Chapter 3

• The ballroom went silent, and I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Every eye was fixed on Alpha Ethan and Alpha James, while I sat frozen in shock. My thoughts were usually endless, but now my mind was a complete blank.
• My wolf was another story. She was howling and leaping inside me, filling my head with pressure. But I could hardly notice her with this striking man in front of me. He held Alpha James off the ground as if he weighed nothing, sending ripples of fear through the entire room.
• I did not even realize Ryker had moved until he appeared beside me. Ethan’s growl rumbled low and threatening.
• “It is alright. I am her brother,” Ryker said firmly.
• Ethan’s sharp eyes scanned him up and down, then returned to James. He released James suddenly, letting him crash onto the floor without care. When he turned to me again, his fierce expression melted into something softer, gentler.
• “Can I escort you outside so we can speak in private?” His voice was calm now, but his gaze swept the room filled with staring faces.
• I could not find my voice, so I only nodded. Gathering my clutch, I slipped my hand into his arm. The moment we touched, sparks ignited across my skin, racing through me like fire and lightning. My knees nearly buckled, but he guided me steadily out of the packhouse.
• We walked down the steps and into the gardens, dimly lit by scattered lanterns. By the fountain, I sat on the stone edge while Ethan lowered himself beside me.
• “Alpha Ethan Embry,” I finally managed to say, my voice unsteady.
• He gave a small smile. “I am not surprised you know me.”
• “Everyone knows who you are. Your pack is the second most powerful in the country.” My words trembled. This man, this legend, was my mate? I could hardly process it.
• “What is your name?” he asked.
• “I am Summer. Summer Everstone.”
• His expression shifted instantly at my surname. The warmth in his face dimmed. A hollow ache filled my chest. Maybe my father had been right all along.
• Maybe my mate would reject me. Or why else would Alpha Ethan look so displeased?
• “You are Everett’s daughter?”
• His tone was unreadable.
• “Yes,” I admitted, nerves twisting in my stomach.
• He leaned back slightly. “I saw you arrive with Ryker, but I thought you were another member of the pack. Not his sister. I honestly believed Ryker was an only child.”
• That stung, though I was not surprised. Father had never acknowledged me outside our pack walls. To the rest of the world, I simply did not exist.
• The thought of rejection grew heavier. Why would Ethan want an Everstone as his mate? Father had poisoned everything he touched. Why would Ethan choose me?
• “It is beautiful out here. Peaceful,” Ethan said, glancing around the gardens.
• I barely heard him. The words escaped me before I could stop them. “If you are going to reject me, please do it now. This silence is torture.”
• His head snapped toward me, his eyes wide with surprise.
• “Reject you? Why would you think that?”
• “Because you brought me outside, away from everyone. And because of your face when you learned who I was. You did not look pleased.”
• He studied me for a long time. His emerald eyes flickered with emotion, even flashing black as his wolf pushed forward. My breath caught. He was fighting an inner war, and I could only wait.
• Finally, he said, “I have no intention of rejecting you. I swear it. But our packs do not get along.”
• “Why not? I never heard of a feud.”
• “Your father does not speak of it. He hates us so much that he pretends we do not exist.”
• I shook my head. “That sounds exactly like him.”
• “The feud began with your father and mine. After my father died, Everett carried it on against me. He has despised my pack ever since.”
• I clenched my hands in my lap. “I can believe that. He thrives on hatred.”
• Ethan leaned closer. His voice dropped. “What do you think he will do when he finds out we are mates? He does not hurt you, does he? I have heard things about the way he treats his own people.”
• I thought of the sting across my cheek from earlier. “No. I do not know what he will do,” I lied.
• His gaze darkened with worry. “That is why we need to be careful. I cannot allow you to be harmed because of me.”
• “I can handle my father. I have been doing it for eighteen years,” I said quietly.
• He looked at me with doubt and something else I could not name. Tenderness. Maybe even love.
• “I do not want to leave you there. You are my mate, and I want to take you home with me. Gather your things and be ready. I will come for you. He cannot stop me if I arrive to claim you.”
• “I cannot just walk out. I cannot leave my mother and Ryker behind. Especially not my mother.” My chest ached with the truth.
• Before he could respond, Ryker appeared. He and Ethan clasped hands respectfully.
• “Summer, we should go. The car is waiting. I held off Alpha James as long as I could, but he may already be calling Father. We need to get you home before trouble finds us,” Ryker said firmly.
• Ethan’s eyes sharpened. “James is close with your father?”
• “Yes. Too close,” I muttered, looking away.
• Ryker slipped Ethan a slip of paper. “Here is her number. Father ignores her phone, so it is safe.”
• “Thank you,” Ethan said, accepting it.
• I looked at him, reluctant to leave. “Do we really have to go?”
• Ethan cupped my face, and sparks raced over my skin once more. His voice was soft and steady. “It is alright. We will see each other again soon. I promise.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and my heart melted.
• Ryker led me back to the limousine. As we pulled away, I saw Alpha James storm onto the veranda, but we ignored him and drove into the night.
• The ride home was tense. Ryker kept rehearsing excuses for Father, carefully leaving Ethan’s name out of every version. Father had always painted Ethan as a villain, but we both knew the truth was far different.
• We delayed our return, taking the long route so suspicion would not rise. Yet when we entered the house, both parents were waiting.
• “How did it go?” Mother asked eagerly from the couch, her face glowing.
• “Struck out again,” Ryker replied smoothly. He jabbed me lightly with his elbow.
• “Me too. He was there, but he rejected me,” I lied.
• Mother gave me a sympathetic smile. “I am sorry, dear. There is always the chance of a second mate.”
• Father snorted. “She will never find one. They are rare, and she barely had a chance in the first place.” He stood, looming over us.
• “Enough, Dad,” Ryker snapped.
• Father waved him off. “You may find your Luna in time. Or you may have to do as I did and simply choose one.” His eyes cut toward me, sharp and suspicious. My stomach churned.
• Ryker stepped in smoothly. “I will wait for the one chosen by the goddess.”
• “It has been a long night. I am going to bed,” I said quickly, fleeing upstairs.
• After a shower, I slipped into bed, but sleep refused to come. My thoughts circled only Ethan. His scar above his eye, his striking emerald gaze, his face that haunted every breath.
• Then my phone buzzed.
• Unknown: Hi Summer. Now you have my number too. I will see you again very soon. Ethan.
• I clutched the phone to my chest. Hours later, I finally drifted into restless dreams filled with Ethan’s face, his voice, his touch.
• At dawn, I was shaken awake by Mother, panic in her eyes.
• “Get up. Now,” she whispered urgently.
• “What is it?” I asked, half asleep.
• “Your father is downstairs with Alpha James. They are planning your wedding at this very moment.”