Chapter 20
I forced myself to take a steadying breath and nodded, though my heart was pounding. “Yeah, let’s go.”
With Nick by my side, I started moving toward Ethan. The closer I got, the more I noticed gbe
h
he flush in his cheeks, the redness in his eyes–he was as affected as I was, though he’d die before admitting it.
Jane turned to greet me, a smile on her face that felt oddly triumphant. “Claire, thank you so much for helping me out in Shadow Sand,” she said warmly.
“It wasn’t a big deal,” I replied casually, trying not to glance at Ethan, though I could feel his presence, like a magnet pulling me closer. My gaze betrayed me anyway, darting to him for just a heartbeat. My wolf stirred within, and a whisper of pain tinged her voice.
Nick, always observant, noticed the strange tension lingering between us, and even Jane’s gaze darted back and forth, as if trying to read what lay beneath the surface.
Suppressing the turmoil building inside me, I faced Ethan. “Do you even remember me?” I asked, my tone more pointed than I’d intended.
A muscle twitched in his jaw, and his eyes, a dark shade of red now, seemed to burn with barely concealed emotion. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Finally, he spoke, his voice low, each word as though pulled from him by force. “You’re… alive.”
I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat, fighting to keep my composure. “You sound disappointed that I survived,” I said with a tight smile.
His lips curled into a dry, humorless laugh–a sound that cut deeper than I’d anticipated. The air grew thick, tension crackling between us, as my wolf growled, resisting the instinctive urge to submit to him. But there was something else within me now, too–defiance, a refusal to bend under his gaze like I had so many times before.
Our exchange drew curious glances from those around us, each gaze like a weight pressing down on the fragile thread between us. I felt like I was on the verge of shattering, and yet… I couldn’t look away.
12:39
Chapter 20
Nick cleared his throat, trying to break the tension. “Well, since you two know each othat, that’s even better. Why don’t we head over to the party?”
I sighed, suppressing the frustration bubbling inside me. “Are you coming with us? I asked
Ethan.
He looked away, his voice a low rumble. “You all go on ahead.”
lis refusal hung heavy in the air, and I clenched my fists, exasperated. “Are you mad because I didn’t recognize you over the phone?” I asked, my voice sharper than I’d intended.
Before Ethan could respond, Jane chimed in, her curiosity evident. “Have you known each other long?”
I didn’t look at her, keeping my gaze trained on Ethan. “Not really. About ten years, give or take.” The flatness in my voice caught everyone off guard, even myself.
Ethan’s gaze hardened, and then, in a sudden shift, he commanded everyone else to leave. Within moments, it was just the two of us.
I took a breath, steeling myself. “Did you really not recognize me?” I asked, my voice softer, yet edged with bitterness. I didn’t care about his answer, yet I couldn’t stop the question from escaping my lips.
He held my gaze, his expression unreadable. “You disappeared so completely. I couldn’t be sure,” he said, his voice tight.
I swallowed, the memories rushing back like a flood. “Did he really think I was dead?* Years ago, I’d taken part in a risky medical experiment. Some participants hadn’t made it. But I’d survived. They’d sent me overseas, where I lost contact with everyone… including.
Ethan.
But if he couldn’t recognize his own mate’s scent, even after all these years, it only showed me how little he’d really cared.
As his gaze pierced through me, I steadied my breathing, willing my heart to stay calm despite the chaos within me. Every memory of him, every ache and every betrayal, flooded back, but I forced myself to stand firm, holding his gaze with as much defiance as I could
muster.
12:39
Chapter 20
“I don’t hate you. I haven’t forgiven you, either. I just don’t feel anything toward you anymore,” I said, voice carefully neutral, the words like shards of glass I hoped would pierce him. But his face remained impassive, the only hint of vulnerability in the tight grip he kept on my wrist.
“I don’t accept that!” he retorted, his voice low and fierce. “Can’t you feel it? The Moon
Goddess is telling us to remain mates.”
shook my head, biting back the swell of emotions he always managed to stir. “You’re
mistaking her voice for your own selfishness, Ethan. Go focus on Vanessa.”
A flicker of something dark crossed his face. “Vanessa… I broke up with her a long time ago,” he admitted, his tone laden with regret. “Her heart disease–it was a lie. I’m so sorry for the
pain I caused you back then.”
His eyes, those piercing sapphire blue orbs, shimmered with a depth that unsettled me. It
made my wolf restless, pulling at the bond I had worked so hard to suppress. I loathed the Moon Goddess for intertwining our souls, trapping me in the invisible thread that still pulsed with longing.
Ethan leaned in, the distance between us shrinking. For a fleeting second, I felt the old, traitorous flutter in my chest, and I cursed myself. Just as his face drew close, my hand shot up, stopping him mid–motion. “You’re overstepping. Alpha or not,” I warned, voice steady.
but cold.
He pulled back, visibly shaken, and ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry if I scared you.” Then, without waiting for a response, he turned and headed upstairs, his figure tense and
distant.
Against all logic, I followed. Why? I had no idea. Perhaps it was curiosity, or maybe some masochistic desire to get answers. I found myself trailing after him, my steps quickelting to match his hurried pace.
C
