Hunted Hearts

Chapter 3 - Myths and Secrets

I haven't been able to stop thinking about Ethan's message. There's something different about you. I still don't know what he meant by that, but it's been gnawing at me ever since. I asked him what he meant, hoping he was just being playful, but his simple answer - Never mind -only added fuel to the tension hanging between us. He hasn't brought it up since, but it remains between us, like an unsolved mystery.

Ethan has always had a way of looking at me as if I were a puzzle he's close to solving. I can feel it now, the way his eyes follow me as we work, the way his words seem carefully chosen, as if he's testing me. I don't know how much longer I can hide what I am. If he ever finds out the truth... I shake the thought from my mind. I can't let that happen.

Sitting here in Ethan's office, pretending to read another page of ancient folklore, I can't stop my thoughts from spinning. He hasn't brought up werewolves since that night, but the possibility that he knows keeps me on edge. Worse, I think he's starting to notice.

Ethan is pacing the room now, flicking through his notes with that infectious enthusiasm that makes it hard to look away. He talks about gods, mythical creatures and the wildest legends of cultures I've never heard of. I try to concentrate on the details of what he's saying, but it's hard when his energy fills the room like a magnetic force, drawing me in. Every now and then his eyes dart to mine, as if checking to see if I'm keeping up, or just waiting for me to stumble.

"Vampires, shape-shifters, demons," Ethan continues, his voice low, but with an edge of amusement. "People used to believe in them all, but now they dismiss it as folklore. Just stories."

I nod, trying to at least look engaged, but I know he's onto something. My mind is a mess. Every time he looks at me, it's as if he's trying to read me. I've never been more aware of how close he is, how these moments when our eyes meet seem to last longer than they should.

He stops pacing and turns to face me, leaning casually against the edge of his desk, his body angled toward mine. His eyes have that spark of curiosity, the one that makes my pulse quicken. "What about you, Ayla?" he asks, his tone playful but probing. "You still have no faith in any of this?"

His question hangs in the air and I feel the tension between us. There's something almost teasing in the way he watches me, as if daring me to give an answer that might give away too much. I give him a small shrug, keeping my voice light. "I think a lot of it is just stories. People like to make up explanations for things they don't understand."

Ethan's lips twitch into a grin, but there's something sharper behind it, something that tells me he's not going to let me off the hook that easily. "So you don't think there's any truth to the legends?"

I meet his gaze, trying to keep my cool. "I'm sure some of it is rooted in reality," I say, carefully, keeping my tone neutral. "But werewolves? Come on. That's a bit far-fetched, don't you think?"

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them. Ethan's smile fades just enough to make me tense, and he crosses his arms, leaning in a little closer. His voice drops, almost a purr. "Werewolves," he repeats slowly, as if savoring the word. "Funny you'd mention them."

My throat tightens, and I feel the weight of his gaze on me. "Why's that?"

Ethan straightens and turns away to pick up a thick, weathered book from his desk. He flips it open, finding a marked page, and then looks at me, his eyes sparkling with something that makes my skin warm. "There's an old legend," he says softly, "about a pack of werewolves that lived among the humans for centuries. Hidden. Nearly wiped out by hunters - except for one. The lone Alpha."

My heart is pounding in my chest,, but I force myself to stay calm. Don't react. Don't give anything away.

"That's... interesting," I manage to say, my voice sounding a little too casual, like I'm trying too hard. "So I guess the story doesn't have a happy ending?"