Twenty five
1654 Words
Desiree POV
It became obvious almost immediately that this wasn’t Avery’s first time in the human world.
The way she moved with such confidence, the ease with which she navigated the streets, and the familiarity in her eyes as she led us from one place to another made it clear that this was not new to her. She wasn’t just visiting, she belonged here in a way that made me both curious and slightly uneasy.
Before I could dwell on it too much, she had already dragged Daphne and me into a boutique, her excitement practically radiating off her as she moved from one rack to another, picking out outfits without hesitation.
“We need something perfect,” she insisted, holding up yet another dress against me. “Tonight has to be perfect.”
I let out a small sigh, unable to hide my amusement. “Avery, why are we buying clothes again,” I reminded her gently.
But she barely listened, too focused on her mission and that was when it hit me, the urgency in her voice.
The way her excitement felt… different.
I narrowed my eyes slightly as I watched her, suspicion slowly creeping in. “Do you know someone here?” I asked, my tone casual, though my gaze remained fixed on her.
The effect was immediate.
She froze.
For a brief moment, her entire body tensed, her movements halting as though she had been caught doing something she wasn’t ready to explain. Then, slowly, she turned toward us, her expression shifting from surprise to something more vulnerable.
“Promise me something,” she said quietly, her voice having lost its playful edge.
“Promise me you won’t tell anyone… not even your mates.”
Daphne and I exchanged a quick glance, both of us sensing that whatever she was about to say mattered more than we had expected.
“Is it that serious?” Daphne asked, her brows furrowing with concern.
Avery nodded immediately, her eyes filled with something that looked dangerously close to fear. “Yes.”
Daphne reached out and tapped my arm lightly, urging me to respond.
“Okay,” she said softly. “We promise.”
I hesitated for a brief second, then nodded as well. “We promise.”
Avery exhaled slowly, as though releasing a burden she had been carrying for far too long. “I have found my mate,” she began.
Daphne’s face lit up instantly. “That’s wonderful news!”
A small smile touched Avery’s lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Then why are you scared to tell your brother?” I asked, my voice softer now but serious.
There was a pause..
And then she said it. “Because he is human.”
The words hung in the air, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak.
Shock rippled through me, my thoughts scrambling to make sense of what she had just said. The Moon Goddess had always been precise with her pairings, careful, intentional. Never—at least from everything I had ever known—had she bound a werewolf to a human.
“Are you certain?” I finally asked, my voice quieter than I intended, disbelief still lingering in my tone.
Avery nodded slowly. “We’re already dating,” she admitted, her voice soft, almost hesitant. “But I don’t know how to bring him into our world.”
Daphne’s eyes widened slightly. “He doesn’t know?”
Avery shook her head, and this time, the sadness in her expression was impossible to miss.
“I’m scared,” she whispered. “What if he doesn’t want anything to do with me after he finds out? What if… I lose him?”
Her voice cracked slightly at the end, and something in my chest tightened painfully at the vulnerability she was trying so hard to hide.
I stepped closer to her, placing a reassuring hand on her arm. “He is your mate for a reason,” I said gently. “And if he truly loves you, then nothing about who you are will change that.”
Daphne nodded in agreement. “You won’t lose him,” she added softly.
Avery gave a small nod, though the uncertainty in her eyes didn’t completely fade.
We returned to selecting outfits, and then, the door opened.
A man walked in, he was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, his presence commanding in a quiet, effortless way that made heads turn without him needing to say a word. There was confidence in the way he carried himself, a kind of authority that didn’t need to be announced.
But what caught my attention wasn’t him.
It was Avery.
Her entire face lit up the moment she saw him.
“Ethan,” she called, her voice soft yet filled with emotion. “What are you doing here?”
Before I could fully process it, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms, lifting her slightly as he embraced her tightly.
“My love,” he murmured, his voice warm and affectionate as he pressed a kiss to her lips. “I’ve missed you.”
The tenderness in his tone made something inside me soften instantly.
“How did you know I was here?” Avery asked, her eyes shining with happiness.
Ethan smiled, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “This entire city belongs to me,” he said casually. “I made sure I would be informed the moment you showed up.”
Daphne and I exchanged a quick glance, both of us silently impressed.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Avery said shyly. “I was actually coming to see you, I only need to get a good outfit”
“You look perfect in anything,” he replied without hesitation.
I cleared my throat lightly, reminding them that they were not alone.
Avery laughed softly before stepping back. “Ethan, these are my friends—Desiree and Daphne.”
His expression brightened immediately. “She has never introduced me to her friends before,” he said, clearly pleased. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.”
“It’s nice to meet you sir,” I replied politely.
“Any friend of Avery’s is welcome to call me Ethan,” he said warmly.
Daphne smiled. “It’s lovely to meet you, Ethan.”
“There’s a new restaurant I’d love to take you all to,” he suggested.
“We actually came to get outfits for the club tonight,” Avery explained.
The shift in him was immediate.
“You’re not going,” he said, his tone firm, his eyes darkening slightly. “I don’t want other men touching what is mine.”
I couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped me at his possessiveness. Despite being human, the mate bond was clearly just as strong for him.
“We’ll be there with her,” I said, trying to ease the tension.
“I understand,” he replied, his voice calmer now, “but clubs are filled with men who don’t know boundaries, and I won’t have them looking at my woman like that.”
For a brief moment, I was reminded of my own mates, and I knew without a doubt that they would react even worse if they knew where I was.
Daphne glanced at me, silently asking what we should do.
“I’ll let them know I’m taken,” Avery said, her voice soft but reassuring as she looked at him.
Ethan seemed to consider it before nodding slowly. “Then I’ll take you out first,” he said. “Dinner, and then I’ll personally take you to the club.”
“What about your work?” Avery asked, concerns slipping into her tone.
He smiled, gently tapping her nose. “You’re more important than work,” he said. “And besides… I’m the boss.”
We ended up shopping far more than we had planned, with Ethan insisting on paying for everything despite our protests. There was something effortless about the way he took care of Avery, something that made it easy to see how deeply he cared for her.
But just as we were about to leave, a sharply dressed woman walked into the store, her expression tense.
“Boss, you have a meeting by two,” she said.
“Cancel everything,” Ethan replied without even looking at her, his attention still on Avery.
“Ethan, these meetings are important—”
“Sandra,” he cut in coldly, his tone suddenly sharp, “know your place.”
The air shifted instantly.
The woman’s gaze snapped toward Avery, her eyes filled with hostility. “She’s only with you for your money,” she said bitterly.
Before I could react, Daphne stepped forward. “And who do you think you are to speak like that about our friend?”
Sandra laughed mockingly. “So she brought her little followers this time.”
My expression hardened slightly.
“Sandra, you’re fired,” Ethan said suddenly.
The silence that followed was deafening. “You can’t do that,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “We’ve known each other since childhood.”
“And yet you chose to disrespect the woman I love,” he replied coldly.
His bodyguards stepped forward, dragging her away despite her protests.
“You’ll regret this!” she screamed.
Ethan didn’t even flinch.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said, turning back to Avery, his voice soft again. “She won’t bother you anymore.”
Avery hesitated slightly. “She was your friend…”
“She crossed a line,” he said simply.
He led us out, guiding us toward his car, his hand never leaving Avery’s as though he feared she might disappear if he let go.
As we got in, I leaned back slightly, watching them quietly.
- Writer
