Ethan's POV
The silence that followed my confession was heavy, broken only by the sound of our ragged breathing. Rebecca's jaw dropped, her sea-blue eyes searching mine with a mix of shock and desperation.
"You're lying," she whispered, though I could see the realization already dawning in her gaze. She was looking at my stance, the raw authority in my eyes, and the way my wolf's power rippled under my skin—things she had mistaken for a warrior's strength. "You can't be... he's supposed to be... I was told..."
I didn't let her finish. I leaned in and captured her lips again, but this time, the kiss was deep, claiming, and filled with a terrifyingly beautiful certainty. I was marking her soul before I ever touched her skin with my teeth.
"I am Alpha Ethan," I growled against her lips, letting my true aura flare out—the heavy, golden weight of a pack leader. "And now that you know… do you still plan on running from me, Princess?"
