His rich complexion seemed to deepen. I was going to have to be careful what I said to Lauren. I knew they were close, but it seemed like they shared things with one another freely.
“I got all my memories back yesterday.” I had to admit, I enjoyed the pure shock that crossed over his face. Take that, Lauren. “After I left her and Ray at the Square, I crossed South Bridge. I figured out why I lost them in the first place.”
I filled him in on my trip to the bench and how I discovered I’d wardedmyself away.
“I remember everything about my last day in Treater’s Way now.” A fresh tremor shook my lip. “Even if I don’t want to.”
Ethan’s eyes dropped to his lap.
“I always hated the way we said goodbye, Simone.”
“Except we didn’t say goodbye, did we?” I tapped on the table to get his attention. “You were fighting with Ray when I fled. What’s the piece of the story that I’m missing, Ethan?”
He fiddled with the hem of his shirt. Bless him, I wanted to iron it.
“Well, I guess it’s okay to tell you. Now that you know more about our…” His voice trailed, and he turned his hand in afill-in-the-blanksgesture.
“Heritage?” I supplied.
“Sure, let’s call it that.” He said with a chuckle. “Ray’s family and my family are from rival wolf packs. Both moved here to escape the pack mentality. Wolf life can be volatile, and neither of our family’s wanted any part of that.”
“Were they friends?”
“No. They weren’t mortal enemies, but there was enough tension to keep them from getting along. Ray and I developed a friendship despite that. Our families tolerated each other because he and I were close. I’ve never had a friend that tight.” For a moment, his voice cracked, and I felt his sadness as if it were my own. “Well, except Lauren.”
“But it’s different with a witch, right?” He drew in his eyebrows at my query. “I mean, isn’t there a wolf bond or something that creates a connection?”
“With a romantic mate, yes. Once a wolf meets their fated mate, there’s nothing like it.” Ethan’s eyes lifted to the ceiling, then he shook his head to clear whatever thought invaded that he didn’t want to share. “So I’m told.”
For whatever reason, he’d made himself nervous. I gestured for him to continue without probing, even though my curiosity was begging me to ask more questions.
“Ray and I were close because we both understood what it meant. To be a shifter. To escape from family responsibility.” He swallowed his own pain down to continue. Poor Ethan, he really had lost a good friend.
“When Ray turned seventeen, he started to change. He’d always been fierce and intense, but there was a new edge to him. It was… gosh, what’s the word?”
“He was feral,” I said. I remembered feral Ray. That hint of wild just at the edges of his emotions. Always on the border between losing control and reigning himself in. It was terrifying and intoxicating.
Ethan read it on my face and offered a nod of solidarity.
“He was. When his grandfather came to visit over Thanksgiving, he explained that Ray was the new alpha. The old one had been killed in some stupid battle. Ray was expected to take over immediately, control his feral side, and become a proper pack leader. Ray could see his future in the NFL disappearing. He begged to at least finish high school. His family backed his decision.”
“But his grandfather didn’t?”
“His grandfather didn’t have a choice. Ray was the alpha. Just learning he was meant to take over gave him a strength no one could match.” Ethan gazed out the window, getting lost a moment before continuing. “Some of this story is his to tell. He was angry after that. All the time. Too strong and too out of control.”
Ethan rose and paced the small space, just as he’d done at one of our first meetings.
“Ray was fighting every instinct he had. It kept him on edge. Affected every relationship he’d developed. Once we found out the battle that made him alpha had been with my family’s pack, we weren’t the same. I swear, he took the piss out of me for any small perceived infraction.
“Then one bad game, we miscommunicated a play. I veered left while he went right.” Ethan dropped into his chair. “You know the rest.”
“An injury that ended his career before it began. He lost his scholarship. The future he’d planned for and dreamt about.” I didn’t need Ethan to tell me that part. His loss and my loss were what bound us. “He blamed you.”
I’d spent every waking moment with Ray after the injury, keeping my friendship with Ethan quiet only for the sake of his anger as he railed against the best friend who had betrayed him. I didn’t have the details. Until now.
“To this day, he insists I did it on purpose.” He dug his fingers into his hair. “But I didn’t. I swear it, Simone.”
Ray had never told me that he was a wolf. As close as I thought we’d been, the truth was we’d kept a lot from each other. The same held for Ethan. We’d kept our discussions about fitness and college. All the while, heharbored this pain.
