43. Panic

Mia Miller

That kiss awakened feelings in me that I thought had died. I knew it was forbidden, I knew he wasn't right for me. That everything was a mistake. But they always told me that the forbidden was more enticing. And even though I knew the Alpha wasn't the person who would make me happy, I gave myself completely.

His touches… his warm mouth on mine. Skin on skin. I didn’t know how to react to all of it. On that terrace, naked, looking at the moonlight, I couldn’t think of anything bad. Only the present moment.

His fingers were sliding down my body, caressing my waist. I felt something different, like a primitive instinct I didn’t even know existed was taking over me. I was a wolf. And it was hard to accept that. I was in denial. But when I smelled his scent, I forgot everything.

While we looked at the starry sky, I broke the silence.

“What do you feel for me?” I let the question slip out.

“What kind of question is that now?” He smiled faintly.

“Just answer, Ethan.”

He stood up, bending in front of me and looking at me.

“I… I don’t know, Mia.” His gaze showed uncertainty.

“You don’t need to say anything more, that answered everything.”

Before I could say anything again, he pulled me by the waist with his firm hands, pressing me against him.

“I like you.” His blue eyes shone like the stars.

“But you’re going to marry her.”

“It’s business.” He whispered.

In an attempt to regain my peace, I sighed. I knew we were just one night, and it would always be like this. Nothing between us would change. The pack wouldn’t accept me as the leader's woman. He and I would never work. His temperament was strong, like the Alpha male he was.

“It’s better if we go.” I spoke softly, picking up my clothes.

“It’s still early, let’s stay longer.”

“The last dinner. The last night.” I murmured.

He approached my face and tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear.

“What do you want…” I shook my head, trying to escape that damned desire.

“A kiss. One last kiss.”

My mind distracted from the circumstances and gave space for his tongue to enter my mouth. His skillful hands slid down my waist, and we kissed.

He buried his hands in my hair and on my neck. In that moment, I forgot everything about how I didn’t like Ethan. How his harsh words irritated me. How his ignorance affected me, his cold eyes, and his heart of ice.

“All I can think about now, Mia, is how much I want to shove my tongue between your legs.” He whispered in my ear.

“Ethan… don’t do that.” I shivered.

My eyes closed immediately. His jaw clenched, and I watched him, his features perfectly sculpted.

“You awaken all the most intimate instincts in me, Mia Miller. My wolf can’t resist your scent, you drive me crazy.”

Our eyes locked on each other. Not knowing what to answer, what to say, or how to act. It had been a while since I had felt this, or rather, I think I never had. Not even with Collin. There was a clear feeling: I loved him. But it was never as intense as it was with Ethan.

“We better go.” I said, moving a few inches away.

The way back to the reserve was filled with heavy and awkward silence. In the car, words seemed unnecessary, and the tension between Ethan and me was loaded with something undefined.

My emotions were tangled, and the intense desire from the night mixed with the bitter reality that he would never truly be mine. As he drove, his eyes fixed on the road, I leaned my head against the glass and let fatigue take me into a restless, confused sleep.

By morning, what remained from that night seemed distant, but the weight of emotions was still there, throbbing in my chest.

I got up with a feeling of uncertainty and went through my routine, trying to occupy my mind with Lorenzo and his activities. I took him to the training of the little wolves, trying to avoid any thoughts of Ethan, of Amber, of us.

When I arrived at the training field, I noticed something different in the air. A crowd of wolves was gathered, and the atmosphere felt strange, heavy. My heart started to beat faster, and instinctively, my senses were alert. I walked over to where Lorenzo was playing, but I was quickly interrupted by murmurs around me.

“What’s happening?” I asked Esther.

“I can’t believe this…” Esther whispered in disbelief.

In the center of the crowd, Ethan stood, with Amber by his side. Everything around them seemed to freeze. A solemn announcement was taking place.

Ethan’s engagement to Amber.

My legs weakened, and the shock hit me like a punch to the stomach. The tears came immediately, hot and unwanted. I didn’t want to cry there, in front of everyone. I didn’t want to show my pain. But it was too strong to be contained.

I turned and ran, without direction. The cold air cut my face, and each step seemed to make my heart beat faster, harder. The scent of the earth, the wind in the trees, the disordered rhythm of my breathing… I knew what was happening. My transformation was accelerating. I was turning into a wolf, little by little.

I ran aimlessly, trying to escape the pain, but suddenly I felt a strong hand pull me back. I was thrown violently against a tree, and before I could react, a deep voice whispered in my ear:

“If you say anything… you’ll die.”

My whole body trembled. I was being kidnapped.

My breath caught in my throat. Fear settled in, but with it, a spark of anger emerged. I didn’t know who this man was, but the strength in his grip wasn’t human. The proximity of his body radiated power, and his scent… was familiar, but threatening.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice trembling, trying to stay strong. My wolf instincts were starting to intensify, and I knew that if necessary, I’d have to fight.

The man laughed softly, a sound that made my skin crawl. “That doesn’t matter, Mia. What matters is that now you’re going to the place you should never have left.”