saw. But the kids here kept surprising me. One boy’s fever disappeared in minutes. Another had silver eyes that almost glowed when he got excited. One girl got upset and the lights above us flickered like crazy. I stared at the ceiling. They went back to normal. No one even blinked.

What the actual hell was going on?

Around noon I stepped into the nursery. One nurse looked wiped out. “This little guy cried all night.”

The newborn was red-faced and screaming his lungs out. I picked him up gently, rocking him against my chest. Almost right away he stopped. The whole room went quiet.

The nurse whispered, “Again…”

I looked around. “What do you mean, again?”

Nyra walked in right then. She saw the calm baby in my arms and her face changed. “Interesting.”

I was really starting to hate that word. “What’s so interesting?”

Nobody answered. The baby grabbed my finger with his tiny warm hand. He felt hotter than a normal baby, but he smiled up at me and settled right down.

Then the door opened and Gerald walked in, everything in the room got tense in a second, my breath caught hard. He wore all black again, tight shirt stretched across his wide chest, pants hugging strong thighs, heavy boots. Fresh cuts marked his knuckles like he’d been fighting something dangerous. He looked rough, wild, and so damn hot it made my thighs squeeze together.

His stormy eyes locked straight on me Or maybe on the baby. I couldn’t tell, heat rushed through my body, my nipples tightened under my top. God, this man made me feel things I had no business feeling at work, the baby in my arms suddenly smiled wide and reached for him.

Gerald looked shocked. The nurses looked shocked. Nyra raised her eyebrows.

“What?” I asked.

“He doesn’t like men,” Gerald said, voice deep and rough. It vibrated through me and settled low in my belly.

But the baby kept reaching. Gerald stepped close, real close that I could smell him again, pine, leather, and pure male. My mouth went dry. He took the baby with those big, scarred hands, holding the tiny boy with shocking gentleness. His fingers brushed mine as he took him. Electricity shot up my arm. I almost gasped.

The baby laughed. A real happy sound. For a second, something soft crossed Gerald’s hard face. Not quite a smile, but close. It made him look almost human. And it made me want to touch him so badly my fingers tingled.

The moment ended fast. He handed the baby back. Our hands touched again, longer this time. His skin was hot. I felt that heat race straight between my legs. I was getting wet just from a simple touch. Pathetic. But I couldn’t stop it.

Gerald looked at Nyra. “Outside. Now.” His voice went cold.

She sighed but followed, they left the door cracked, I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but their voices carried down the hall.

“She’s human,” Gerald said.

“I know.”

“This is dangerous.”

“She doesn’t know anything.”

Then quieter, “The children are reacting to her.”

My stomach flipped. Reacting? What did that mean?

Nyra spoke again. “Maybe that’s why she was sent here.”

“I don’t trust humans.”

The words cut deep. I hadn’t done anything to him. Why did he keep calling me human? What broke him? The pain in his voice made me want to walk in there and hold him. Or kiss him until he forgot whatever hurt him.

A few minutes later Gerald came back out. He stopped when he saw me standing there. Our eyes met. The air got thick. Heavy. I felt his stare like hands sliding down my body. My cheeks burned. I wanted him to push me against the wall right there.

“You should stay away from the eastern forest,” he said.

“Why?”

“It isn’t safe.”

“What’s there?” I crossed my arms, trying to look tough even though my heart was hammering.

His jaw tightened. Those eyes dropped to my mouth for a second. “Things you don’t understand.”

“Nobody explains anything around here!”

“Because you wouldn’t believe it.”

“Try me.”

We stood close now. Too close. I could see the flecks of green in his grey eyes. My body leaned toward him without thinking. Heat rolled off him. I imagined his rough hands grabbing my hips, pulling me in, his mouth crashing down on mine. Hard. Hungry.

“You’re kind to the children,” he said suddenly.

The compliment surprised me. “I like children.”

“They like you.” His voice got lower. “It’s more than that.”

“What does that mean?”

He looked away, fighting something inside. “I don’t know.”

For a moment we just stared at each other. The tension was so thick I could barely breathe. My pulse throbbed between my legs. I wanted him. Bad. Even though he scared me. Even though he clearly didn’t trust me.

Then a loud alarm screamed through the whole building. Metallic. Terrifying. Everyone froze—nurses, guards, even the kids. Pure fear showed on every face.

Gerald changed in an instant. The softness vanished. The cold, dangerous leader was back. His whole body went tight, muscles flexing under his shirt.

“What is that?” I asked, voice shaking.

A guard ran in. “Movement at the north perimeter.”

“How many?” Gerald’s voice was ice.

“Unknown.”

Nyra looked at him. “Could it be them?”

Gerald nodded once. Then his eyes found me. Real fear crossed his face this time—not for himself. For me. It made my chest tight.

“Take the human to the bunker,” he ordered.

My eyes went wide. “The what?”

Nobody answered. A guard grabbed my arm gently but firmly. Gerald watched me the whole time as they pulled me away. His stare burned with something dark and protective. Something possessive.

As I was rushed down the hall, I looked back. Gerald stood like a storm ready to break, fists clenched, eyes locked on me. My body still hummed from being near him. Fear and desire twisted together so hard I felt dizzy.

This place was full of secrets. The kids weren’t normal. Gerald wasn’t normal. And whatever was coming at the perimeter scared even him.

But the craziest part? Even with danger everywhere, all I could think about was his hands on me. His mouth. His voice growling my name in the dark. I was in deep trouble and part of me didn’t want to be saved.