Chapter 7 Dana meets Ethan

~ Dana~

Dana sat quietly in a corner in the Moon-crest pack, her fingers tapping gently on the steamy cup of tea Milan had made her. The moon crest pack was warm, Fire crackled lightly by a corner to ease the warm but not enough to ease the burden that was going through her mind. Her head cocked to the side as she peeped through the window, the members of the Moon Crest pack were chatting and laughing, their liveliness in contrast to her loneliness and pain of banishment.

She is grateful for the kindness being shown to her by the Moon-crest pack, but the guilt of lying about her identity still eats her up. She took a deep pained breath as she closed her eyes, pushing away the guilt to the far corner of her heart.

She wondered how Milan's family had welcomed her wholeheartedly without knowing the full truth about her past. Though grateful for their kindness, a part of her was still cautious. The sting of betrayal remained, making it hard for her to form deep connections or trust anyone.

She feared that if they discovered the truth about her, their kindness might vanish. Milan burst into the room, her usual bright energy filling the space. She flashed a smile towards Dana as she scuffed a chair to sit beside her. "Guess what Ethan is back and you're finally going to meet him." She squealed. Dana smiled politely, her gaze wandering over the room. " Don't worry he is not as scary as he looks," Milan teased, nudging Dana lightly. Dana looked up, a small hesitant smile tugging at the corners of her lips, "Ethan, I've heard about him a lot, but I'm not sure I'm ready to meet anyone new now." Milan's eyes lit up with excitement as she leaned towards Dana, "Ethan is amazing." she said She lifted her head, her eyes sparkling and gleaming," Ethan is not just my brother, he is my best friend. Strong, kind, and loyal." "Trust me, Dana, you will like him," She winked at Dana. "He has a way of making everyone feel at ease around him." The door opened, and Ethan strode in. His towering frame exudes confidence. His dark hair complemented his chiseled face and his brown eyes scanned the entire chamber. His presence filled the room and even without speaking, his commanding aura spoke authority and confidence. Dana's breath hitched as her eyes met Ethan, and a flicker of warmness rose in her belly -a feeling she hadn't experienced since after Alden. A feeling of Unease crept within her as she darted her gaze away from Ethan. Milan's face lit up with pure joy as she rushed to embrace Ethan, "Finally you're back," she exclaimed as she squeezed him tightly. Ethan's voice was soft, yet commanding, " Dana, I have heard much about you, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," he cast a soft smile at her and pulled his hands for a handshake. Dana slipped her hand into his, shaking them nervously. Dana felt Ethan's burning gaze still lingering at her, they seemed too curious as though he could see the secret she had worked hard to hide. "Let's go get something to eat," Milan's bubbly voice cuts in and she stood up to leave. *** As they sat to eat, Ethan's gaze was still lingering heavily on Dana. Ethan cleared his throat and he began to speak, "So, Dana do you remember anything from the day you were lost in the woods?" Immediately, Dana felt a slight chill, she tugged her gown tightly and shook her head in negative. Ethan tilted his head forward, his lips pursed into a fine line and his eyes stared intently at Dana as though he was looking into her soul," Maybe you might just have developed a temporary memory loss, but we can help you out, you know," he shrugged. Dana's heart paced, she shifted her gaze from Ethan and she kept on curling and uncurling her fingers. Milan noticed Dana's nervousness and she nudged Ethan with her elbow, " Come on Ethan, don't scare her, you're questioning her like a detective, you are not the Alpha yet." Ethan laughed softly, raising his hands in mock surrender, "Fair enough, I was only helping." Milan looped an arm around Dana, her eyes glimmering, " Don't let him intimidate you, he's not all fierce...at least for now." she said, sneering at Ethan. Dana plastered a small smile, her unease going away slowly, but as Ethan's gaze met hers again, she knew that this look was something far more complicated. Milan gently tugged Dana's arm leading her away to the kitchen, Dana couldn't help but glance back at Ethan. Her thoughts spiraled with a mix of unease and something she couldn't decipher. Although His presence was commanding and daring, his voice seemed calm but caused an unsettling feeling towards her. It had been so long since anyone looked at her like that, with curiosity and it frightened her. Getting close to someone like Ethan scared her because she couldn't afford to let her guard down again after all that had happened to her. The memories of past betrayals still lingered and she felt scared that what if she opened up and got betrayed again? As she followed Milan her body almost disappeared into the kitchen, Ethan's voice altered her steps. "Dana, are you always this guarded, or is there something you are hiding?" he questioned, his look skeptical, his browser wrinkled. Dana turned slowly to meet his gaze, this time his expression wasn't unreadable, it was knowing, almost too knowing. Her mouth went dry, unable to form any words, she tugged on her dress more firmly and her chest started to pound, she felt a quiver in her stomach.