Chapter 14

Even then, when Adrian and I moved to leave, he dragged himself up to block our way.

Adrian hit him again and again. He didn't seem to feel it. He kept his eyes locked on me.

"Elara. I really was wrong. Give me a chance."

"It's my fault. I believed Seraphine blindly."

"I know — your mother. You blame me. I didn't know Seraphine would go that far. Hate me. Kill me. I can take anything."

"But — don't leave me. I can't. I'll die."

His face was wild. He didn't care that Adrian was hitting him.

He was no better than a wolf gone mad.

He brought my mother up. I slapped him hard.

"Are you done?!"

"Ethan. If I could, I'd want you dead right now."

"Do you know? My mother woke up — and Seraphine drove her into another stroke!"

"What Seraphine showed my mother — it was videos. Of you admitting Seraphine is your mate."

"You knew what my mother had been through. You knew how much it would hurt her. For Seraphine you still admitted her as your mate in front of everyone."

"And because I wouldn't apologize to Seraphine, you cut my mother's Healer fees. You locked my card."

"What right did you have to lock my card? That money was mine. Did you know my mother still had a chance?"

"Ten thousand dollars. A tenth of the handbag you bought Seraphine!"

"For that money, I missed the window to save her! I stood there and watched her die!"

"From that day, there is no us. Every time I see your face I see my mother dying in that bed."

"Every second with you, I'd rather tear open holes in you."

"I don't know how you have the nerve to say her name. If you feel any guilt, go to her and beg her forgiveness underground!"

Ethan went white.

His arms dropped.

He looked broken. It wasn't enough for me. I laughed coldly and delivered the last blow.

"Ethan. We once had a pup."

Ethan's mind went blank as I finished it for him.

"The day you went to the Fairgrounds with Seraphine and the twins, I was hit by a car."

"Every call I made to you, you ignored. Later, I found the ticket receipts in your pocket."

"After that, Seraphine kept sending me messages."

"Every time you met. Every time you slept with her. I knew every detail."

"While you two laughed together, I was facing losing our pup."

"Right when I'd finally gotten through it, you let Seraphine kill my mother."

"Between us there are two lives. Tell me how I forgive you."

My eyes on him cut like a blade. The disgust was plain.

He took two steps back and coughed up blood.

"Elara. I didn't mean to. I didn't know we had a pup."

He kept saying it.

The guilt tore through him. He thought about everything I'd gone through. Tears ran and wouldn't stop.

His tears didn't soften me. They disgusted me more.

Every time I'd been in agony, Ethan wasn't there.

And my pain came from him.

Because I'd chosen the wrong Alpha, my mother and my pup were gone.

My grip on myself slipped. Pain leaked through.

Adrian saw it instantly, stepped up, steadied me. "Are you okay? I can have him thrown out."

I didn't speak. I just held his hand.

"I'm fine. Let's go. There's no reaching this one."

Maybe because it had cracked open something buried, I leaned into Adrian a little.

Ethan saw it and lost the last of himself.

He dropped to his knees in front of me, eyes begging.

"Elara. I was wrong. I'll never stray again. Only you. Only your pups."

"Don't leave me. I'll die."

He locked his arms around my legs and threw away every shred of pride.

I kicked him off without a thought.

"Ethan. I won't forgive you. I never want to see you again."

"If you feel guilt, prove it with your life."

My eyes on him were full of hate.

He finally understood. I had no love left. Only hatred.

He shook. He reached for me. Adrian blocked him.

I gave him one last cold look and walked.

Behind me Ethan tried to follow. Adrian's Pack Warriors held him back.

...

Watching Elara walk away, Ethan went slack on the floor.

He'd thought after seven years, if he apologized, there'd still be a chance.

He hadn't thought Elara's mother had been saveable.

He hadn't thought there'd been a pup.

All of it had slipped away while he didn't look.

Like his future with her.

He went very quiet after that.

He stopped chasing after her information.

He went back to Sterling Manor like a dead thing.

When he saw the steward he came back to himself.

"Bring Seraphine. I'm taking her to Elara to answer."

He'd remembered why he'd kept her alive.

He had guilt of his own to answer for.

If Elara wouldn't forgive him, after Seraphine answered, he'd answer in his own way.