Unmarked

Ethan’s POV

The room was filled with the murmurs of voices, a low hum that buzzed like a distant swarm. I sat at the head of the table, listening with half an ear as James, my Beta, updated me on the latest reports. Border security, rogue sightings—it was all standard fare, nothing out of the ordinary. My mind was elsewhere, drifting in and out of the conversation. After discovering Amelia had left the next day after our confrontation, I haven’t been able to think. It takes a lot in me to focus. This is why, having a mate only holds you back. I shake my head.

“…thinking we should increase patrols along the eastern ridge,” James my beta was saying, his voice steady, businesslike. “There’s been some unusual movement reported by the night watch. Nothing concrete, but we should be cautious.”

I nodded absently, my fingers drumming against the polished wood of the table. I couldn’t focus. Not fully. My thoughts kept circling back to Amelia, to the memory of her, to the pain I’d tried to bur