"In his mind, Ethan thought that girl was absolutely stunning—not just because of her physical beauty, but for all the depth she carried. He placed his left hand on her shoulder, pulling her firmly and affectionately closer to his body.
At the same time, a dark spark burned inside. This was exactly why he felt so much hatred and repulsion toward Landon. Just thinking about that kid touching Hope, claiming a space that was rightfully his, made blind rage bubble to the surface. Even knowing rationally that Landon wasn't entirely to blame—since the human boy didn't even know of his existence—Ethan simply couldn't act reasonably when it came to this. To him, it was an unacceptable affront.
Ethan let out a long sigh, looking up at the stars.
— I wanted to see my dad... and ask him how he managed to vanish out there into the world, or whatever happened to him.
Hope blinked, visibly surprised by the declaration. She lifted her head a little to look at him.
— Didn't you hate your dad? — she asked.
— Yeah, I hated my dad — Ethan admitted without hesitation, but in a calm and mature tone. — But so much time has passed that all that hatred eventually faded away. Besides... I owe him a lot. Because almost all the events that led me to this moment, and even who I am today, happened because of him.
He offered a thoughtful half-smile, adjusting Hope more comfortably against his chest. The strength he had acquired, the imprint, his own supernatural lineage... all of it had prepared him to survive hell and return to her side. Every hard moment and every happy moment had brought him right here.
Ethan lowered his gaze to Hope, staring into her blue eyes as he concluded with sincerity:
— Even the happy moments.
Hope felt her chest warm up at his confession. Without saying another word, she snuggled even closer against Ethan's warm body, resting her head on his shoulder and allowing herself, for a few moments, to forget all the weight of the world outside.
Sometime later, with the silence of the night already weighing over the school gardens, Hope stirred slightly, taking a deep breath before breaking the moment.
— You know... we need to go back. If we don't, Alaric is going to end up turning the whole school upside down looking for us — she murmured, reluctant to move.
— You're right — Ethan agreed, letting out a faint sigh.
The two stood up together from the grass, dusting off their clothes as the cold night wind blew against them. Before Hope took her first step toward the dormitory entrance, Ethan gently pulled her by the hand.
— Tomorrow here, same time? — he asked, with an intense gleam in his eyes. — To tell you the truth... I'd really love to kiss you in front of everybody, come clean, and tell the whole world that you're mine, and that anyone who dares look at you is going to become my mortal enemy.
Hope froze in her tracks, feeling her stomach drop. The enchantment of the moment shattered, replaced by the bitter reality of his plan. She stared at him, with a mixture of frustration and pleading in her blue eyes.
— But... you're the one who asked me not to break up with Landon, Ethan — she reminded him, her voice heavy with anguish. — I really think all of this is wrong. I don't think you're cruel to that level, using Landon like this. Please... rethink all of this. I really can't keep going with this charade, it's too unreal. Even though you spent years transformed into a monster in that hell, I refuse to believe you're that kind of man... a cruel manipulator.
Ethan's expression changed the exact second the words left her mouth.
The teasing smile vanished completely. His features hardened, his jaw clenched, and his green eyes suddenly darkened, locking his face into a cold, closed, and impenetrable expression. The mention of what he had become in the dark dimension—and her veiled judgment of his character—struck right at the raw nerve he was trying to keep under control.
Without uttering a single word, Ethan turned his back. The air around him seemed to drop several degrees. His rigid jaw and eyes overtaken by a dangerous shadow made it clear that her words had touched an open wound.
— Ethan, wait...! — Hope called out, taking a step forward with an outstretched hand.
But he didn't even slow down. Firm, silent, and rapid strides carried him away, vanishing into the dimness of the gardens like a specter. Hope stood there alone, lingering on the cold grass, watching his figure fade into the darkness as the wind blew through her hair.
— Why did you become like this...? — she murmured to the night, her voice choked by a tight ache in her chest.
Discouraged and with her mind racing, Hope walked at a slow pace back to the main building. She climbed the stairs in silence, avoiding the busy corridors, until she finally locked herself in her own room.
Pressing her spine against the wooden door, she slid down slowly until she was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees. The image of Ethan's closed-off face wouldn't leave her head. It was unreal. Everything felt like a nightmare and a dream intertwined.
Why on earth did Ethan have such extreme thoughts about dominance, possession, and control?
Hope sighed deeply, staring into space. He himself had said he spent two decades locked in a hellish dimension, existing almost entirely in his lupine form.
Could his personalities have inverted or fused together?, she wondered to herself. Could twenty years living as a beast have broken his human side and brought pack instinct straight to the surface?
It made total sense. In the supernatural nature, only genuine wolves acted out of pure dominance, territoriality, and demarcation of possession over their mate. To Ethan's wild side, Landon wasn't just a rival human; he was an intruder on his territory.
— Everything would be so much easier if you were just... yourself, Ethan — Hope murmured, resting her head against the door and closing her eyes, torn between the visceral love she felt for him and the fear of the monster that time and pain had shaped."