Page 53 of The Secret Mate Society

His eyebrows rose slightly at that."That's...generous.Considering you left me a note practically threatening me if I stepped outside."

I winced."Sorry about that.I had an important meeting I couldn't miss."

"At seven in the morning?"Ethan leaned against the counter, those green eyes studying me carefully."In your nicest clothes?"

Damn his reporter instincts."It was work-related."

"The auto shop opens at seven on Saturdays?"He wasn't buying it, and I couldn't blame him.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair."Look, Ethan...there are some things about me, about my life, that I can't explain right now."

"Can't or won't?"His voice was quiet, but there was an edge to it.

"Both."I met his gaze directly."But I need you to trust me when I say that staying here, with me, is the safest place for you right now."

Ethan set down his coffee mug with deliberate care."Because of what I saw last night?The monster?"

I nodded, moving closer to him."That thing, whatever it was, left a human heart outside your apartment.That's not random, Ethan.You're being targeted."

“I know,” he said simply.“It’s not the first time I’ve seen him.”

I froze, the words hitting me like a physical blow."What do you mean it's not the first time?"

Ethan's face went pale, his hands trembling slightly as he reached for his coffee."The night my father died.That thing was there.I saw it—” He stopped mid-sentence, his voice no longer working.

My wolf whined in distress at the pain in his face, the old trauma bleeding through his carefully maintained composure.I wanted to pull him close, to comfort him.

“And then I saw it again,” he said at last.“A year ago.Just before I went… into the mental hospital.”He lifted his gaze, his eyes full of anguish.“It’s the same monster.Always has been.His eyes… they’re always the same.”

My blood ran cold.A year ago.The same time frame when rumors of rogue attacks had started filtering in from other parts of New England.The pieces were falling into place in the worst possible way.

"Ethan," I said carefully, moving closer until I could smell the lingering traces of my scent on his skin."This creature that's been following you...did it ever try to hurt you directly?"

He shook his head slowly, his fingers wrapped so tightly around his coffee mug his knuckles were white."No.It just...watches.Like it's waiting for something or like it’s teasing me."His voice dropped to a whisper."That's what scared the doctors.They said I was having paranoid delusions, that grief was making me see things that weren't there."

The pain in his voice made my wolf pace restlessly.This beautiful, brave man had been carrying this terror alone for years, dismissed and medicated when he was telling the truth all along.

"But you kept researching anyway," I said, thinking of the box under his bed, all those newspaper clippings and police reports.

"I had to."His green eyes met mine, fierce despite the fear."No one else was going to find answers.No one else believed me."

I believe you, I wanted to say.I know exactly what you saw because I am one of them.But the words stuck in my throat, held back by years of conditioning and the very real threat of what the Council would do if they discovered I’d given away my secret.Instead, I reached out and gently took the mug from his trembling hands, setting it aside before pulling him into my arms.He came willingly, melting against my chest with a shuddering sigh."You're safe now," I murmured into his hair, breathing in his scent."Whatever this thing wants, it'll have to go through me to get it."

Ethan pulled back slightly to look at me, his hands resting against my chest."Why are you doing this, Calder?Really?Last night you said I was yours, but we barely know each other."

The question hung between us, loaded with implications I wasn't ready to address.How could I explain that every instinct I had screamed to protect him?That being near him felt like coming home?That the thought of losing him made my wolf howl with anguish?"I don't know," I said finally, which was both a lie and the truth."All I know is that when you called me last night, terrified and alone, nothing else mattered except getting to you."

His eyes searched my face, looking for deception."And this morning?When you left so early?"

I hesitated, weighing how much I could reveal."I was making arrangements.Ensuring you'd be protected."

"What kind of arrangements?"

Before I could answer, my phone rang.Trevor's name flashed on the screen, and I cursed under my breath.I'd completely forgotten about my own business.He was probably wondering why the hell I wasn’t at work."I have to take this," I said and pulled away from Ethan reluctantly, stepping into the living room to answer."Trevor, what is it?"I kept my voice low, though I knew Ethan's human ears wouldn't catch it from the kitchen.

"Where the hell are you?We've got three oil changes backed up and Mrs.Gonzalez is throwing a fit about her timing belt."

I pinched the bridge of my nose."I had Council business this morning.I'm handling something important."