The Contract with the Alpha

significant as Darren and Lucas had made it sound-then she needed to be ready. But she wasn't going to just wait around, helpless, for whatever was coming. No, she would be prepared, and she would f

room, watching her with an intensity that made her blood run cold. "Who's there?" she demanded, her voice trembling as she reached for the knife she kept under her pillow. The figure stepped forward into the moonlight, revealing the face she had been dreading to see again. Ethan Shadow. "Freya," he said softly, his voice laced with a mixture of regret and longing that tugged at something deep within her. Freya's grip on the knife tightened, her heart pounding in her chest. "How did you get in here?" she demanded, struggling to keep her voice steady as a thousand emotions crashed over her like a tidal wave. Ethan took another step closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "I needed to see you. We have a lot to talk about." Her mind raced, caught between anger and the undeniable pull she had always felt toward him. But she wasn't about to let him walk back into her life and take control. Not again. "You need to leave, Ethan," she said, her voice cold as she fought to keep her emotions in check. "Whatever you have to say, it can wait until tomorrow." Ethan shook his head, his expression serious. "No, it can't. You're in danger, Freya. And so is the entire pack. We don't have time to waste." Freya felt a surge of anger flare up within her. "Danger? You're the one who put me in danger the day you walked away from me, Ethan. I've spent years trying to move on, and now you come back, expecting me to just drop everything because of some prophecy?" Ethan's jaw tightened, his eyes filled with something that looked like pain. "I know I hurt you, Freya. I'll never forgive myself for that. But this prophecy-it's bigger than both of us. We need to face it together." "Why now?" Freya shot back, the hurt and anger she'd been holding onto for years bubbling to the surface. "Why do you care now, after all this time?" Ethan closed the distance between them in a few swift strides, his presence overwhelming, his scent-a mix of pine and something darker-filling the room. He reached out, his fingers brushing against her cheek, and for a moment, Freya was lost in the memory of what they once were. But just as quickly, she pulled away, her walls slamming back into place. "Don't," she whispered, her voice trembling with the effort of keeping her emotions in check. Ethan's hand dropped to his side, his expression a mixture of regret and determination. "Because I was wrong, Freya," he said quietly. "I made the biggest mistake of my life when I walked away from you. But I'm here now, and I'm not going to let you face this alone." Freya looked away, her heart aching with the weight of his words. She had dreamed of hearing him say those things, but now that he had, it felt hollow-like too little, too late. "You don't get to do this, Ethan," she said, her voice raw. "You don't get to come back and pretend like everything can be fixed with a few words." "I'm not pretending," Ethan insis