As the last echoes of their wolves' words faded, Ethan and Asher blinked, their expressions clouded with confusion. They seemed to come to, each giving her a questioning look as if trying to remember what had just transpired.
The awkward silence stretched between them until Ethan spoke, his voice hesitant. "Ben, I... I don’t get it. This—" he gestured between them, his brow furrowed, "this pull, this strange attraction we feel towards you—it doesn’t make any sense."
Asher rubbed a hand over his face, looking equally bewildered. "Neither of us is... I mean, we’re not gay, Ben. But there’s something about you, something we can’t ignore." He paused, his gaze searching her face as if trying to uncover an answer she wasn’t willing to give. "This... instinct. It’s stronger than anything I’ve felt, and it’s confusing the hell out of us."
Bella felt the blood drain from her face. Their wolves’ feelings for her were surfacing through their human selves, and without her own wolf’s presence, she couldn’t send a signal to downplay it or disguise herself. They sensed her as a mate—even if she was in disguise. If they found out the truth, everything would change, but the pull they felt now, even in their human forms, was only becoming stronger.
She looked away, pretending to laugh off the tension. “I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe it’s just... the adrenaline from the forest.” She forced a grin, though she felt anything but calm. “Besides, we’re all friends here, right? Close friends who’ve been through a lot.”
Ethan’s frown deepened, his hand dropping to his side. “Friends, sure. But it’s more than that, Ben. I don’t know how to describe it, but being around you just... feels different. Like there’s something about you that’s missing, something we can’t figure out.”
Asher nodded in agreement, though he seemed reluctant to voice his thoughts. “It’s like there’s a part of you that’s... hidden. I’ve felt it since the start, and last night—” he trailed off, shaking his head as though the memory of his wolf’s moment of control was slipping through his mind like water through his fingers.
The weight of his words hung in the air, but Bella held her ground. She had to, even if it tore at her. “Maybe you’re both just overthinking it. I’m Ben, the same as always. Just... a regular guy.”
Ethan studied her with an intensity that made her heart race. “Then why do I feel like you’re hiding something? Something big, something that’s pulling us in without our permission.”
Bella forced a casual shrug. “Look, you both need to let this go. Maybe it’s just a strange vibe from the forest. Or maybe it’s because we’re finally seeing each other for who we really are.”
But Asher wasn’t so easily swayed. He looked at her with an expression that felt too raw, too knowing. “I don’t think it’s that simple, Ben. There’s a reason we feel this way, and until we find it, I don’t think it’s going to go away.”
She clenched her fists, willing her voice to remain steady. “I don’t have a wolf, remember? I’m not part of that world. Maybe that’s why you’re confused. There’s nothing... special about me.”
Ethan’s gaze sharpened. “I think there’s more to you than you’re letting on. I don’t know what, but I’m not giving up until I find out.”
Bella’s pulse pounded as their determination became painfully clear. They wouldn’t stop searching for answers, even if it meant uncovering her true identity. Her disguise was crumbling, and every passing moment felt like a countdown to exposure.
Asher’s voice was soft but resolute. “Whatever you’re hiding, you’re not alone. And if you are our... mate,” he hesitated, the word foreign on his lips, “we deserve to know the truth. You owe us that much.”
She felt a pang of guilt, her resolve beginning to waver. She couldn’t deny it any longer—they both felt the mate bond, a connection as ancient as the wolves themselves. And though they didn’t understand why it felt so strong despite their disbelief, their wolves did, and that was all it took.
But she couldn’t bring herself to admit it, not yet. Not with so much at stake.
With a forced smile, she looked between them, feeling the weight of her secret pressing on her. “Maybe you’re right,” she whispered, her heart aching with every word. “Maybe there is something special. But I can’t tell you what it is. Not yet.”
Ethan and Asher exchanged a glance, their expressions unreadable, but the determination in their eyes was unmistakable. Whatever it took, they would uncover the truth—no matter how much she tried to hide.
