Nellie´s POV
The smell of freshly ground coffee filled the café, a cozy spot in the center of Silver Creek with dark wooden tables and dim lights that created an intimate, almost romantic atmosphere. But for me, it was a trap, a space far too small for the storm raging inside me. Ethan was seated across from me, his tall, imposing figure occupying the chair as if it were a throne, his eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made the mate bond throb hard in my chest. Clarisa stirred, a low growl in my mind, torn between the primal instinct to submit to our mate and the rage over his betrayal. The steam from my cup of tea rose between us, but it couldn’t dissipate the tension in the air.
“Ethan,” I said, my voice trembling despite my efforts to sound firm, “I already told you. I can’t j
