Chapter 7 Claws of My Past

Grace

"William is dead?" My hands froze over Ethan's shattered leg, the forceps suddenly too heavy to hold.

No. No, it can't be true.

William Blackthorn—the man who had been more father to me than Alpha—was gone. And Blake... Blake was Alpha now. The room tilted as nausea rushed through my system.

"Blake is here?" My hands trembled as I tried to refocus on the bone fragments in Ethan's leg. The sound of that name sent ice through my veins, followed by a wave of burning anger and grief.

"I need to leave." I wiped blood from my hands. "I won't stay. As soon as your leg is healed, I'm getting the hell out of here."

My breathing quickened as panic clawed at my chest. Blake couldn't find me here.

"What is this Blake to you?" Ethan's voice was dangerously calm, his jaw tight. "Why are you so afraid of him?"

I ignored his question, my heart hammering as I contemplated the implications. "If he's looking for me, he might have found the paper trail William left when he helped me get into medical school. Shit. I need to get my car, my clothes, I need to get back to Princeton."

"Jackson," Ethan called to his Beta who hadn't left the room. "Tell Alpha Blackthorn that I'm not in Pack territory."

Jackson raised an eyebrow. "He might wait."

"Then tell him I'll be gone for several days," Ethan growled. "Make sure he stays at the border. Double the patrols."

When Jackson left, Ethan turned to me. "Grace. Tell me why this man terrifies you. No one will harm what's mine." The possessiveness in his voice should have bothered me, but strangely, it didn't.

A memory flashed—Blake's cold eyes as he cornered me in the Pack library three years ago.

"You belong to me, Grace. My father may protect you now, but when I'm Alpha... You'll be my Luna. It's inevitable."

I'd pushed past him, heart racing. "I'll never be yours, Blake. Never."

His laughter had followed me down the hall. "We'll see, little Grace. We'll see."

I blinked away the memory, hands shaking harder.

"Tell me where your car is, and I'll send someone to get it. Same with your clothes. As for your studies, we can discuss you taking classes online and completing your residency here," Ethan said casually.

I frowned. "How did you know...?"

"You were talking out loud. With werewolf hearing, it's not difficult."

Fuck. I've been living among humans too long.

"I can't leave school, Ethan." I stared at him incredulously.

"I didn't say you'd leave school. I said you could complete your residency here."

"Excuse me? You can't just keep me here!" My voice rose with indignation.

Ethan merely raised that damn eyebrow again.

"You're not my Alpha..." I started to protest.

He leaned forward, his forest green eyes with gold flecks pinning me in place. "I'm your Mate. Tell me honestly, if I let you go back to school, then came to see you in a week, would you still be there?"

I avoided his gaze. We both knew the truth. Even if he wasn't my Mate, knowing Blake might discover my whereabouts, I'd transfer schools immediately.

"That's what I thought, my dear Mate. That's why I won't let you leave."

Silence fell between us.

"You are very brave," Ethan said, his voice strained from pain.

"Why do you think I'm brave?"

"When you heard my Pack members approaching, you didn't run. You could have. You looked ready to fight, to protect me. For someone who's not a warrior, that takes courage."

I frowned. "How do you know I'm not a warrior?"

"You don't have the build."

I felt instantly offended. "Are you saying I'm fat?"

"You know you're not fat." His eyes traveled over me with appreciation. "But warriors don't have the softness yours does. Before you jump to conclusions, I find your body very attractive, very sexy."

I rolled my eyes. "Some of us find it hard to believe a man caught in a bear trap was 'wanting to touch me.'"

"That should tell you how strong the Mate bond's attraction is. Even though what you're doing hurts like hell, your touch helps ease the pain. Your scent is helping me manage it." He paused. "Why didn't you run?"

I stopped and looked at him like he was crazy. "You were hurt. If they weren't your Pack, they would have killed you."

"They would have killed you too."

"I didn't get you out of that trap just to let you die at the hands of whatever assholes set it!" The words burst from me with unexpected heat.

"Tell me about Blake," he said suddenly, his voice hardening. "What did he do to you?"

I tensed immediately. "Blake is the son of the Alpha who raised me. William Blackthorn took me in after my parents died in the Pack Wars."

"And Blake wants you." It wasn't a question. Ethan's eyes darkened, a possessive gleam flashing in them.

"He thinks he owns me," I whispered bitterly.

A low growl rumbled from Ethan's chest, pure Alpha rage. "He will never touch you. Never."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For getting me out of the trap, for not leaving when I might have been killed, for not letting Dr. Richards cut off my leg."

I grimaced. "He really needs to retire."

"Which is why you'll be replacing him," Ethan said confidently.

"Replacing him?" I almost dropped my forceps. "You want me to be your Pack doctor? You don't even know my qualifications."

"I know enough. I've watched you work. You saved my leg when our own Pack doctor was ready to amputate. Plus, you're my Mate. Where better to practice than here, where you belong?"

"I'm not replacing him, Ethan. I have school. I have lab work and exams."

"You'll have more opportunities to practice your skills here with my Pack than in a human school laboratory."

"So arrogant," I muttered under my breath.

"Confident."

"What?"

"I'm not arrogant, I'm confident. There's a difference."

A knock interrupted us. Jackson stepped in with a young woman who stared wide-eyed at Ethan's leg.

"Give me a minute," I told them. When they left, I turned back to Ethan. "I've repositioned the major fragments. I'll check on the other warriors, then finish with your leg."

"Ethan, Grace. Call me Ethan," he said tiredly.

I looked into his exhausted eyes and gently pushed him back to lie down. "Rest while I'm gone. Your body needs to heal."

I watched his eyes begin to close. On impulse, I stroked his hair and bent down to kiss his lips softly, hearing him sigh as he drifted off.

"Sleep well, Ethan," I whispered against his ear.

As I walked away, my thoughts whirled. What the hell am I doing? I just need to fix his leg and go, not get attached. But Mercy is already attached to Shadow, and I... I don't know what I'm feeling for Ethan.

The grief for William hit me again. He'd always told me I'd know my Mate the instant I met him—that the bond would be undeniable.

"When you find him, Grace," William had said with a knowing smile, "you'll stop running. And that's how you'll know he's the one."