Rejected and Pregnant I Fled The Pack (Evelyn and Damon) novel Chapter 213

Ethan pov

I left my father's study feeling considerably less settled than I had when I first entered, my mind still cycling through everything Nadia had said, the genuine disgust I'd witnessed crossing her sharp features when she'd mentioned my reputation.

*You're quite talented at convincing women they're genuinely special, right before losing interest entirely.*

The words kept echoing, sharper each time I replayed them, understanding with dawning, uncomfortable clarity exactly how thoroughly my carelessness these past several years had actually built a reputation that now stood directly between me and the one connection my wolf had apparently been waiting my entire life to actually discover.

I found myself pacing through the house, genuine panic building beneath my usual, practiced composure, until I nearly collided with my mother in the hallway.

"Ethan?" She caught my arm, steadying me, her expression immediately shifting to concern at whatever she read in my obviously distressed state. "What's wrong?"

"Mom," I said, my voice coming out smaller than I intended, something genuinely vulnerable breaking through my usual confident exterior. "I got a problem."

She guided me toward the living room, settling us both onto the couch, her attention fully focused despite whatever else she'd presumably been doing before I'd interrupted her afternoon.

"Tell me," she said gently, and something in her steady, patient presence finally allowed the words to actually spill out.

"I found my mate," I said, watching her expression shift immediately to surprised, hopeful attention. "Nadia. She's here with one of the visiting delegations, part of the trade negotiations."

"That's wonderful," she started, though I shook my head quickly, cutting off whatever genuine excitement she'd begun to express.

"She knows about me," I said, my voice tight with genuine distress. "My reputation, everything about how I've apparently treated other women these past several years. She looked genuinely disgusted, Mom. She practically dismissed the entire idea of us being mates simply because of everything she's already heard."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify