Chapter 84

Fiona

“Are you ready?” Ethan calls from the dining room.

After a restless night, I made breakfast and Ethan announced that we were going shopping. I hadn’t expected him to announce we were going anywhere, especially shopping. While he’s always well dressed and sharp looking, I didn’t think he’d be one to do his own shopping. I figured his staff did the shopping.

“I’m coming!” I pull on the borrowed sneakers that Ethan gave me to match the borrowed jeans and t-shirt. He said one of the female pack members, Reid’s sister, sent the clothes over after Reid told her that I didn’t have anything. Apparently, she also works at Silverclaw in the HR department. Ethan told me I could return her clothes whenever we got me some new ones.

This is what made Ethan bring up the shopping trip. He offered to take me out to the mall today and buy me whatever I needed.

When I get downstairs, I nearly run into Ethan as I turn the corner.

“I’m here,” I gasp, steadying myself by gripping his forearms. Thick forearms that are surprisingly not covered in a suit jacket or dress shirt. I let my eyes run up his body and they nearly pop out of my head.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear casual clothes out in public,” I say, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

Ethan chuckles and pulls me toward the door.

“It’s Saturday. I can wear whatever I want on the weekends,” he tells me as we climb into his car. I notice Ryan isn’t here, which makes me smile. I like it when Ethan and I get time to ourselves, especially since I’ll be back at work on Monday, and we’ll be constantly surrounded by people again.

He pulls out of the driveway, turning left in the direction of the mall.

“So, how many of your pack members work at Silverclaw?” I ask, curious. I didn’t think there would be that many Lycans over here, but from the hints Ethan has given, there are several. I mean, it’s not like I’d know by looking at them, but it’s nice to know these kinds of things.

“The seven at the house who serve as the staff. Six more work at Silverclaw Law Firm and eight at Silverclaw Company. There are two who work with the police as private investigators as well as one who works with the fire department. He’s the one helping investigate the fire at your house,” Ethan answers.

“That many?”

He nods, turning off onto the main city road.

“How big is your pack anyway? Are most of them here or did you leave a lot behind when you came here?” I ask. He hasn’t told me much about packs or their dynamics other than the basics when he first explained.

“My immediate pack totals just over two hundred.”

My jaw drops. He’s in charge of over two hundred people? It would make me extremely nervous to hold that many people’s lives in my hands.

“But, if you count the smaller packs I have taken under my guidance and protection, it’s closer to seven hundred,” he continues. “There are twelve small packs that have been created over the years, branching off from my pack. A few years ago, several of my more independent Gammas decided to create their own smaller packs, and when they had around thirty people join, they became secondary packs to mine. They offer me loyalty while I offer them protection and land.”

Awe fills me as he speaks, and I study him. The confidence and the leadership he displays while working at the company must be so much more impressive when he’s dealing with his pack. I can’t imagine the amount of stress he’s probably constantly under.

When he parks the car, I watch as he climbs out and walks around the front before stopping at my door and opening it.

“How do you do it?” I ask, placing my hand in his. “Take care of that many people, I mean. It sounds stressful and like something anyone would need loads of help with.”

“It’s what I was born for,” he answers, and the words settle heavily on my shoulders.

“So, you’ve been shouldering this load alone for… how long?”

Ethan glances at me as we walk, speaking quietly because of the people around us, “Since I was eighteen and inherited the Alpha title from my father. The twelve Gammas split off when I was twenty-two, forming their smaller packs by the time I was twenty-three.”

“That’s… a lot to take in,” I tell him, feeling a bit overwhelmed, so I do what any normal person does when they’re overwhelmed. I distract myself. I spot a store that I’ve shopped at before and announce, “Let’s go in here.”

Ethan allows me to pull him into the store and follows as I begin looking through racks. As I search through the racks, I pull out two lower priced pants and skirt suits I can wear to work as well as two pairs of clearance jeans and a few shirts I can wear.

“I think this is enough,” I tell Ethan. “Once I get my feet back underneath me, I’ll get some other things, but until then, this will be—”

“Fiona, this is barely a week’s worth of clothes,” Ethan says, taking the bundle I’d gathered from my arms. He rifles through them then looks at me. “You can get anything and everything you need. Go crazy. Buy the whole store if you want,” he says, motioning around us.

“This is fine, Ethan. I don’t need—”

“No, you’ll buy more than this. At least get clothes for the next few weeks,” he tells me. Shock fills me. Is he actually telling me to spend his money? I’ve always been careful with spending, not wanting to waste money where I could save it.

Ethan growls, shifts my small pile of clothes to one arm, and digs into his pocket. I watch with interest and confusion as he pulls his wallet out.

“I don’t want to spend all of your money. What are you—”

He growls again, interrupting my question. The sound isn’t angry, just louder than I expected. So, I stay quiet as he flips the wallet open and pulls out a black credit card. More confusion fills me as he pushes it into my hand then looks at me dead in my eyes.

“Did you forget who I am, babe?” He questions, closing my fingers around the card. “This card has no limit. I will not have my mate walking around with four outfits to her name. Now, get your cute ass over there and find more outfits…” he looks down at the jeans he’s holding and scowls. “And not just the clearance stuff either. Buy what you want.”

“Ethan, I’m fine with a few outfits. I don’t need much, and I’ll buy more when I get my paycheck,” I tell him, trying to give him the card back. He doesn’t take it; instead, he takes out his phone and taps the screen a few times.

Then, he turns the phone and shows me his bank account.

“You see that?” He asks, and I know he means the total. Zero after zero after zero after zero… I honestly lose count. It’s the largest number I’ve ever seen, and when I look back up at Ethan, he watches me intently.

“I’d honestly forgotten you were rich,” I whisper, feeling a bit embarrassed. No wonder he was urging me to buy more. Buying me a few outfits would barely be a blip on his account. Almost like it hadn’t happened.

Groaning, Ethan leans in, wraps an arm around me, and guides me into an open dressing room a few feet away. He backs me up against the wall, dropping the clothes he was holding.

“What are y—”

Then, his lips are on mine, moving and pressing hard enough to tear a moan from me as my body lights up. I arch into him, my fingers digging into his biceps. His hands come up to cup my cheeks, and I lean into the kiss. The tingling feeling I get when he touches me flares up, zipping through my body like bolts of lightning.

I moan again, wanting, needing him closer.

“You… Fiona,” he whispers, pulling back. He kisses me softly again before saying, “You can take everything I have- my money is yours to spend as long as you want or need it.”

“Ethan,” I breathe, unsure of what to say as tears blur my vision. It was the kindest, most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for me. My heart stutters then melts within my chest as he pulls me impossibly closer to take my lips again.