Taking What's His

Chapter 20

I looked up at the person who had grabbed me and the breath I had taken in to scream got caught in my throat at the sight of those familiar coffee coloured eyes. My jaw went slack and I could hear my heart pounding as I stared at him, not daring to believe he was real.

"You were supposed to meet us in the girl's bathroom." Nora hissed from behind me making me realize this wasn't a dream and my legs nearly went out from under me. Ethan wrapped his other hand around my arm to steady me, clearly just as incapable of looking away as I was.

"How are you here?" I breathed.

"I had to see you." He said, hand reaching up towards my face before he caught himself and pulled it back to his side.

I frowned at the glove that he wore over his hand, the unfiltered happiness at seeing him dimming slightly as I was reminded of how dangerous it was for him to be here. If the Alpha caught us together he would kill him. I doubted even I would be able to stop him if all of that pent up rage he had against Ethan came unleashed.

"You have to go before he sees you." I said hurriedly, unable to keep from glancing over my shoulder. Fearing that he would somehow be there, watching us with eyes that bled red.

"He won't see me, don't worry. We've probably got another ten minutes before he comes after you."

"I'm gonna watch the door." Nora said and I couldn't even turn my head to look her way, a part of me still convinced that this was a dream that I would wake from at any moment.

"How are you? I can't tell you how desperate I've been to see you."

"I can't believe you're here." I said, pulling my wrist through his grasp so I could hold onto his hand. My lips twisted up into a sad smile at the feel of the latex glove instead of his warm soft skin. The shape of the long elegant fingers I could make out beneath the glove were undoubtedly his.

"I can't believe it either. I was so scared when Nora told me he found out about the letters. Did he hurt you?" Ethan asked, reaching for my face again but I shook my head at him making his hand drop. Even though he wore gloves I was terrified the Alpha would still somehow smell his scent on me. My hands I could wash easily but the less he touched me the better.

"He didn't hurt me. Don't worry about me, they don't hurt their mates." I reassured him, hoping he wouldn't catch my lie.

"Don't lie to me Athena, I know you're lying to your family to save them the pain but you don't have to do that with me. You can tell me anything." He said, staring at me with a gaze so beseeching it made a lump form at the back of my throat even as I tried to keep myself under control. Despite my best efforts tears welled in my eyes, running down my cheeks as I blinked in defeat, lowering my head.

"I'm so sorry." He mumbled quietly and I glanced up at him, my heart clenching painfully at the sight of tears in his eyes.

"Don't, it's not your fault." I said, wishing desperately that I could touch him.

"I'm sorry, it's not bad I promise." I reassured, wiping frantically at my eyes with the sleeve of my other hand. I should have been trying to convince him I was fine and instead I was tormenting him.

"Don't you dare apologize. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."

"There's nothing you could have done. Are you okay?" I asked, fighting the urge to reach up to his face and make sure he was okay after how mercilessly the Alpha had hit him the day we had the misfortune of meeting him.

"I'm fine, and I don't care what happens to me. Don't go back to him, run away with me Athena." He begged, tugging me closer by my hand. I wished so desperately in that moment that I could run away with him, not have to go back to that cage of a house but one of us had to keep a level head.