A Promise kept

CHAPTER SEVEN

Ethan's POV

I wasn’t supposed to feel this way about her.

That’s what I keep telling myself.

That’s what I told Nox the night I turned 18 and he woke up and snarled mate at a 14 year old girl eating cereal in my kitchen.

Aurora Camilla Romano.

My best friend’s little sister. Human. Four years younger.

Off limits.

I laughed at him. Told him he was insane.

Told myself I was insane.

That was four years ago.

Now?

Now I’m 22, home from Stanford for the summer, and Nox hasn’t shut up about her in 1,460 days.

Let me back up.

Name’s Ethan Reed.

Heir to two things I never asked for:

1. Reed Group - My dad’s company. Billion-dollar. Family owned conglomerate based out of Reno. I’m next in line for CEO. With subsidies like: Reed Agriculture, Obsidian Security and Reed Biosciences.

2. The Obsidian Claw Pack - My dad’s also the Alpha. We run 3 counties out there. Eureka, Elko and Washoe. The pack is based in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in the Washoe County.

But only after the MBA. That was the deal. Get the degree, then take the title.

So I went to Stanford at 18. Tried to outrun him. Nox. Black, silent, and completely obsessed with one human girl. For the first two years I did well. Kept my distance. Dated other people. Maya. Jenna. A few others.

None of them worked. Because the second they kissed me, Nox went dead quiet. No pull. No reaction. Like my body already knew who it belonged to. And I was measuring every girl against a 14 year old in my kitchen making cereal. So I stopped trying.

5:05 PM.

I heard the music before I heard her.

Taylor Swift. Lover.

Of course.

I told myself I was just coming down for water.

Lie.

I came down because the house was too quiet without her. Luca dragged me home from Reno for "family dinner" and I knew she’d be here. She was at the stove.

Hoodie. Shorts. Messy bun. No makeup.

She looked 14 again and 18 at the same time and it made Nox claw at my ribs.

Milla.

God, I hate that Nox calls her that.

"Need help with that?"

She jolted. The olive oil bottle tipped. It didn’t shatter, but oil splashed across the counter and floor. "Shit." She said.

"Easy."

I was already moving. Paper towels. Turn the music down a little.

...and I’ve loved you with a fire red...

"Sorry," I said. "Didn’t mean to startle you."

"The music was loud," she lied. Her heart was pounding. I could hear it. We both crouched. Our hands bumped reaching for the same spot. Cold. Contrast to her warm ones. My hands were always cold when Nox was close to the surface.

"I got it," I said quietly.

When I stood, I was close. Too close.

"You got some on your sleeve," I said, nodding at my hoodie. The one she stole junior year and never gave back.

"Great."

"Mm." I reached past her to turn the burner down. My arm brushed hers.

Mine. Nox said it so loud my vision blurred.

She stirred. I picked up a tomato. Needed something to do with my hands before I did something stupid.

Chop. Chop. Quiet.

This was safer.

5:20 PM.

Footsteps.

Luca came down, hair wet. "You two alive?"

"Barely," she said.

Then her phone rang.

CORY

I saw her freeze.

I watched the knife in my hand still mid-chop.

"Hey Rory! Still on for Saturday?"

"Uh. Yeah. What time?"

"I can pick you up at 1PM"

"Sure."

"Perfect. Can’t wait." Click.

Silence.

Nox surged so hard my jaw ached from keeping him down.

Luca raised an eyebrow. "Date?"

"Yeah," she said. "With Cory."

I set the knife down. Carefully.

"We should head out," I said. I didn’t look at her. If I did I wouldn’t leave.

Front door clicked shut behind me.

Air. I needed air

"Ro. Be smart Saturday. Text me when you get home. Any problems, call me. Or Ethan." said Luca.

I heard her whisper through the cracked window, "Ethan doesn’t care."

It felt like a knife.

"Ro. He does." Luca said softly.

He came out and we got in his truck and left.

Later. 5:40 PM. The Speakeasy.

Luca’s favorite bar. Loud music. Pool tables. The smell of beer and leather. I was in a corner booth with Luca and Kade Hale.

Kade graduated from Stanford Law last year. JD. Top of his class. He’s been working as part of Reed Group’s in-house counsel ever since. Same campus as me and Luca. Just finished faster. Also, pack lawyer + my future Beta when I take over. He was in a Reed Group polo, tie loosened, looking like he’d rather be reviewing contracts than be here.

"Bro you good?" Kade asked, nodding at my untouched beer. "You’ve been staring at the wall for 20 minutes."

"Fine."

I wasn’t fine.

Nox was pacing. Mine. Mine. Mine.

So I did the one thing I knew would make it worse and better. I texted Marcus. Head of security.

`Run a background check. Cory Luke. 18. Aurora’s school.`

By 6:15 I had it.

Cory Luke. 18. Varsity basketball. 3.8 GPA. No record. No pack. Parents are dentists in Sacramento. Clean.

Still didn’t like it.

Kade saw me put my phone down. "Cory Luke?"

I froze. "How—"

"Marcus cc’d me," he said dryly, tapping his Reed Group badge on the table. "Because apparently the future Alpha is using company resources to stalk an 18 year old. On my watch."

"It’s not like that."

"Then what’s it like?"

Luca jumped in before I could answer. "It’s about Aurora."

Kade’s expression went flat. He knew. He’s always known.

He was there when Nox woke up 4 years ago.

"Right," Kade said, leaning back. "The mate thing."

My jaw ticked. "Don’t."

"Don’t what? Say it? Ethan, you’ve been moping for 4 years. Your relationships don't last. You don’t sleep. And now you’re making me bill hours to run background checks on high schoolers."

"She’s 18 now," I said quietly.

"I know," Kade said. "And legally there’s nothing stopping you. Pack law says mates are mates, age of consent applies. I checked. Twice. Last year."

Luca tensed. "Don’t make it sound that simple, Hale."

"I’m not," Kade said. He looked at me. "I’m saying you’re torturing yourself for no reason. And her. And me, because I have to pretend this isn’t a conflict of interest."

Silence. The music was too loud. Luca ran a hand through his hair. For a second he looked 10 years older.

"You know what she said to me when she was 15?" Luca said quietly.

"What?"

"She said ‘Ethan looks at me like I’m glass. Like if he touches me I’ll break.’"

I closed my eyes.

Luca sighed. "I wanted to kill you then, Reed. Still do sometimes."

"Luca—"

"But I’ve also watched you for 4 years," he said. "No stable love-life. No one-night stands. Nothing. You’re a ghost."

He met my eyes. "So here’s the deal. You hurt her, I end you. You don’t tell her, and I end you. You wait until she’s ready, and I’ll help you."

Kade nodded once. "What he said. Except the ending you part."

He took a sip of his drink. "Pack needs a Luna, Ethan. And if it’s her, it’s her. But you have to ask her. Not Nox. You."

My jaw ticked. "I’m trying to give her time."

"I know," Luca said. "That’s why I’m not punching you right now. But Ethan? She’s not a kid anymore. And Nox doesn’t care that it’s complicated."

He stood up. "Come on. Let’s go home before you text Marcus again."

I took a sip of the beer. It tasted like nothing. An image of her replayed in my head.

She was cooking for me.

In my hoodie.

And I walked out.

Because I’m giving her time.

But Nox is running out of time. And now my best friend and my future Beta both know it.

God help me.