Chapter Three: Mine to Protect

Ethan Pov 

The moment I saw her, my world changed.

One second, I was driving home from the university, thinking about nothing more important than surviving another week of classes.

The next, the scent hit me. Vanilla. Jasmine. And something uniquely hers.

My wolf surged forward so violently that I nearly slammed on the brakes. Mate.

The word exploded through my head. Every instinct I possessed came alive. For years, I had wondered what finding my mate would feel like. My brothers had described it. Friends had described it. Even my parents had tried explaining it. None of them had come close.

Nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelming certainty that flooded through me. She was mine. Not in the possessive way some wolves meant it.

Not ownership. Not control. Not dominance. She was my person.

The woman the Moon Goddess had chosen for me. The woman I was meant to protect, cherish, and spend my life with.

Then I saw her. Terrified. Bleeding. Running for her life. Every happy thought vanished instantly. My wolf growled. Danger. She was in danger.

I barely remembered stopping the SUV. One moment I was behind the wheel. The next I was running toward her. She looked exhausted. Her clothes were torn. Cuts covered her arms and legs. Fear filled her eyes. Yet she kept moving. Kept fighting.

Something about that hit me hard. Most people would have collapsed long ago. This woman hadn't. She had pushed forward despite everything. Then her eyes met mine. For a split second, the world 

seemed to disappear. Mate.

The bond slammed into me again. Powerful. Undeniable. Perfect.

I knew immediately that she was human. I didn't care. Not even a little.

The Moon Goddess never made mistakes.

If she had chosen a human for me, then there was a reason. A purpose. And I trusted her judgment completely.

Sophia stumbled. I moved forward instinctively and caught her before she hit the pavement.

The second she touched me, something settled inside my chest. Peace. For the first time in years, my wolf became completely calm. She was here. Safe. In my arms.

Then the wolves emerged from the forest.

And any peace I felt disappeared. The moment I recognized Damien's wolves, anger erupted inside me. Not because they were chasing someone. Because they were chasing her. My mate.

The terrified woman trembling in my arms.

I had heard rumors over the last several months. Stories about humans disappearing. Stories about packs forcing humans to remain against their will. Stories about women being treated like property. Most of us believed they were isolated incidents.

A few rogue Alphas abusing their power.

Seeing Sophia's condition told me otherwise. This wasn't an isolated incident. This was systematic. Someone had hurt her. Someone had terrified her so badly that she had risked running through a forest in the middle of the night. And I intended to find out exactly who.

My wolf snarled. Protect. The urge was overwhelming. Every instinct demanded the same thing. Keep her safe.

When Beta Carter informed me that Sophia belonged to Damien, I nearly lost control. Belonged. The word made me sick. Humans weren't property. Women weren't property. Nobody belonged to anyone. I had spent my entire life watching my father lead with honor. Watching my mother command respect without fear.

Watching my brothers defend those who couldn't defend themselves.

That was what strength meant. Not chains.

Not threats. Not ownership.

Damien clearly hadn't learned that lesson.

By the time Carter and his wolves finally left, Sophia looked ready to collapse. The adrenaline keeping her upright was fading.

I could see it in her eyes. The exhaustion.

The pain. The fear. What struck me most wasn't her physical condition. It was how cautious she seemed. Every movement.

Every glance. Every word.

She acted like someone expecting to be hurt. That realization made my chest tighten. No one should live that way. No one.

As I carried her toward my SUV, she remained tense. Not struggling. Not fighting. Just waiting. Almost as though she expected kindness to come with a price. The thought angered me more than I wanted to admit.

Whoever Damien was, he had done a number on her. The drive was quiet at first.

I didn't push. Sophia had been through enough for one night.

The last thing she needed was an interrogation. Instead, I focused on getting her somewhere safe. Preferably before I lost my mind worrying.

Every few seconds, I found myself glancing toward her. She stared out the window. Lost in thought. Or perhaps lost in fear. The cuts on her legs bothered me. The bruises bothered me. The exhaustion in her eyes bothered me. Everything about her condition bothered me.

When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "What happens now?"

The question carried far more weight than the words themselves. She wasn't asking about tonight. She was asking about her future. About survival. About what came next. And honestly?

I didn't have all the answers. But I knew one thing. She wasn't facing it alone. When she admitted she had nowhere to go, my decision became simple.

"You stay with me."

The second the words left my mouth, she looked horrified. I almost laughed. Most unmated wolves would consider living with their mate a dream.

Sophia looked like I had suggested jumping off a cliff. Then again, I understood why. As far as she was concerned, werewolves were monsters.

And based on her experiences, she had every reason to think that.

"I don't trust werewolves."

The honesty surprised me. Most people would have lied. Sophia didn't. She simply told the truth. I respected that.

"I don't blame you."

And I didn't. Trust had to be earned. Not demanded. I wasn't interested in forcing anything. Not friendship. Not affection. Not acceptance.

If she eventually trusted me, it would be because I earned it. Nothing else. For several minutes, silence filled the vehicle again. My thoughts drifted toward home.

The estate was large enough to accommodate guests comfortably.

My family would probably lose their minds when they learned I had found my mate.

Especially my mother. Actually, definitely my mother. The woman had spent years dropping hints about grandchildren.

The moment she learned I had finally found my mate, she would become unbearable. The thought almost made me smile. Almost. Then reality returned. Sophia wasn't ready to meet my family. She barely trusted me. Throwing her into a house full of wolves would be a disaster.

No. I would handle this carefully.

One step at a time. Protect her. Earn her trust. Help her heal. Everything else could wait.

As the city lights began disappearing behind us, Sophia finally looked in my direction again. Her expression remained cautious. Uncertain. Yet there was something else there now. Curiosity. Hope.

Maybe even the smallest hint of trust. It wasn't much. But it was a start. And for now, that was enough.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and focused on the road ahead. Whatever problems waited for us, we would deal with them together. Because whether Sophia accepted it yet or not, she wasn't alone anymore. And as far as I was concerned, she never would be again.

The decision had already been made.

Sophia Hart was staying with me.