The Wolfless Contract Luna (Grace and Ethan) novel Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Strange Heat Rising**

**Grace POV**

The letter lies on the bedside table, coiled and menacing, much like a serpent poised to strike.

I find myself unable to look away from its taunting presence. The words blur together in my mind, yet the threat it carries remains painfully clear: return or risk losing everything that defines me. My pack. My legacy. My very identity as the heir of Aurorawisp.

My hands tremble, a physical manifestation of the turmoil within me.

“Grace.”

Ethan’s voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts, pulling me back from the edge of despair. He has moved closer, his hand enveloping mine, providing a warmth that feels like an anchor amidst the storm of my emotions.

“Don’t let her get in your head,” he urges, his tone firm yet gentle. “That’s precisely what she wants.”

“She’s threatening my pack,” I reply, my voice faltering as the weight of my fear presses down on me. “If I don’t return, they’ll petition to strip me of my title as heir. Everything my father built—”

“I won’t allow that to happen.”

I lift my gaze to meet his, and the intensity in his eyes ignites a flicker of hope within me. His jaw is set with determination, and I can see the fire in his expression.

“But you can’t stop them from—”

“I can, and I will,” he interrupts, squeezing my hand with a reassuring grip. “I’ll find a way to handle this. Right now, though, your focus needs to be on healing. Let me take care of Lilith’s games.”

His unwavering confidence loosens the tightness in my chest, and for a moment, I want to believe in his ability to navigate this impossible situation.

“Okay,” I whisper, my voice barely audible.

He lifts my hand, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles, the tenderness of the gesture tightening my throat with emotion.

A thought surfaces, one that has been nagging at me ever since Lori first revealed the dark realities of Aurorawisp’s existence under Darkrock’s rule.

“Ethan, there’s something else.”

“What is it?” he asks, his brow furrowing slightly.

“Lori informed me about my pack—how terribly Damien has been treating them.” I pull my hand back, instinctively wrapping my arms around myself for comfort. “The Omegas are overworked, and resources are being diverted. He’s essentially draining them dry.”

Ethan’s expression darkens, his anger palpable. “That bastard.”

“But that’s the thing—I can’t wrap my head around why he’s so fixated on holding onto Aurorawisp.” The words spill out of me in a rush. “If he despises me, if he loathes the pack, why fight so hard to keep it? Why not just let us go?”

“Control,” Ethan states flatly, his voice steady. “Alphas like him—”

“No.” I shake my head vehemently. “It’s more than that. I know Damien. He doesn’t act without a motive, without something to gain.” My stomach twists with anxiety. “There must be something about Aurorawisp that he desires. Something he’s keeping hidden.”

Ethan grows still, his eyes narrowing as he processes my words. “You think there’s a hidden motive.”

“I know there is.” I meet his gaze with fierce determination. “Can you investigate? Dig deeper into my pack’s territory, its history—anything that might shed light on why Damien is so desperate to retain it?”

He nods slowly, the gravity of my request settling between us. “I’ll assign my best people to it. Quietly.”

“Thank you,” I say, relief flooding through me.

“Grace.” He cups my face gently, his thumb brushing across my cheekbone with an intimacy that takes my breath away. “You don’t need to thank me. Not for this. Not for anything.”

The tenderness of his touch sends a shiver down my spine, and I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

“Where were we?” His voice drops, becoming rougher, more intimate. “Before we were so rudely interrupted?”

Heat floods through me, igniting every nerve. “I—”

He leans in, his lips hovering tantalizingly above mine. “Can I kiss you now?”

I nod, and this time, nothing holds him back.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify