The Wolfless Contract Luna (Grace and Ethan) novel Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Ethan’s Oath**

**Ethan POV**

The journey back to Stellarnight stretches before me like an endless road, each mile feeling heavier than the last. My fingers clutch the steering wheel, knuckles turning a ghostly white under the pressure. Grace’s fragrance lingers in the air of the passenger seat—jasmine mingled with the scent of rain, and something untamed that twists in my chest like a vice.

Three decades. Thirty damn years of emptiness.

And then came her.

Ellen’s voice is a relentless echo in my mind. “Go back. Turn around. She needs us. OURS.”

“I just dropped her off. She’s okay,” I reply, my voice strained, but the conviction falters under the weight of her insistence.

“Not okay. Never okay with him. GO BACK.”

For thirty long years, I’ve lived in a muted world. I can pick up the basic scents of food, smoke, and other mundane aromas, but the intricate tapestry of pheromones that guides other wolves—those delicate scent markers that denote pack, rank, and compatibility? They remain a mystery to me.

I’ve played the part well. I built my reputation on strength and strategy, carefully avoiding the instinctual knowing that eludes me.

At every gathering, with every unmated she-wolf, I’ve feigned interest, letting them believe I was simply too discerning. The truth? I couldn’t sense a single one of them.

Until tonight, when Grace brushed her fingers against my arm.

That first whiff of her scent was intoxicating, nearly bringing me to my knees. Jasmine and rain, wild and sweet, and undeniably mine.

My mate.

The only fragrance I have ever been able to perceive.

**12:23**

Ellen recognized her instantly, and in that moment, I finally grasped what other wolves mean when they speak of knowing.

“She’s ours,” Ellen growls, her voice laced with urgency. “And we left her there. With HIM.”

A searing rage ignites within me at the mere thought of Damien’s hands on her, of him causing her pain.

I pull into the gates of Stellarnight and make a beeline for the Council headquarters. It’s nearly midnight, but I know exactly where to find my grandfather.

“Ethan. It’s late.”

Laf doesn’t bother to look up from his book, his tone casual as if my presence is a common occurrence.

“I need your help,” I state, the gravity of my words finally catching his attention.

“With what?” he asks, setting his book aside, curiosity piqued.

“Grace Finley. Damien’s Luna.”

A flicker of recognition crosses his face. “I heard about the scene at the assembly. You escorted her. Publicly.”

“She needed help,” I insist, the urgency in my voice palpable.

“And you provided it. Generously,” he replies, his tone turning skeptical. “What does this have to do with me?”

“Damien’s been unfaithful. Openly. He’s keeping a mistress—his deceased brother’s widow. Grace wants a separation, but Elder Marcus dismissed her petition without even hearing the evidence.”

“Marcus told me. He said the Luna seemed—unstable. Making accusations without proof.”

“She’s not unstable. She’s trapped.” I lean closer, desperation creeping into my tone. “Damien locked her in her room for days. He hit her. He flaunts his mistress while his mate suffers. And the Council tells her she’s imagining things?”

Laf remains impassive, his expression unreadable. “You’re describing serious allegations. Without evidence—”

“I believe her.”

“Your belief isn’t evidence, Ethan.”

“Then help me find it.” My voice hardens, fueled by a fierce determination. “Use your authority. Intervene. Get her out of there before Damien does something irreversible.”

“Why?” His question slices through my urgency like a knife. “Why are you so invested in another Alpha’s Luna?”

Silence stretches between us, thick and heavy.

Laf leans back, his gaze scrutinizing me. “What is she to you?”

‘Tell him. He needs to understand.’

“She’s my mate.”

The words tumble from my lips like stones dropped into a still pond, creating ripples of shock.

Laf freezes entirely. “What did you say?”

“Grace is my mate. Ellen recognized her the moment she touched me. And I—” I pause, gathering my thoughts. “I could smell her. Her scent. Clear as day.”

Understanding flickers in his eyes, a rare moment of connection. He’s one of the few who knows about my defect.

“After thirty years,” he says slowly, “you could finally—”

“Yes.” I meet his gaze with unwavering intensity. “She’s the only one I’ve ever been able to sense. The only scent that’s ever pierced through my fog.”

Laf moves to the window, his shoulders taut with tension.

“This complicates things, Ethan. Significantly.” He doesn’t turn to face me. “She’s already mated. Bound by law to Damien. Even if she gets a separation—and that’s a massive ‘if’—pursuing her will cause a political nightmare.”

“I don’t care about politics.”

“You should.” Finally, he turns to face me, his expression serious. “You’re the most powerful Alpha in the territory. If you pursue another Alpha’s mate—especially your own nephew’s—you’ll start a war.”

“Then we start a war.” My wolf surges within me, a primal force demanding action. “I’m not leaving her there.”

“Ethan—”

“She’s mine.” The words erupt from me as a growl, raw and unyielding. “My mate. The one I’ve been waiting for my entire life. You’re asking me to walk away? To leave her trapped with a man who hurts her?”

Laf’s expression softens, but his resolve remains. “I’m asking you to think—”

“I have thought. And my answer is still the same. I’m getting her out.”

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