Chapter 38

Ethan

Sitting in my office, I focus on the bond with Nathaniel and Dylan, reaching out to them through the pack’s mind-link. Nathaniel arrives first, his posture rigid, clearly bracing for whatever conversation awaits. I can see the weight of guilt pulling at him before he even speaks.

“Ethan, I want to apologize,” he starts, but I hold up my hand, cutting him off.

“We’ll talk about that later. Right now, I need to know if my mate is in danger.” My tone leaves no room for further discussion.

Nathaniel swallows hard, like he wants to say something more, but thinks better of it. Silence falls between us, tense and unspoken. A few minutes later, Dylan arrives, his usual light-hearted energy absent as he sits down.

“Well, tell me what you found,” I prompt.

Nathaniel takes a breath, gathering his thoughts. “You won’t like it. We went to the murder scene, and it reeked of the minions’ scent. We found out more about the victim, too - he was a rogue, a former pack member in the US. He betrayed his own pack, helped Andromeda, and fled to Moscow. He’s been on the run ever since.”

I feel the tension rising in my chest, a low growl threatening to surface. “Which pack was he from?” I ask, though I already dread the answer.

Nathaniel’s voice drops as he continues, “He was from the Crimson Rose pack. The mark on his shoulder confirmed it. But that’s not all.”

I narrow my eyes. “What else?”

Dylan steps in. “There’s a legend we came across, one that speaks of a spell - a ritual. It requires the hearts of three beings: a witch, a werewolf, and a hybrid. We’ve already found a dead witch and a dead werewolf. That leaves the hybrid.”

I lean back, my mind racing. “The girl in the club - her eyes were purple,” I murmur, piecing together the clues.

Dylan nods. “Exactly. We’ve got two of the three. And now, we have to wonder…”

Nathaniel cuts in, his voice grave. “We couldn’t find any survivors from Mer’s pack except for her. I’m not saying this is a certainty, but… what if she’s the hybrid?”

The air in the room thickens as his words hang there, impossible to ignore. My heart pounds in my chest. “How could that even be possible?” I snap. “We all knew her parents. They were deeply in love, both of them full-blooded werewolves. And hybrids have been extinct for centuries.”

“I know, Ethan, I know,” Nathaniel replied, his voice firm but careful. “But the facts we’ve found are pointing toward it, even if it doesn’t make sense.”

We sit there, the room filled with heavy silence, as we process what this could mean for Rose, for all of us.

Finally, I break the quiet. “We need more information before we make any conclusions, but not a word to Rose or Grace - not yet. I don’t want to cause a panic. And don’t say anything to Liam, either. This is an order.”

Nathaniel and Dylan both nod, their expressions grim. “Yes, Alpha,” they replied in unison.

I turn to Dylan. “Can you leave us for a moment? Nathaniel and I need to talk.”

Dylan stands up, offering a quick “Catch you guys later” before disappearing through the door, leaving Nathaniel and me alone.

Nathaniel opens his mouth to speak, but I stop him again. “No, let me talk first.”

I stare at him, feeling the sting of betrayal I hadn’t realized had cut so deeply. “You were my brother for our entire lives. The first person I came to with anything. I trusted you with everything - my pack, my family, my feelings, and my fears. But you? You didn’t trust me. Did you really think I would strip you of your Beta title just because you’re gay? Do you think I’m that small? You kept your relationship hidden for a decade, Nathaniel. A decade. I can’t say the same trust exists between us anymore because if you didn’t trust me, how can I trust you?”

I can see the tears welling up in his eyes, and he quickly wipes them away with his sleeve. “Ethan, please… you have to believe me. I’ve always trusted you. I was never afraid of you - I was afraid of myself. I used my fear as an excuse, and I know it was cowardice. But I can’t lose you. I don’t care about the Beta title. I care about us, about our bond. I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life proving myself to you. You already have my trust, Ethan. I’ve always trusted you. Please… I don’t want to get married without you by my side. I want you to be my best man.”

I study him for a long moment, the sincerity etched in every line of his face. “Let me be clear, Nathaniel. If I catch you lying to me again, I’ll throw you in the dungeon for a month. Do you understand?”

His laugh breaks through the tension. “Yes, Alpha.”

He stands, moving toward me, and we embrace tightly. “Thank you,” he whispered.

As we leave the office together, we find Dylan waiting by the door, a mischievous grin already forming.

“So… everything’s okay now?” he asked, a little too innocently.

“You’re not supposed to eavesdrop on your Alpha,” I said, but my voice was lighter.

“Hey, it’s fine. Just throw me in the dungeon with him next time,” Dylan chuckled, earning a playful smack on the back of the head from Nathaniel.

The tension begins to lift as the three of us laugh, but the weight of what we’ve uncovered still lingers. There’s so much more to this than we can yet understand.