"Are you done yet?" A cold, spine-chilling voice echoed above me, and my mind went totally blank.

"What the heck are you doing here?" When I looked up, I locked eyes with Ethan's deep, dark ones. The smile that used to be there was long gone, replaced by a cold, distant look—the same creepy expression I'd seen before.

I could feel the tension in the air, like I was a helpless little mouse being sized up by a hungry cat. I knew that if I didn't come up with a good explanation quick, things were gonna go south—big time.

"I... I..."

"Elena? Did you just... hear something?" Ethan cut me off before I could even think of an excuse.

I glanced up and saw that Sophia had somehow snuck up behind him, and she was staring right at me. There was pure malice in her eyes, but she still had that fake, sugary smile plastered on her face. Underneath that smile, though, there was this dark, almost predatory vibe coming from her.

It made me think of the way I felt right before I died. I could sense that familiar sixth sense tingling, telling me that danger was close. But even though I was panicking inside, I managed to keep my cool.

"What did you hear?"

I took a deep breath and decided to take a shot in the dark. "I heard you guys talking about werewolves. Were you chatting about that new romance series that just dropped?"

"Ethan, you must be super stressed out lately. You never used to be into these cheesy TV shows, remember?"

"Is that so?" Ethan's voice softened a bit.

"What else could it be?" I pushed on, trying to keep things light and breezy, even saying the word "werewolves" like it was no big deal. "I mean, come on, could there really be werewolves in this world?"

"Don't play dumb. You know we..." Sophia's voice was ice-cold, her eyes narrowing like she wanted to tear me to shreds right then and there.

"Sophia, knock it off."

"Ethan!"

"I said, enough! Don't you get it?"

Ethan reached out and ruffled my hair. I tensed up for a second but then forced myself to relax.

"She definitely heard something! Look at her, she's freaking out!" Sophia didn't bother pretending anymore. She was all worked up now. "You heard us, didn't you? We had a deal..."

"Sophia!"

"Yes, I know!" We both blurted out at the same time.

In Ethan's surprised eyes, I gave it my all, putting on the best act of my life.

"You've been cheating on me, haven't you?"

"...What?"

"Sophia, I've seen the way you look at Ethan! You like him!" The words just spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them. My heart was pounding like crazy in my chest, and I felt my face turn bright red. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

I paused for a second, looking back and forth between Ethan and Sophia. They both looked like they'd been smacked in the face, totally stunned.

I took a breath, trying to steady my voice, but I was just getting more and more angry. "Did you two hook up in the living room when I wasn't around? How far did things go? Did you go on a date? Did you kiss? Or did you actually sleep together?"

The words came out harsher than I meant them to, but I couldn't hold back. All the anger, the hurt, and the feeling of being betrayed just came pouring out.

"Ethan and I are married, for real. And yet, even on Thanksgiving, you had to show up and ruin our special time together. Sophia, don't you think your motives are pretty obvious?"

Before they could even say anything, I grabbed the beef and chucked it in the trash, then bolted upstairs, crying my eyes out.

My heart was racing a mile a minute. Before they could even react, I tossed the beef in the trash and took off up the stairs, tears streaming down my face.

I wasn't sure if I'd done the right thing by acting so fast.

When I shut the bedroom door behind me, I didn't hear a peep from downstairs. I guess I'd managed to fool them.

...

I have no idea how long I stayed in the bedroom. When I finally woke up, I looked out the window and saw a crescent moon shining bright in the night sky.

I was still alive. But where the heck was Ethan?

I got out of bed and walked over to the window, and that's when I saw something I'd never forget.

There was this guy, with silver hair and half-naked, standing in the courtyard.

He was bathed in the soft moonlight, and he just oozed power and confidence. He was really tall, probably about six and a half feet, with a ripped body and a seriously good-looking face—a face I'd never seen before.

He was as still as a statue, like a huge cedar tree standing tall. His head was tilted back a bit, and the moonlight was hitting his face just right. His lips were perfect, like they were made for kissing.

My heart started pounding. His amber-blue eyes, which were usually so warm and kind, now had this cold, distant look in them—like he was some kind of alpha, untouchable and in charge.

Oh my god. Who was this guy? Was that... Ethan?

I must have been staring for too long because the silver-haired guy suddenly turned and looked right at me. My heart jumped into my throat, and I panicked. I quickly crouched down and quietly scurried back into bed.

Lying there, my mind was going a mile a minute. Was that really Ethan's face? He seemed so aware of everything around him.

I knew I had to be more careful from now on. Werewolves were different. Their hearing was amazing, and their instincts were on another level. I had to be on my guard at all times.

I was half asleep when all of a sudden, the bedroom door burst open.

A warm body pressed up against mine, and before I knew it, I was being kissed. His hands were all over me, tearing at my clothes like he couldn't wait any longer.

He smelled like cedar and that musky, masculine smell that made my head spin.

"Who... who are you? Let go of me!"

"It's me, baby," Ethan's voice said softly.

He stopped for a second, gave my breast a little squeeze, then hugged me tight and kissed my cheek gently. The kiss was sweet and quick, but it made me feel a little better.

"I'm sorry, baby. Are you still mad at me?"

"...."

"Sophia and I... there's nothing going on between us, I swear."

In the dim light of the room, Ethan's face looked calm. But for some reason, the face of that silver-haired guy I saw in the courtyard—the one who had really impressed me—kept popping into my head, and it was like it was the same person as Ethan.

I was shocked to realize that they were the same guy, both with those amazing, lake-blue eyes. Those eyes were like a magnet, pulling me in.

Was he trying to explain things to me? Did they really believe my little act? It seemed like I'd just passed some kind of test and shown them that they were wrong about me.

"Ethan, I believe you," I said, feeling a little shy, and then I kissed him on the neck. His skin felt a bit cooler than I was used to.

"I love you, Elena," Ethan said, looking into my eyes, and then he kissed me, and it was so tender. His lips were so soft.

The moment our breaths mixed together, I just melted under his touch. His fingertips felt like they were sending electric shocks through my skin, and I couldn't think straight.

Ethan's fingers played with the edge of my underwear, and he gently stroked the inside of my thighs, and I felt this warm, wet feeling wash over me.

"Ethan..."

"Elena, I've been dreaming about this with you," Ethan said as he held my waist tight. His fingers moved faster as he took off my underwear and started kissing my breasts. I couldn't help but let out a little yelp of surprise.

"Ethan, ah..."

"Slow down a bit..."

"You just said you've been dreaming about me," I said. I was feeling all these amazing sensations, but I was also really curious about what he'd said.

"Yes, you're the one I dream about, baby," Ethan said as he kissed me again. I could feel his tongue in my mouth, and I could barely breathe.

"Mmm...ah..."

"Are you seriously thinking about something else right now?"

"Elena, it seems like you still need a little more attention. Even at a time like this, you're still got your mind on other things..."