"Are we just going to stay like this the whole night?"

Ethan chuckled. "Yes. Do you have something else in mind?"

I sighed. "No."

Of course I had a lot of other things in mind, but I didn't voice them. I never expected us just lay on the couch in the dark when he asked me to stay with him. Ethan had walked over to the desk and switched off the light, and then he'd walk back over to the couch, sat down and pulled me onto his lap. He lay down with me on top of him and just relaxed.

"Liar," he breathed.

"I thought we were going to have sex," I blurted, unable to handle the silence any longer.

This time he tensed. When Ethan said nothing, I raised my head to stare down at him. It was too dark to see a thing. I wished he hadn't turned off the lights. Maybe talking would make it so much easier if I could see his face.

"Do you really think that low of me?" he asked softly.

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "You've been an asshole to me ever since we met, but then there were those moments when you were so sweet. It's hard to—"

He pressed a finger against my lips to silence me. Ethan's fingers brushed my cheekbone. I sighed when he pushed my hair behind my ear. His hand slowly slid down my neck and came to rest on his mark. I could feel his eyes burning into my skin.

"We can't have sex, Lara, no matter how badly I want to."

I blinked. "W-what?"

"When I bit you, it mixed some of my DNA with yours. You faintly carry my scent but because we haven't completed the mate bond, my scent isn't strong. If we have sex, another part of our bond would be completed."

"Would it be that bad?"

I swallowed and blinked back the tears that wanted to fall.

"It would be fucking amazing to complete our bond, beauty," Ethan quickly assured me. "If we complete the bond it would kill you once I mate with Avery."

His hand slipped to the nape of my neck where he guided my head to his shoulder. His hands slowly slipped down my back and came to a rest on my hip. Even after everything he had said, Ethan was still going to marry that woman.

"You don't belong to her," I whispered but of course he had heard me.

"I belong only to you," he muttered. "Nothing would ever change that. Not even being mated to another woman. My mind, body and soul will always yearn for you. I wished it was different, but this is how it needs to be."

My hand gripped his shirt tightly. I was going to have to stand there and watch him marry another woman. I was going to see them kissing and laughing and I wouldn't be able to do a thing about it. He said that he didn't want to hurt me by completing the mate bond—whatever that was—but he was already hurting me in the worse way possible.

"Please don't cry."

I sniffed. "I'm not crying."

"I can smell your tears."

Ethan turned until we laid on our sides facing each other. He reached up and wiped the tears from my face. I held my breath when Ethan leaned forward and slid his hand to my neck. His breath fanned my lips and then my cheeks. My heart squeezed tightly when he kissed my tears away. How could he be such an asshole one minute and a sweetheart the next?

My hand slid to his cheek when his lips found mine. He kept the kiss slow and sweet. By the time he pulled back, I was completely breathless and aching. Ethan sighed, and gripped my hip to pull my body—as much as my baby bump allowed—against his. It was hard to miss his erection digging into me. He wanted me as badly as I wanted him. But we couldn't take that step.

It wouldn't be right.

"What's your favourite colour?"

I blinked at him. "W-What?"

"What's your favourite colour?"

"I like green," I softly answered. "What's yours?"

"I like dark brown."

"I've never met anyone who likes brown."

He chuckled. "Now you have."

"Yeah."

His hand slid underneath my shirt to rest on my lower back.

"What's it like being a shifter?" I questioned, remembering the term Valeria always used.

Ethan stayed silent for so long I actually thought that he wasn't going to answer me. It surprised me when he finally did. I hung to his every word as he explained things to me. Even though I asked him of the traditions and more of the pack, he kept things brief and quickly changed the topic. He said that since I wasn't staying or raising my child as a pack member, it wasn't important.

We argued about whether the baby would be a boy or a girl for a few minutes before the topic changed to our favourite food. I was shocked by the fact that Ethan has never travelled anywhere. He barely left pack grounds which meant he had never eaten at a restaurant or at any fast food places.

I made a promised to take him to my favourite restaurant. After I uttered those words, we both fell silent again. Being together was never a possibility. Like he said, we'll never be together.

"Go to sleep, beauty," he finally whispered.

I shook my head and forced my eyes open. "I'm not tired."

I was. But going to sleep meant that our time together would end sooner than I wanted too.

"You need to rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?"

"Promise, my beauty."

The way he stroked my skin with his fingertips made my eyes flutter close. The first few times I forced my eyes open but after a while it became harder to do until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. The feel of his hard body pressed against mine and his fingers stroking my skin, made me feel protected and secure.

"I love you, Lara."

I wasn't sure for how long I was asleep, but I woke when Ethan moved. The sound of the lock slipping out of place was loud in the silent room. I was too tired to open my eyes so I kept them closed. Ethan returned a few seconds later and gently slid an arm under my knees and the other under my back.

"What are you doing?" I croaked as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Taking you to bed." His lips brushed my forehead as he spoke.

I smiled as I snuggled closer to him. "It's about time."

He didn't chuckled like I thought he would. Ethan stayed silent and only tightened his hold on me. Every few seconds his lips would brush my forehead. I peeked through one eye when Ethan came to a stop. He manoeuvred me slightly to knock on a door. The door creaked when it was opened.

"What happened?" Silas questioned.

I tensed, waiting for them to start yelling.

"Nothing. She's sleeping." Ethan paused. "Let me pass, brother."

Silas stared at his brother for a few moments before he stepped aside. I closed my eyes again when he walked passed him and towards the bed. His lips brushed my forehead again.

"Be happy," Ethan whispered.

Pain flashed through my chest. Ethan lowered me to the bed, and pulled the blankets over me. I opened my eyes as his fingers brushed my cheek. He stared into my eyes as deeply as he had earlier that night. This time he wasn't hiding his emotions. I saw the pain that I was sure was reflected in my own eyes.

"Love you."

He gave me a small sad smile. With one last press of his lips against mine, Ethan straightened and walked away. I squeezed my eyes closed as tears started filling my eyes again. It hurt so fucking bad.

"Take care of her," Ethan ordered Silas before he walked out of the room.

Silas didn't speak to me. He crawled into bed right behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist. It was too much to handle. A sob fell from my lips, followed by another and another.

I cried as the pain intensified.

I cried because I knew Ethan and I had just spent our last night together. I cried because somehow I knew I was never going to see Ethan again. Our time together had ended and although I had a future with Silas, there would always be a missing part to me.

Tomorrow was a new day. Tomorrow I would be able to act like everything was fine. Tomorrow it wouldn't matter anymore. Tomorrow I would act like a strong woman.

My sobs died down into hiccups. In the end exhaustion settled in, making my eyes flutter close. Silas's lips brushed my shoulder. He tugged the blankets over us before he settled back against me.

"I wanna leave," I croaked. "Tomorrow."

"Soon, sweetness," he whispered. "Soon."