The Jeep rattled over the uneven dirt road, its tires kicking up dust as it wound deeper into the jungle. The canopy overhead was thick, tangled with vines and ancient trees that cast shifting shadows over the path. The engine growled beneath them, the only consistent noise in the otherwise dense, humid silence of the rainforest.

Evelyn sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, eyes scanning the dense greenery for any sign of movement. The air smelled rich with damp earth, the mingling scents of moss and wood heavier here than they had been near the airstrip. It was the kind of scent that clung to your clothes, thick and almost alive. Sweat gathered at the back of her neck, the oppressive humidity making her clothes stick to her skin, but she barely noticed. Her focus was elsewhere.

Kael.

She let her gaze drift toward him, studying him in the dim light filtering through the trees. He handled the wheel with a quiet ease, broad hands gripping the worn leather like he'd been doing this for years. His dark shirt stretched over his shoulders, the muscles beneath shifting slightly with every turn of the wheel. There was something strangely controlled about the way he moved, as though every action was calculated, effortless.

His profile was sharp, all hard lines and edges—cheekbones that looked like they could cut glass, a strong jaw shadowed by a hint of stubble. His dark hair was tousled, wild in a way that didn't seem unintentional. And then there were his eyes—sharp, amber, flicking to the rearview mirror every few moments like he was checking for threats rather than just keeping an eye on the road.

He didn't look like a guide. He looked like someone who belonged here, like the jungle had shaped him into something part of itself. There was something about him that felt ancient, untamed, and completely unreadable.

Or maybe that was her wild imagination running away from her.

"You done staring?" Kael's voice cut through the quiet, low and even, but there was the faintest trace of amusement in it.

Evelyn blinked, heat creeping up her neck. "I wasn't staring."

Kael's lips twitched at the corner, but he didn't argue. Instead, he shifted his grip on the wheel, returning his attention to the road.

In the back, Darcy noisily crunched on a snack. "Oh, good. Our guide is allergic to words," she muttered, breaking the silence. "This is great. Really inspires confidence."

Kael didn't answer immediately. His amber eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, meeting Darcy's gaze for a split second before turning back to the road. "Talking's a distraction."

Darcy scoffed. "Right. Because making conversation would somehow get us all killed." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the back of Evelyn's seat.

Evelyn smirked but kept her eyes on Kael. There really was something about him—something off. He didn't look like any guide she had worked with before. For one, he was too damn attractive. Like he should be on the cover of Vogue rather than riding in a rundown jeep in the jungle. For another, his vibe was off.

She didn't like it. Where the hell had Carl found this guy?

"You do this kind of work a lot?" she asked, studying his profile.

Kael kept his focus on the road. "Enough."

"Right," Evelyn said, exchanging a glance with Darcy. "You know, most guides like to give a rundown of the terrain, what to watch out for—helpful stuff."

Kael's grip on the wheel tightened slightly. "Watch out for everything."

Darcy let out an exaggerated sigh. "Oh wow, thanks. That's incredibly useful."

Evelyn exhaled, flipping open her notebook. "Alright, let's go over what we know." She glanced at Darcy, who rolled her eyes but leaned in.

"We've got multiple reports of large footprints, sightings of something massive moving through the jungle, and locals refusing to go near certain areas," Darcy said, counting them off on her fingers. "Plus, that legend about the tribe summoning a monster and subsequently disappearing."

"Right," Evelyn nodded. "And then there are the disappearances. Not just old folklore—recent cases. Poachers, illegal loggers, even some scientists."

Kael remained silent, eyes locked on the road. His jaw tightened slightly at the mention of disappearances, but he said nothing.

It was noticeable enough for Evelyn to catch it, though. Had she been looking at him again? Damn, she needed to stop that. "You know something about that?"

Kael didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned the wheel sharply, guiding the Jeep around a fallen tree with precise control. Only after they were back on a smoother path did he speak. "People who come here looking for something usually find more than they want."

Darcy let out a low whistle. "Wow. Cryptic. That's not suspicious at all."

Evelyn leaned in slightly. "Kael, if you know something—"

"You should be more concerned about getting to the outpost before sundown." His tone was firm, not unkind, but final.

Darcy threw up her hands. "Well, excuse us for trying to get a little exposition."

Evelyn sighed, shifting her attention back to the jungle. Something about this felt wrong. The deeper they went, the thicker the air became—not just humid, but heavy, charged. Like the jungle itself was watching them.

Something shifted. A massive gust of wind slammed into the Jeep, jostling them hard as dust and leaves whipped across the windshield. Kael's knuckles turned white as he fought the wheel, the vehicle skidding slightly before regaining traction. The jungle itself seemed to shudder in response, the trees swaying unnaturally as if something unseen had disturbed their ancient stillness.

Then, just as suddenly as the wind had come, a low hum resonated through the air. It wasn't a sound so much as a vibration, deep and rolling, rattling through Evelyn's bones and shaking the soles of her feet. It was primal, guttural—like something massive stirring beneath the earth, its presence thrumming through the very core of the jungle. 

Darcy's hand flew to Evelyn's shoulder, fingertips digging into her flesh. "Evie...did you hear that?"

"What the hell is that?" Evelyn sat up in her chair, pressing her nose to the window as she stared out into the forest. She turned to stare at Kael, eyes wide. "Something out there?"

His eyes flicked toward the treeline, scanning. Then, just as quickly, he focused back on the road. "Just the jungle."

A sharp laugh tore itself from her throat as adrenaline coursed through her veins. "Just the jungle my ass. Does that happen a lot out here?"

Kael's response was silence, narrowed eyes locked on the road ahead.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Don't respond. I don't know where Carl found you, but I am so going to tell him to give you a bad Yelp review."

Darcy leaned closer to Evelyn, voice low. "Is it just me, or does our guide have serious 'knows more than he's saying' energy?"

Evelyn murmured back, "It's not just you."

The Jeep rumbled forward, carrying them deeper into the unknown. Whatever was out here, it was big, and Evelyn was going to find out what the hell Kael was hiding.

WC: 1168