Elle’s POV
After breakfast with Ethan, I quietly made my way back upstairs. My mind was still spinning from everything—his smirks, the way he looked at me, and the fact that we were actually going to have a fake mating ceremony. I needed a moment to myself. A hot shower. A reset.
The bathroom was warm and smelled like his soap—fresh and woodsy, like pine and something darker I couldn’t name. I took my time in the shower, letting the hot water wash away the tension in my shoulders. I closed my eyes and let it soak through my hair, down my back, over my skin. For a little while, I just stood there, pretending the world outside didn’t exist. Pretending I wasn’t in some stranger’s house with nothing but a dangerous plan and even more dangerous feelings.
When I was done, I stepped out, wr
