46

46

46

Riley

I closed the door behind me, pressing my back against it as I let out a slow, shaky breath.

My chest felt tight, my head was pounding, and everything inside me was telling me to shut down—to stop thinking, to stop feeling. But how could I, when Ethan had looked at me like that?

Like I was breaking his heart without even trying.

I raked a hand through my hair, moving toward the bed and sitting on the edge. My elbows rested on my knees as I stared down at the floor, my mind an absolute mess.

This was why I never let things get complicated.

This was why I had rules.

And yet, here I was, tangled in something I never meant to start.

And fuck, it wasn’t just about feelings anymore. It was about the truth—my truth.

I wanted to tell him. Every time we got close like this, every time his eyes softened and his voice dropped like he actually cared, the words clawed at my throat.

I’m a werewolf.

Three words. They shouldn’t be so fucking hard to say.

But they were.

Because once I said