“Nice to meet you,” Ethan said, his smile never fading. “Pancakes? I made a ton, and Mia’s still dead to the world.”
“Sure, thanks,” I replied, sliding into a chair at the kitchen table. I felt awkward, sitting there in my crumpled clothes from the night before, but Ethan seemed completely unfazed, whistling softly as he plated the pancakes and set them in front of me.
“Hope you like them,” he said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “I figured I’d cook while I’m spending the week here.”
“Oh, you’re staying here?” I asked, trying to make small talk despite the fog in my brain.
“Yeah, I needed a little break from pack duties. Figured Mia’s place would be the perfect hideout.”
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.”