Page 114 of Enchanted

The truth…the truth would set him free. It’d open the cage he was trapped in and allow him to enjoy life without the constant fear that each day might be his last.

So why wasn’t I telling him?

Gloria was the main reason. If she got wind that Ethan knew about angels without a mating bond, we could have the same situation as with Sam. With how often he’d been visiting the compound, we were running that risk already.

On the other hand, there was Damien. None of us knew precisely where he was or why he hadn’t made a move. Nor did we have a concrete plan in place for how to either track him down or trap him. Our searches had proven fruitless. Even Mori had come up for the day in an attempt to find him. For him to be able to hide from Lucifer’s former tracker was disturbing.

I kept waiting for him to approach Ethan somehow, but there’d been nothing. His sons hadn’t been surprised by this lack of contact. Apparently his M.O. was to stick to the shadows until he saw his time to strike.

How he’d come across Ethan in the first place was also a mystery. Ezra hypothesised that they’d crossed paths in California as that was the last place they’d known Damien was located.

If Ethan knew exactly who, or rather what, was stalking him, he’d be on guard.

That alone wasn’t enough reason to tell him though. Not when he was guarded around the clock by several powerful supes.

But watching him suffer through this anxiety? Sitting through tests I knew he didn’t need? For an outcome that would never come to pass?

That was enough reason.

With Ethan distracted, I surreptitiously pulled my phone out and shot a message to the group chat.

RAMI

I’m going to tell Ethan the truth.

EZ

Are you sure that’s wise with Gloria?

THEO

Fuck Gloria. Go get your man.

BREANN

Happy for you, Rami.

NOAH

This is great news.

GRACE

Yay! He’s going to be thrilled.

BENJI

Finally. You should’ve told him on day one.

MICAH

We’re behind you whatever you choose.

There was one noticeable absence among the replies. My lips twisted sadly. Nate had never seemed bothered about finding his fated mate in the past, but I knew all too well how hard it was to watch those around you fall in love with their perfect other halves.

Nate already considered himself half of a whole. A whole he’d thought would share a mate one day.

But Theo had sensed his mate.