🌙 Episode 5: The Distance Between Us
The Blackthorn Grand bustled with guests checking in for the weekend, but Lila felt like a ghost moving through the marble halls. Her lips still tingled from Ethan's kiss, her chest still burned with the memory of his warmth.
And yet, he had vanished again.
It had been two days since that night in the rain. She hadn't seen him—not in the lobby, not in the hallways, not even a glimpse of his dark silhouette crossing the mezzanine.
She told herself she was glad. That she needed the distance to breathe, to think.
But when her phone buzzed with a message from her roommate asking if she'd finally met someone, Lila had stared at the screen far too long before typing a vague no.
Because how could she explain Ethan Blackthorn?
He wasn't someone you met. He was someone who consumed you.
---
High above the city, Ethan sat in his office, papers scattered on his desk, though he hadn't read a word in hours.
Marcus leaned against the window, his arms crossed. "You're slipping."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Explain."
"You haven't slept. You're snapping at the staff. And if I didn't know better, I'd say you've been hiding from her."
Ethan's jaw tightened. "It's safer this way."
"Safer?" Marcus snorted. "You kissed her, Ethan. The bond is awake now. Do you think distance will make it fade?"
Ethan shoved the papers aside, standing abruptly. "I don't have a choice. She's human. She doesn't know our world. If the rogues find out what she means to me—"
"They already know," Marcus cut in sharply. "That attack wasn't random. You can keep lying to yourself, but the truth is here whether you want it or not."
Ethan turned away, staring out at the skyline, the gold flicker haunting his reflection in the glass. His wolf growled softly inside him.
She's ours. We're wasting time.
Ethan closed his eyes briefly. Not yet.
---
That evening, Lila volunteered for the late shift again, partly because she needed the extra money… partly because the lobby felt less lonely when she could pretend Ethan might appear.
The storm had cleared, leaving the city washed in silver moonlight. Guests moved in and out with laughter and chatter, but Lila's gaze kept drifting to the elevator bank.
No Ethan.
By midnight, her shift was finally over. She gathered her bag and stepped outside. The night air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of rain-soaked earth. She started toward the bus stop, shivering as a cold breeze brushed her cheek.
Halfway down the block, she froze.
The sensation hit her again—the prickle of being watched.
Her pace quickened.
From the corner of her eye, she caught a shadow moving. Then another.
Two figures stepped out from the alley, blocking her path. Their eyes gleamed unnaturally, and a cruel smile spread across the taller one's face.
"Well, well," he drawled. "The Alpha's little human."
Lila's heart lurched. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, you will," the second man hissed, teeth flashing sharp in the moonlight.
Panic surged, but before she could run, a low growl rolled through the street.
The rogues stiffened.
And then Ethan was there—emerging from the shadows like he'd been waiting for this exact moment.
His eyes glowed molten gold, his presence radiating a deadly power that made the air vibrate.
"Step away from her," he commanded, his voice layered with something primal.
The taller rogue sneered. "You can't guard her forever, Alpha. She's just human. So fragile. So easy to break."
Ethan moved faster than Lila could process, slamming the rogue against the wall with such force the bricks cracked.
"You'll never touch her again," he snarled, his canines flashing.
The second rogue lunged, but Ethan was already there, blocking him, striking with a precision that was more beast than man. The sound of bone crunching echoed down the street.
Within moments, both men were retreating, limping and snarling before disappearing into the night.
The silence that followed left Lila trembling, her pulse racing wildly.
Ethan turned, his chest heaving. The glow in his eyes hadn't faded yet, and in the moonlight, he looked both terrifying and breathtaking.
"You're hurt," he said, striding toward her.
"I—I'm fine," she stammered, though her knees threatened to give out.
He reached for her, his hands steady even as his body trembled with the fight he'd just suppressed. His touch on her arm was warm, grounding.
"You're not fine," he murmured, scanning her quickly. "You shouldn't even be out here alone."
"I didn't think—"
"That's the problem," he cut in, his voice sharper now. But when she flinched, he exhaled, softening. "Lila… you could have been killed."
Her throat tightened. She lifted her gaze, meeting the fierce storm in his eyes. "Then tell me why. Why are they after me?"
He froze. For a moment, she thought he might finally give her the truth.
Instead, he swore under his breath, pulling her closer. "Not here. Not now."
And before she could argue, his lips crashed onto hers.
It wasn't a gentle kiss—it was raw, desperate, filled with the fire of a man fighting a losing battle.
Lila melted into him, clutching his shirt as the world spun away. His hand cupped the back of her head, the other wrapping around her waist, anchoring her to him like he'd never let go.
When he finally broke away, his forehead pressed against hers, his breath hot and ragged.
"You drive me insane," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "I'm trying to protect you, and all I want is to keep you."
Her heart thundered so hard it hurt. "Then stop fighting it."
His eyes burned into hers, torn between surrender and restraint. "If I do… you'll never escape me."
"I don't want to," she whispered.
For a heartbeat, the bond flared so strongly it felt like the universe itself was holding them together.
Then Ethan pulled back suddenly, his jaw clenched tight.
"Go home, Lila," he said, his voice rough. "Before I forget every reason I shouldn't keep you."
And just like before, he turned and vanished into the night—leaving her breathless, aching, and more certain than ever that whatever secret he carried, it was tied to her fate.
---
✨ End of Episode 5