Chapter 516: Fires and Decisions

Ethan didn’t even let the door close before he asked his question. He didn’t knock either; he just stepped inside Rhea’s home, boots sharp against the wooden floor, eyes bright with tension and barely-contained frustration. The air in the room shifted immediately, thick with the weight of his presence.

Rhea, standing near the edge of her desk, didn’t flinch. Her posture was rigid, arms crossed, jaw tight, her scarred wrist catching the sun in a fleeting gleam. She narrowed her eyes, a faint crease appearing between her brows. "Ethan, what do you think you’re doing?" she asked, voice low but edged with steel.

He stopped just short of the desk and leaned slightly forward. "I’m asking you a question," he tried to say calmly, though the edge in his voice betrayed him. "I want to be sure I didn’t hear through the grapevine that Micah failed the placement test."

Rhea’s frown deepened, lips pressing into a thin line. "Micah didn’t finish the individual test," she replied, steady but firm, her voice carrying the quiet authority she always exuded.

Ethan’s scoff was sharp, cutting the space between them. "Didn’t finish? That’s irrelevant. The fact that he even went into the woods to find Sophia—without any idea of what he was walking into—should be more than enough to pass him. I don’t care what the scores say. I have no idea what’s wrong with you, but failing him because of a test he didn’t complete? You’ve got to be joking."

Rhea’s jaw tightened. Her hands flexed slightly at her sides, a faint tremor betraying her restraint. "Calm down, Ethan," she said evenly.

"I’m not going to calm down," he shot back, stepping closer, narrowing the gap until it felt like the room itself was shrinking. "You have no idea what the trainees who went after Sophia put themselves through. You don’t. And now, you’re failing someone because he didn’t finish an individual test?!"

She opened her mouth, but he cut her off before a word could escape.

"The individual test can go fuck the Enclave for all I care," he continued, voice rising, each word clipped and hard, leaving no room for interruption. "Micah has to pass. That’s non-negotiable."

He paused, then continued. "You know what? Take him out of your group. I’ll take him into mine. He’s part of my group now," he told her.

Rhea just stared at him, not saying anything.

"And Nia?" Ethan pressed, voice sharp again. "Are you going to fail her too because of something as trivial as the individual test?"

She opened her mouth, ready to answer, but he scoffed, turning slightly as if dismissing her entirely.

Rhea’s jaw clenched, a thin line cutting across her face.

"Ethan," she began, "I’ll only say this once, but calm down."

Ethan scoffed at that, but she continued.

"One, you cannot come into my home and start shouting at me. Two, you cannot do that especially when you have no idea what the full situation is about," she told him firmly. "And you will listen to me, and not sniff when I speak. That news you heard? It’s wrong, and it’s not even the full thing."

Ethan’s face scrunched up, one brow rising sharply. Hesitation flickered, just for a moment, but it was brief.

"Micah failed the test," Rhea continued, eyes locked on his. "Yes. But so did Nia. And so did many others in my group. Their test was cut short due to circumstances beyond their control. Circumstances that you are very much aware of."

"But the fact that Nia and Micah went as far as to ensure Sophia was okay," Rhea went on, voice steady, "that they faced beasts in Nirvana without retreating, with very little knowledge about them, is more than enough for them to pass."

Her eyes didn’t leave his. "That they went into danger without hesitation—the same hesitation that many others showed—that they fought and took down more beasts than required... that is what earns respect. That is what earns passing. I do not care about the test when it comes to them because I cannot judge them just using it."

Ethan cleared his throat. He had not been expecting that. He had just heard snippets about how Micah was going to fail the test and headed down to Rhea’s home because she had been the examiner for his team.

"Oh," he said.

"Yes, oh," Rhea said sharply, lips pressing into a thin line. "Oh indeed."

"And besides, where did you hear your so-called information?" she asked him.

"Um... from the grapevine? I just heard people talking about it... I may not have stayed until the end of the conversation," he admitted.

Rhea rolled her eyes. "Figures," she muttered.

Ethan shifted his stance, exhaling slowly through his nose, rubbing the back of his neck. He straightened again, shoulders firm. "As long as you pass them, I have no issue with it. That’s all I needed to know. I’ll see you later—I have to meet with Genevieve."

Rhea crossed her hands across her chest. "For fuck’s sake, Ethan, next time, clarify your news."

Ethan nodded. "I’ll do that," he told her. "I’m genuinely sorry I just walked into your home like that and attacked you."

"No, you are not," Rhea said.

He shook his head. "No, I’m not. I’d do it again if I heard something like that," he told her.

Rhea huffed a laugh. "Get out, I was preparing for my girlfriend."

Ethan cleared his throat and nodded. "I’m sorry again, and um... enjoy your time with Willow."

"Oh, I will. You don’t need to tell me that," she told him, then pointed at the door.

Ethan chuckled and used the door, leaving exactly the same way he came.

Ethan stepped into the cold air outside. He whistled happily and adjusted his cloak. He was going to meet with Genevieve so she could tell him everything that happened with Holly while he was away.

Hearing that Holly was no longer a member of the pack was the best news he had ever heard.