Of course, he was part of a pack. That explained the alpha energy I was getting from him. As I took a bite of the pancakes, I couldn’t help but think about how different he was from Derek. Where Derek had become cold and distant, Ethan seemed warm and easygoing.
“You look like you could use a break too,” Ethan said, leaning against the counter and eyeing me with a curious smile.
I shrugged, not ready to dive into my sob story. “Yeah, something like that.”
“Well, whatever’s going on, you’re in good hands here,” he said, his voice full of calm assurance. “Mia’s got your back, and so do I.”
I managed a small smile. Mia finally stumbled into the kitchen, hair a mess and yawning like she hadn’t slept in days. “Morning,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes before flopping into the chair across from me.
“Morning, sunshine,” Ethan teased, sliding a plate of pancakes in front of her. “I made breakfast.”
Mia grinned, clearly not the least bit surprised. “Of course you did. You’re too good to be true.”
I stayed quiet, picking at my pancakes. Ethan was being so kind and gentle, and I didn’t know how to handle it. It was weird how uncomfortable it made me, especially after everything with Derek. I wasn’t used to this... warmth.
Mia, noticing the weird tension between us, quickly jumped into conversation. “So, Ethan’s been trying to find a secretary for his office,” she said, glancing between us with a sly smile. “But apparently, no one can handle the job.”
I raised an eyebrow, looking over at him. “Really?”
Ethan laughed softly, shaking his head. “It’s not that bad, honestly. They just get spooked, I guess. Maybe I don’t seem approachable or something.”
“*Something*?” Mia scoffed. “More like they’re scared of you. You do have that whole ‘serious alpha’ thing going on.”
He rolled his eyes, clearly used to Mia’s teasing. “Or maybe they’re just not up for the work.”
“I dunno, seems like they’re intimidated,” Mia said, biting into her pancake. “You should see them when they meet him—eyes all wide, like he’s about to snap at them or something.”
I couldn’t help but smile a little, picturing it. Ethan didn’t seem intimidating at all, not when he was standing there cooking breakfast with that easygoing smile. But then again, I didn’t know him outside of this kitchen.
Ethan caught my smile and gave me a curious look. “What about you, Lila? Looking for a job?”