Chapter 163

Ethan

I fucked up.

“You did. Now she’s going to keep ignoring us,” Zev growls, pacing in my mind. He wants out, wants to go to our mate, but the door between us may as well be a canyon. The cold shoulder she gave me even after I told her about Angela was more than icy. It was almost emotionless.

So, I decided to give her a little more to warm her back up.

I lay her phone on the floor outside her door, so whenever she comes out, she’ll be able to feel a bit more connected to the world. Maybe if she can talk to her friend, she won’t be so angry.

“Doubt it,” Zev huffs. “Our mate is too fiery.”

“Not helping, wolf,” I growl. I don’t need any reminders that she’s angry. The spicy scent won’t leave the air, and it constantly assaults my senses. There’s also a tight, strained sensation in my heart where our unfinished mate bond has begun to fray. If she continues to reject me, then it will completely break and disappear.

That mixed with the heavy scent of her sadness and the odd flowery scent that wafts off her of her body sometimes, I can’t get anything done. It all reminds me just how badly I messed up.

With one last look at her door, I turn and head to the back lawn. A run is exactly what I need to clear my head and get out of the house. Before my feet even touch the grass, Zev is pushing forward, forcing the shift.

A long, low howl rings through the air as we take off into the trees. I have to keep him from turning back to the house and going to Fiona, but after redirecting him three times, he gives up control and allows me to run.

My muscles strain as we dodge trees and jump over creeks. I push myself, allowing the strenuous physical activity to push my worries away. Zev stays quiet, both of us just focusing on the present and thinking of ways to apologize to Fiona.

Clearly, she’s angrier than I thought she would be after explaining. I know keeping her here isn’t helping, but if she leaves, there’s a chance that she’ll be gone for good. I can’t let that happen, so I have to find a way to gain her trust and love back.

“Alpha,” Elder Nugyen calls through the link. “The first round of Challenges will be next week. When do you plan on arriving?”

“I know. I have to inform Fiona that I’ll be leaving and make preparations with the staff to make sure she’s okay while I’m gone, but I’ll be leaving soon.”

“Good. You want to have plenty of time to train and warm up for your fights,” he tells me.

“Also, Elder Nugyen, is there any update since this morning on Angela’s case? Have you heard anything?” I ask even though I spoke with him less than two hours ago.

There’s a pause of silence that rings down the pack link, and I wait with entirely too much hope during the few seconds it takes him to respond.

“As I said before, Alpha. Angela is on trial, but if you’re asking for my personal opinion, I will say this. The Council aren’t your biggest fans at the moment, so I would not hold out too much hope for a positive outcome. However, they could surprise us and make the right decision. They are wise men, after all,” he says, and I roll my eyes. Wise men, my ass.

They have it out for me since I defied their ruling. They’ll probably do everything they can to give Angela the upper hand just to spite me.

“I’ll be ready for their ruling, and I won’t forget to let you know when I’m on my way home.”

“Of course, Alpha. As always, we hope you travel safely.”

Fiona

“Fiona.”

I startle, jumping and spinning around at the sound of Ethan’s voice. Water sloshes out of my cup and splashes to the floor, making me inwardly curse.

“I’ve got it,” Ethan says, then he quickly snatches a hand towel off the counter and wipes the mess away. I take a few steps away to keep my distance, and just as I’m about to turn to leave the room, Ethan calls my name again. “Wait, I’ve got something I need to tell you, then you can go back to your room, or I can leave you alone if you want.”

The desire to leave and the curiosity of what he’s going to say war with each other, and pretty quickly, my curiosity gets the better of me.

“What is it?” I ask, not bothering to hide the venom in my tone. “I have things I need to do, and hanging out with you is not one of them.” I cross my arms over my chest, jut my hip out, and exaggeratedly tap my toe on the linoleum floor.

Ethan’s brow rises in question, but he chooses, wisely, not to comment. Instead, he clears his throat, stands back up, and leans against the kitchen counter.

“Do you remember the Challenges I mentioned,” he says, and I nod, letting him know I do. He nods briefly and continues, “I’ll be leaving in a few days to go West. The Challenges are taking place a week from today, and I need to prepare.”

“To fight?” I ask. My chest tightens at the thought. The last time he fought in his Lycan form was extremely dangerous, and from what he said, this would be just as bad.

“To fight,” he confirms. I watch as he pushes off the counter but pauses and leans back again. Was he going to come closer?

I shake the thought away while also pushing away the rising worry. I shouldn’t worry about him right now, not with how he’s been treating me, but I can’t stop the image of him beaten and bloody from entering my mind. Even if he’s keeping me hostage, I don’t want him to get hurt. It brings a new question to mind.

Would these fighters be stronger than Ethan?

There’s no reason I should be concerned about him. He’s a strong Lycan wolf who can take care of himself. It’s not as if I could do anything to help him anyway. I’m too weak.

“Why are you telling me this?” I ask, stopping my own thoughts from turning on me. If I keep thinking about him being injured, I may not be able to stop.

“I wanted to keep you updated on what’s happening like I promised,” Ethan answers, his brows pulling into a V between his eyes. I almost laugh at his confusion. What is he confused about?

Taking a calming breath, I focus on the man in front of me, “You don’t need to keep me informed anymore since we’re not together anymore.”

Ethan’s jaw clenches, but the rest of his face doesn’t indicate that he’s angry. The frown, furrowed brows, and wrinkles around his eyes tell me he’s hurt. Good. He needs to know how it feels after constantly hurting me over and over.

“I’m sorry, Fiona. I just want—”

“It’s too late, Ethan. If you were truly sorry, you’d let me leave.”