Sophia stormed down the street, her breath ragged, the cool morning air doing little to calm the storm inside her. The events of the last twenty-four hours were too much, too fast, and now, Ethan had just complicated everything even more. That woman—his Beta, whatever that meant—had shown up like she had some claim on him, like Sophia was the outsider.
She reached the park and collapsed onto a bench, burying her head in her hands. The mate bond, Ethan, the pack—it all felt like some twisted dream she couldn’t wake up from. What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to deal with the reality of werewolves and supernatural bonds when her own life was already so fragile?
Her thoughts kept pulling her back to Ethan. Despite her anger, the bond between them thrummed just beneath her skin, growing stronger with every breath. The memory of his touch, his scent, and the way he had made her feel last night—so alive, so needed—clouded her mind. Even now, her body craved his, the need growing like a wildfire inside her.
It was maddening.
“How am I supposed to get over this?” she muttered to herself, gripping the edge of the bench. Her hands trembled as she remembered the heat in his eyes, the way his body had responded to hers. She wanted him. Desperately. But the betrayal, the secrets—it hurt too much to ignore.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to push the thoughts away, but it was impossible. The bond was too strong. She had read stories of people being so connected to another that it felt like they couldn’t breathe without them. She had thought it was all fantasy—until now. This connection with Ethan wasn’t just in her mind. It was real, primal, and inescapable.
A deep growl from her stomach snapped her back to reality. She hadn’t eaten since yesterday, and suddenly, everything felt even more overwhelming. She needed time to process, to figure out her next move, but the bond kept pulling her thoughts back to Ethan. Damn it, she thought. Why does he have this power over me?
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. For a moment, she hesitated. Part of her didn’t want to know if it was Ethan, but curiosity got the better of her. She pulled out her phone and saw a message.
Ethan: Sophia, please. Let me explain. I need to see you. Just give me a chance to make this right.
Her fingers hovered over the screen. A part of her wanted to delete the message, to block him and walk away from this insane situation. But the bond tugged at her heartstrings, and no matter how much she wanted to push him away, she knew that staying away from him would be just as painful.
She took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest, and started typing.
Sophia: I don’t know if I can do this, Ethan. You keep things from me, and I don’t know where I fit in your world.
She hit send and stood up from the bench, deciding to walk off some of the restless energy buzzing through her body. The moment her feet hit the pavement, her phone buzzed again.
Ethan: I’m sorry. I should’ve told you everything from the beginning. I swear there’s nothing between Lila and me—she’s just my Beta, my second in command. Please, meet me tonight. Let me explain everything.
Sophia bit her lip, her mind warring with itself. She needed answers. Maybe hearing him out was the only way to make sense of this tangled mess.
But she wasn’t ready to give in just yet.
She typed back quickly. Sophia: Maybe. I’ll let you know.
For the rest of the afternoon, Sophia wandered aimlessly, her mind circling around Ethan and the strange woman from the morning. There had been something in Lila’s eyes when she had looked at Sophia, something like pity—or maybe disdain. Did she think Sophia wasn’t good enough for Ethan? Or was it because Sophia wasn’t one of them, a werewolf, part of their pack?
When the sun began to set, Sophia found herself back at her apartment. She collapsed on the couch, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster. But no matter how much she tried to distract herself, her thoughts always came back to Ethan.
Her phone buzzed once more, and she saw another message from him.
Ethan: I’ll be waiting for you at the park near your place. Just in case you want to talk.
Sophia stared at the message, her heart aching. She wanted to talk. She wanted to understand this bond and why it felt like her entire body was drawn to him. But she also needed space, time to figure out if this was what she really wanted.
She let out a long breath and stood up. Without thinking, she grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. She didn’t know what she was going to say or how she was going to handle this, but she couldn’t avoid it any longer. The bond was pulling too hard, and the only way to find any peace was to confront Ethan.
As she stepped out into the cool night air, her heart raced with anticipation. Whatever happened next, she knew her life was about to change—again.