Chapter 28

Ethan

I hesitate just outside the door, hearing faint music pouring out from inside. For a second, I think about turning back, about leaving things the way they’ve been. But deep down, I know nothing will change if I don’t make the first move. If I don’t take the risk now, this distance between us will keep growing, and I can’t let that happen. Not anymore.

I knock a few times, and after a brief pause, I hear a soft “come in.”

When I step inside, I’m struck by how different the room looks compared to the last time I saw it. The once-cluttered space has been transformed. The boxes are gone, replaced by fabric draped across the floor. Canvases of all sizes line the walls, some unfinished, some barely started. In the middle of the room is Rose, standing amid a dozen half-finished paintings. She looks startled by my presence, her eyes wide, caught between focus and surprise.

“Hey, Ethan,” she said, wiping her hands on her jeans. “What are you doing here? Am I interrupting in here?”

“No, of course not.” I shake my head quickly. “I just… I wondered if we could talk.”

“Sure,” she said, sitting down on the couch in the corner, pulling her knees up to her chest. Her movements are careful, as though she’s guarding something fragile inside herself. I sit across from her, trying to steady my nerves.

“What did you want to talk about?” she asked, her voice quieter now. I notice her biting at the bracelets around her wrist, a nervous habit I hadn’t picked up on before.

I take a deep breath. “It took a lot of courage to come here, so I hope you’ll understand. I want to talk about us.”

“Us?” she echoes, her brow furrowing slightly. “What about us?”

“We’re mates, Rose,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “And I don’t think you fully understand what that means. I’m not here to force you into anything, but we need to talk about the consequences of ignoring it.”

She doesn’t say anything, just nods for me to continue. Her eyes flicker with something, uncertainty, maybe curiosity, and I decide to take the leap.

“You don’t have your wolf yet, and maybe you don’t want it. But you need to know what you’re losing by keeping it hidden. The wolf inside you - it’s not just some beast. It’s a part of you, a part that understands you better than anyone ever could. It’s a gift from the moon goddess herself, a piece of magic woven into your soul. And your mate…” I pause, letting the words sink in. “A mate is more than just someone you love. They’re the other half of you, of your wolf. It’s a pull, something electric, that can’t be explained. When a mate is near, nothing else matters. When I breathe you in, Rose, all my problems fade away. But when you’re not there…”

I trail off, swallowing the lump in my throat. I’m afraid of saying too much, of overwhelming her.

“I don’t want to scare you,” I continued, my voice softer now. “But it’s so hard for me, and for my wolf, to be apart from you. I spent ten years searching for you. I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to be here for you, even if it means just being your friend. You are my sun and my moon, Rose, and I don’t want to walk this earth without you by my side.”

I stop, letting the silence stretch between us. I can see the hesitation in her eyes, the war she’s waging inside herself. But beneath that hesitation, I can see something else - a spark, faint but growing.

Then, without a word, she stands up and walks toward me, closing the distance between us. Time seems to slow as she leans in, her face inches from mine. And when her lips meet mine, it’s like everything I’ve been holding back comes rushing out. The spark ignites into a burning flame. Her lips are soft, warm, and sweet, and as her tongue brushes against mine, it feels like I’ve been waiting my entire life for this moment.

I don’t know how long we kissed, lost in each other, but when she finally pulled away, she stayed close, her breath hot against my skin. The world around us feels different now, like something has shifted between us.

“What was that for?” I managed to ask, my voice hoarse.

She looks at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and resolve. “I can feel it,” she whispered. “I can feel the pull. I’ve never felt anything like this before. I want to be near you, Ethan - every minute, every hour, every day. And it scares me. But you’re right.”

“About what?” I asked, hesitating, afraid to hope.

She takes a deep breath, her chest rising and falling in a slow, deliberate rhythm. Her lips part, and when she speaks, her voice is steady, yet laced with the kind of raw emotion that makes my pulse thunder in my ears.

“In these past three months, my heart broke every time we were apart. I kept telling myself it wasn’t real, that I didn’t need you, but… I do. I don’t want to feel that ache anymore. I’m ready. I’m ready to be with you. In every way.”