Page 14 of Bound to the Beast

Shock courses through me, and I take a step back, my mind reeling. This is more information than I’ve ever been able to find on shifters. “How do you know all this?” I demand, my voice trembling.

The look in his eyes tells me everything I need to know.

“Are you… are you a shifter, Ethan?”

He nods, his expression solemn. “Yes, I am.”

The room spins around me, and I feel like I’m going to be sick. I don’t know what to make of this new information. Part of me wants to believe him, to trust that he’s not a threat. But another part of me is terrified. I take another step back, needing to put some distance between us.

“Grace, please,” he says, his voice filled with desperation. “I’m still the same person you’ve been getting to know. I care about you, and I would never hurt you.”

My heart is pounding in my chest and I can’t really process what he’s saying. He comes closer to me and turns my face gently toward his, one hand clasping my arm.

"There's more. For shifters, we reach an age where we must choose. It's called 'The Reckoning.' It's a time of conflict for us - a time when we must decide whether we will turn feral and away from the pack or stay and live amongst society. Majority of shifters are just like you. They're as normal as you can expect and they live regular lives amongst humans. Rogue shifters like the one who may have killed your friend, disdain the pack and choose their feral side. They're uncontrollable. No Alpha can command them."

“What do you mean, Ethan?”

“I’m saying, I’ve reached the time of my Reckoning, Grace. For most shifters, they gain balance between their wolf and human sides when they find their mates. I can’t really explain how or why it happens. But finding and being with their destined mates brings out the shifters' humanity.”

“A – are you saying I’m your mate?” I ask, looking him directly in the eyes.

“I believe you are, Grace,” he proclaims with remarkable confidence.

I shake my head, trying to make sense of everything. “I need some time to think,” I say, my voice trembling. “I need you to leave. Please, Ethan.”

Pain flashes across his face, but he nods, understanding. “Alright. I’ll go. But please, Grace, remember that I’m here for you. Whenever you’re ready to talk.”

“Be careful. If there’s really a rogue shifter around, he can be very, very dangerous. Don’t underestimate what he can do.”

I nod and watch as he turns to leave, the door closing softly behind him. As soon as he’s gone, I collapse onto the couch, my mind racing. I can’t believe what I’ve just heard. Ethan is a shifter. He’s one of the beings I’ve come to fear and detest, but absolutely determined to prove the existence of…

He also says I’m his mate. And that makes me even more bewildered at this turn of events.

I bury my face in my hands, tears streaming down my cheeks. I’m confused, scared, and overwhelmed. But amidst all the chaos, there’s a part of me that wants to believe Ethan. That wants to trust him. Because despite everything, I can’t deny the connection we share. The pull that keeps drawing me back to him.

I need to think this through, to figure out what my next steps should be. But for now, all I can do is sit here and try to process everything I’ve just learned.

He’s been nothing but kind and caring, yet he’s part of this hidden world. It’s hard to reconcile the gentle, protective man I’ve come to care for with the image of a shifter. With what I know a shifter to be. Despite the fact that shifters can be killers, it’s apparent that Ethan isn’t one.

My emotions are a tangled mess of fear, confusion, and an inexplicable desire to trust him. I need to untangle my feelings and figure out what’s really important.

I glance around my apartment, feeling the silence. The space that once felt cozy now seems suffocating, filled with unanswered questions and unresolved emotions. I know I need to talk to Ethan again, to understand more about this world he’s part of, and to figure out where we stand.

But for now, I need to breathe. I need to let the reality of what he’s told me sink in. The truth is now out, and it’s more complex than I ever imagined. And somehow, amidst all this chaos, I need to find a way forward.

10

ETHAN

Ihaven’t slept. I spent the night prowling the woods and walking this way and that, trying to chase the sleep that eluded me. I only returned home to change after ruining my clothes shifting and spending most of the night running in my wolf form.

I’ve put everything on the line. My real identity. My future with the pack. And any potential life Grace and I could have together.

I’ve revealed a secret that’s been kept by my kind for centuries. In olden times, exposing our presence to a human would have been tantamount to expulsion from the pack. But now, with our kind dwindling, mates have come from other beings, humans among them.

Grace has admitted nothing of her feelings toward me. Despite telling her she’s my mate, I don’t know where I stand with her. She gave nothing away last night. Except for her shock and horror at learning the truth.

I guess I can only be thankful she listened to what I had to say as long as she did. She could have easily kicked me out the moment the truth came out of my lips.

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