The Helberton Manor stood quiet under the midday sun, its stone walls absorbing secrets better than they absorbed sound. Inside the study, the scratch of a fountain pen was the only noise—until it stopped.

“Where’s Kayra?”

The question was low, measured. But in that room, it landed like a blade. Servants stiffened. A maid’s hands trembled around her tray. Sweat beaded on foreheads that had nothing to do with the heat.

Butler Himel stepped forward, spine straight, voice smooth as polished silver.

“Sir, the young miss has gone out for a walk.”

Mr. Helberton said nothing for three seconds. Three seconds too long.

Then his pen moved again, ink flowing like nothing had happened.

Outside, the forest had no such composure.

Wind hissed through the canopy. Somewhere above, a frantic rustle and a very indignant voice broke the peace.

“What are you _doing_ over there?”

“Can’t you see? I’m playing!”

“Hahaha. No. You’re just hanging there.”

“Then why are you even asking!?”

Kayra flapped hard, cursing every ancestor who’d decided falcons needed to roost in trees. One wing was snagged tight around a thick branch. The other throbbed where she’d caught it wrong on the fall. And as if that wasn’t enough, a massive black shape had appeared below her, watching with infuriating amusement.

“Look,” she snapped, feathers bristling, “if you’re not going to help, leave. Don’t bother me.”

The black panther tilted his head, golden eyes glinting.

“I’m not bothering you. I’m trying to help. Wait. I’ll climb up and get you down.”

Without waiting for permission, he moved—silent, fluid, muscles coiling as he ascended the trunk.

The forest smelled of wet earth and pine. Zayid walked with a steady gait, Kayra’s smaller form secured against his back, her injured wing bound crudely with leaves and twine. She was quieter now, fatigue dulling her usual sharpness.

“So,” he said casually, “how’d a falcon end up in this part of the woods? You don’t usually fly this far south.”

“I was walking,” Kayra muttered. “Walking. Then I ran into a damn eagle and fell. Into a tree.”

“Right. Walking.”

She shot him a glare she hoped he felt through her back. “And what about you? Panthers don’t come here either. What are you doing in the middle of nowhere?”

Zayid’s tail flicked. “Checking on the beavers. Best engineers in the forest, you know. Got tired of being human for a while.”

Kayra blinked. “There are beavers here? So… there’s a river nearby?”

“Yeah. I’m taking you there. Your family can pick you up from the bank.”

She went quiet for a moment. Then: “Why are you helping me? You want something, don’t you?”

Zayid chuckled, low and amused. “Do I seem like that kind of guy?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.” He adjusted her weight slightly. “When you’re healed, I’ll come find you myself. And I’ll ask for something.”

Kayra’s eyes narrowed. “Make sure it’s not against my interests.”

She poked her head forward and gently butted his ear for emphasis.

“Noted,” he said dryly.

Then his ears twitched. “Ah. We’re here. Riverbank.”

He set her down gently on the soft grass. The sound of flowing water filled the air, cool and steady.

It lasted two seconds.

A shadow fell over them. Wind tore through the clearing as a falcon twice Kayra’s size dove down, talons closing around her with practiced precision. She yelped. The next moment she was airborne, being carried off without another word.

Her father. No doubt about it.

From the bushes, another voice spoke.

“So? Did you meet your bride?”

Jenan stepped out, tall and composed, his human form barely concealing the predator beneath. Zayid turned, a faint smile on his lips.

“Yeah,” he said. “She’s beautiful. Talks well, too.”

His smile faded slightly. “Don’t think she’d agree to marry me, though.”

“Because she doesn’t know yet,” Jenan said simply. “And you know this marriage matters.”

“I know.” Zayid stared at the spot where Kayra had vanished. “What do you think? Was she telling the truth?”

“About what?”

“About the wing. Falcons don’t get that clumsy unless something happened.”

His voice lowered. “The Helberton family has always been full of secrets.”

Jenan’s expression didn’t change. “Could be.”

Zayid sighed and began walking, stretching his limbs. “Let’s go. We’ve been in this form too long.”

Jenan followed, eyes thoughtful.

Behind them, the river kept running.

And somewhere in the distance, Kayra was probably getting an earful.

*[End of Chapter 1]*

Author’s Note – Background

This story takes place in a hidden world where shapeshifters live alongside humans, concealed by old families and ancient oaths. The Helberton family are falcon-shifters, known for their pride and their secrets. The panther brothers, Zayid and Jenan, belong to a line that moves between human and beast with ease, often acting as mediators and observers in the forest.

Their first meeting is messy, accidental, and already tangled in things neither of them understand yet.

Mr. Helberton’s stern voice echoed through the room. He sat on the sofa while in front of him, Laura was combing Kaira’s hair. Kaira’s fractured hand rested on her lap, and with her other hand she was gently stroking the neck of her nephew, Calfius.

“What do you mean, ‘I can’t believe it’? You slipped past me and took two days off to run off to Costa Rica?”

“What was I supposed to do? You know I almost had them, if your rat hadn’t betrayed me…” Kaira continued, rambling in a rush.

Calfius had just turned two this year. Her brother and sister-in-law had left him behind to go traveling. Right before Kaira arrived, her brother had begged their father like a puppy (right the same man who kills without any emotion)for a day off. The poor man couldn’t spend any time with his wife. Kaira still remembered how happy her brother had looked this morning when he was heading out with his wife. The memory made her smile faintly. Then something else occurred to her—

“Oh, right, Papa. I’m certain no one from our family is involved in the illegal bird smuggling going on in Costa Rica. I didn’t pick up any hint of it in the cargo.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Trust me. I’m sure Julian’s running around on his own. He’s not easy to catch,” Kaira said, placing a biscuit on Calfius’s cheek as she spoke.

“Well, you’ve come a long way. The journey must have been tiring—”

“No, I didn’t come by journey. You dragged me here by the scruff of my neck.”

“Don’t talk back to me. Your wedding is in a month and you’re still acting like a child. You know Calfius is more mature than you,” Mr. Helberton replied. His tone was cold, but there was warmth in his eyes.

“Please forgive me this time. I was helping you, anyway. Sitting at home was driving me mad. Laura, comb a little gentler, would you~”

The Helbertons’ playful bickering continued…

The sound of several gunshots echoed through the dense jungle. Robert and Zayid’s horses galloped in sync, chasing a deer to bring it down.

“Still got that fire, Zayid? Come on, ease up a bit. Leave the deer to me.”

“If I didn’t have fire, how would I be a cheetah, Robert?” Zayid answered with a smile, though it never reached his eyes.

“Is that so? Then let’s see who gets it today.”

As he submerged himself in the bathtub, the water splashed outward and Zayid’s adrenaline-fueled body finally cooled down. Today had been long and exhausting, and he could barely remember anything. But there was one bird he couldn’t forget.

Those earthy-green eyes had looked at him with tenderness, just like they had on his wedding day. But this time, something was different. Yes, it was different. This time there was no pale shadow in those green eyes—only cunning, affection, and unblinking curiosity.

Today, he’d shot that deer straight through the head. The first time, Robert had only hit its leg, and the deer had writhed in pain, so Zayid had decided to end its suffering himself.

Would his bird be angry at him if she found out? She never liked pointless violence… He’d have to break the habit before the wedding. Zayid had promised himself he’d learn to feel everything properly this time, and change himself.

But as they say, you can’t wash the black off coal, and one stitch in time saves nine. The proverbs were true, and it was no different for Zayid.

This cold water couldn’t melt his agitated heart. Only she could.

“Felix, the sir is calling for you,” Hans panted as he spoke to the man training in the yard. Instantly, the man’s mechanical movements stopped, and annoyance flashed across his face.

“May I come in, sir?” Felix knocked on the captain’s door and entered the room without waiting for permission.