Chapter 10

Ethan

I descended the stairs, greeting the staff with brief nods as I made my way through the pack house. My mind was elsewhere, buzzing with thoughts of the past days, the weight of it all pressing on me. When I finally stepped outside, the crisp air hit my skin, grounding me in the present. I turned left and headed toward the nearest tree line, the familiar pull of the forest calling me. I needed a release, something to clear my head, and only one thing could do that.

I stripped off my clothes, folding them neatly at the base of a tree before shifting. The change came quickly, bones cracking and reforming, fur sprouting as my wolf took over. It had been too long since I let him out, and I could feel his joy, his freedom, through our bond. The sensation was immediate - a rush of energy, raw and untamed. I sprinted through the forest, the trees blurring past as I let my instincts take over. My paws pounded the earth as I raced beyond the lake, heading for the farthest corner of the property where the oracle’s cottage had stood for centuries.

By the time I reached Amber’s home, the sun had risen higher in the sky, casting a golden glow over the ancient stone walls. I shifted back, feeling the familiar pull of my bones returning to their human form, and grabbed the towel that was waiting for me on her doorstep. Wrapping it around my waist, I pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Amber was seated at her dining table, sipping tea as if she had been expecting me all along. She didn’t look up, but I could sense her awareness of my presence.

“So, you’ve finally found her, Alpha,” she said softly, her voice carrying the weight of something deeper.

I stood there for a moment, trying to find the right words. “Thanks to you. I would never have found her if you hadn’t predicted her location.”

Amber’s eyes flicked up to meet mine, and a small, knowing smile curved her lips. “You may think that, but mates are meant to find each other. If not for my prediction, you would have found her in another way. The moon goddess guides us all.”

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. “I know. But still, your help… it means more than you know.” I paused, my thoughts drifting back to the club. Something had been bothering me since that night. “I saw you talking to her before I met her. What were you doing there?”

Amber set her cup down gently, her expression thoughtful. “I was curious,” she admitted. “Curious about the woman who is destined to be your Luna. The Luna of the prophecy.”

Her words sent a shiver down my spine. The prophecy - something that had haunted me for years. I couldn’t help but wonder if it had already begun to unfold.

Silence stretched between us before I spoke again. “Do you think Andromeda knows who she is by now?”

Amber’s face tightened slightly, her eyes darkening. “I can’t say for sure, but the appearance of one of her minions at the club was no coincidence. It’s a bad sign. A warning.”

A low growl escaped my throat at the thought of Andromeda. The witch who had destroyed Rosemary’s family. My anger toward her burned deep, but there was something else, too - a nagging fear. “Do you hate her for what she did? For all the lives she ruined?”

Amber’s gaze softened, but there was sadness there. “You know how I feel. I rebelled against her, yes, but she’s still my sister. As much as I despise what she’s become, I can only hope that someday she’ll find redemption.”

I shook my head. “It’s too late for that. She’s too far gone. The prophecy says Rosemary will bring her downfall. But it doesn’t change the fact that she caused the death of an entire pack.”

“I know that, Alpha,” Amber whispered. “She will face justice, one way or another.”

We sat in heavy silence for a while, both of us lost in thought. Finally, Amber broke the quiet. “How are things going with Rosemary?”

I sighed, the weight of her name settling on my chest. “Nathaniel had talked about her for years. I had my suspicions that she was my mate, but I couldn’t be sure. Not until I saw her with my own eyes. From the way Nate spoke about her… I think I’ve been in love with her for some time, even before I knew she was mine.”

Amber’s gaze sharpened, but she said nothing, waiting for me to continue.

“It’s hard,” I admitted, my voice dropping. “It’s hard not to just… claim her. Whenever I see her, all I want to do is hold her, kiss her, protect her. But I know I can’t. Not yet. She’s overwhelmed. She even fainted when I told her everything, and I can’t blame her. If I tell her she’s my mate now, she’ll run. I know it.”

Amber’s expression softened again, sympathy in her eyes. “When do you want me to reverse the spell on her memories? And her wolf?”

I thought about it for a moment, the prophecy weighing on my mind. “We have time. The prophecy speaks of the Luna’s 25th birthday. That gives us a year to prepare.”

Amber nodded slowly, understanding. “Patience will be key. You’re right to wait.”

I stood, ready to leave, but there was a lingering tension between us. Amber averted her gaze, but I could still feel the weight of her emotions pressing against me. Our past lingered between us, a ghost of what once was.

It had never been more than something casual, something we both understood. But now, that chapter was closing. For good.

“I’m in love with Rosemary.” My voice was quiet but firm, final. I stepped closer, letting the truth settle between us like a heavy stone. “But I’ll always cherish what we had.”

Amber’s lips parted, her breath catching as she processed my words. Before she could respond, I leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss. Not out of desire, not to reignite something that had long since faded, but as a goodbye. A farewell wrapped in the press of mouths and the lingering warmth of a touch that once meant something.

She stiffened at first, her body tense beneath mine. But then she softened, her lips parting slightly, allowing the moment to stretch just long enough for us to understand it for what it was - closure.

But as we pulled apart, something flickered in her eyes. A challenge. A quiet, desperate plea for one last moment before it all slipped away.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, her breath hot against my lips.

I cupped her jaw, my thumb brushing over her flushed skin. “Ending this properly,” I murmured, before sealing my mouth over hers again.

This time, it wasn’t gentle.

My hands tangled in her clothes, and with a sharp tug, fabric tore under my grip. She gasped, her nails raking over my skin as I pushed her back against the wall, pinning her beneath me. My lips trailed down her neck, biting, sucking, marking her like I had done so many times before - but there was no fire, no burning hunger. Even as I kissed her breasts, even as she arched against me, begging for more, my mind drifted elsewhere.

To her. Rosemary.

Amber’s hands fisted in my hair, pulling me closer, guiding me where she needed me most. I didn’t hesitate. I spread her legs wider, feeling the heat of her against my member as I pressed against her entrance. Her breath hitched, her thighs trembling as she whispered my name.

And then, in one swift motion, I slammed inside her.

She cried out, her head falling back against the wall, fingers digging into my shoulders as I thrust into her, hard and deep. The stretch of her around me was familiar, her body welcoming, but my mind refused to stay in the moment.

It was wrong. It should have felt good, it used to feel good. But now, all I could think about was how she wasn’t Rosemary. How this wasn’t the scent I craved, the taste I longed for, the touch I ached to possess.

I closed my eyes, burying my face in the crook of Amber’s neck as I pounded into her, chasing a release that felt impossibly out of reach. My hands gripped her ass, lifting her higher, pressing her harder against the cold stone wall as my hips snapped against hers.

She moaned my name, the sound needy, desperate, but it wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to hear Rosemary’s moan. I wanted to hear her whimper beneath me, to feel her legs wrap around my waist, to taste her gasps against my tongue. Amber tightened around me, her body shuddering as she came, her walls squeezing my cock in pulsing waves. But it still wasn’t enough. I wasn’t there. I wasn’t with her.

My grip on Amber’s hips bruised as I kept moving, my rhythm growing erratic, my mind spiraling deeper into fantasy. I pictured fiery red hair spread across my pillows, gray eyes blown wide with pleasure. I imagined Rosemary’s breathless cries, the way she would cling to me as I fucked her senseless. My name, spilling from her lips. My hands, gripping her thighs. Her walls milking my cock as I lost myself inside her.

And that was what did it. Pleasure tore through me like a wildfire, my release crashing into me with a force that stole my breath. I groaned, my body tensing as I spilled inside Amber, my mind still lost in the image of Rosemary, in the way I wished this moment felt.

As soon as it was over, the weight of it crashed down on me like a landslide.

I pulled out, stepping back as Amber slumped against the wall, breathless and spent. But as she looked up at me, something in her gaze told me she knew. She knew I had been somewhere else. With someone else.

The silence between us was deafening.

We cleaned up without speaking, the air heavy with something I didn’t want to acknowledge. I dressed quickly, running a hand through my hair before glancing back at her one last time.

“I hope you find peace, Alpha,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I turned and walked away, shifting into my wolf form the moment I stepped outside. The moment my paws hit the earth, I ran, tearing through the trees, the wind whipping against my fur. I ran as fast as I could. But no matter how far I went, no matter how fast I pushed myself, I couldn’t outrun the only thought that mattered. Rosemary.