Page 12 of Enchanted

“Yep, yep, and yep,” I said, before reconsidering my answer. “Although technically they’re wolf shifters, not werewolves. Plus, there’s bears, big cats, dragons…all sorts of shifters, really. Witches and mages exist too.”

“Oh dear.” Ethan dropped his head into his hands. “This has to be one of those side effects. I’m going to have to call the ward.”

My brow furrowed. Side effects? Ward? What was he talking about?

Before I could question him on it, he exhaled and sat up abruptly. “Okay, let’s say I’m humouring you for a minute. How did you save me?”

I fought the urge to reach out and take his hand in mine again. “I have healing powers. I used them to save you.”

“Do all angels have those?”

“No.” I gave him a lazy half grin. “Guess you could say I’m one of a kind.”

Ethan’s cheeks flushed, and fuck, I wanted to see how far over him it spread. What I could say and do to make him turn this adorable shade. “And you just happened to be here when it happened?”

“Not exactly,” I said slowly. I didn’t want to hide that I was his mate, but equally, he didn’t seem to be taking this all that well. Dumping a lifelong commitment on top of everything else might be the straw that broke the camel’s back. I decided to go with a half-truth. “I sensed you were in danger and made it here just in time.”

“That just leaves me with more questions.” He sighed, rubbing his hands together once more. “I guess I should be saying thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” I nudged his shoulder with mine. “But if you wanted to, you could agree to come to dinner with me tomorrow night.”

His green eyes opened wide. “Like a date?”

“Yes,” I said, holding his gaze steadily. I didn’t want there to be any misunderstandings here. “Exactly like a date. I’d like nothing more than to get to know you better, Ethan.”

His lips parted in shock. “Really? Um, shit. Wow. I’m super flattered, but…”

I didn’t even hear the rest of his sentence over the ringing in my ears. I didn’t need to. They were the same words I’d heard spoken time and time again.

Surely though…surely fate wouldn’t be so cruel.

“Sorry,” I said, unsure how I was even able to speak. “Can you repeat that?”

“I have a boyfriend,” Ethan said again with a sheepish smile. “In fact, he should be here any minute now. Thank fuck he didn’t arrive earlier. He’d have been worried sick to see me on the road like that. Devastated, even.”

Well, his boyfriend and I had something in common.

Aside from Ethan, of course.

I pasted on a smile. It wasn’t Ethan’s fault that fate had made him mine. He was perfectly entitled to choose another. He didn’t need to know that he, a literal stranger, was shattering all my hopes for the future. “In that case, I’ll leave you to it.”

“Wait.” He reached out to touch my wrist. I froze immediately, every cell already programmed to do this man’s bidding. “Will I…will I see you again?”

My throat bobbed. Once. Twice. “Would you like that?”

He gave a small shrug, his eyes darting away. “I could always use more friends.”

His words ripped the breath from my lungs. No, it wasn’t his words, it was his tone, so full of aching loneliness that it had me wanting to wrap him in my arms and never leave his side again.

My reaction had me hesitating too long. Before I could speak, Ethan was getting to his feet. He shoved his hands into his pockets and gave me a small smile. “Actually, forget I said anything. It’s probably best that we don’t stay in touch.”

I frowned. How could he possibly think that? I got that he was in a relationship, but not wanting to ever see me again? Did he not feel the same pull I did?

“Dave should be almost here,” he said, shifting awkwardly. “But thank you. Truly.”

He was about to leave me. I might never see him again. Suddenly I thought of Sam. Of the danger he’d been put in for knowing about us but not being mated. Fuck. I couldn’t let Ethan be put in the same position. Gloria had been quiet recently, but I wouldn’t put anything past her.

I closed my eyes briefly. I knew what I had to do. Compelling my mate went against all of my instincts. I didn’t want to remove his memories of what had transpired. Of meeting me.