Chapter 6

His chest knotted. His mind kept coming back to the look on Elara's face before she walked away.

So blank. So dead.

Like nothing in this world could hold her back now.

Finally Seraphine noticed he was distracted. But instead of asking if he was alright, she frowned at him.

"Ethan. If spending time with me and the pups is such a burden, don't come out with us."

She turned her back on him, waiting to be talked down.

Ethan felt exhaustion wash through him.

He knew Seraphine had this temperament.

Before, she'd played meek around him because she wasn't in a strong position.

Now, backed by him, she'd gone right back to her old self.

This was supposedly what he wanted. He didn't know why he wasn't happy.

Seeing her still waiting to be coaxed, Ethan forced himself to smile again.

He coaxed her back into laughter. The twins finally smiled at him too.

When they got back to Sterling Manor that night, Ethan instinctively looked around for Elara. He didn't find her.

He frowned, uncomfortable. Seraphine caught the look and understood what it meant.

Her eyes flashed with resentment, then she forced generosity. "Elara's probably sulking. She wants you to apologize to her first."

"Once she realizes playing hard to get won't work, she'll come back on her own."

"Or — Ethan, do you want me to apologize to her? I can. I'm just afraid when she comes back she'll hurt the pups again."

She acted like she was reluctantly offering.

Ethan listened to her smearing Elara and disgust flickered in his eyes.

Seraphine didn't pick up on it. She kept going.

Ethan snapped.

"Enough! I know Elara. Don't talk about her like that."

He stormed upstairs.

Left alone, Seraphine hated him for a moment, then pinched the twins viciously.

They flinched, like they'd been through it many times already.

That night Ethan buried himself in Pack work in the study, refusing to go to the bedroom.

He couldn't accept that Elara had gone. He didn't know how to handle it, so he drowned in work and waited for her to come back on her own.

Seraphine waited a long time in the bedroom. When he didn't come, she understood.

She changed into a red piece of lingerie, half-sheer, and pushed open the study door.

"Ethan. I've been waiting. Why won't you come to bed?"

She slid onto his lap and looked up at him.

Seraphine was confident she could seduce him. She always had.

And sure enough, Ethan looked at the pale skin of her chest. His throat moved. Lust flickered.

Then his face darkened.

"Get out. Not tonight."

She wasn't ready to give up. She wound her arms around his neck.

Annoyance boiled in Ethan. He shoved her away.

She hit the floor, furious, glared at him, and stormed out.

After that, Elara didn't come back the way Ethan and Seraphine had expected.

In fact, after she left, Ethan didn't get another word from her.

Seven years of Marking. Ethan had thought his love for Elara wasn't what it once was — otherwise, Seraphine wouldn't have happened.

But after Elara actually left, he realized he still loved her.

Elara leaving, Elara not bothering him — that was supposedly what he wanted.

He'd caused this situation himself.

Now that Elara had actually given him what he claimed to want, he couldn't stand it.

Without her, nothing had taste.

Work was exhausting. Going out with Seraphine wasn't fun.

Everything that used to thrill him had lost color.

He finally opened his phone.

The chat with Elara had slowly become a one-sided monologue.

At first, Ethan would still answer sometimes. After Seraphine came back, he stopped answering.

Finally all that was left was Elara checking in like clockwork.

Two weeks ago, even that stopped.

Ethan frowned. Anger rose in him.

Elara might be angry, but shouldn't she have cooled off by now?

A whole week gone. She still hadn't come home.

Because of one little thing, she was going to stay away?

Didn't she remember her place?

Like he was spiting her, Ethan set his phone aside — but before he let go, he put Elara on priority alerts.

He expected her to text any second now.

Then this would be over. He'd learn his lesson.

And in the next round of her and Seraphine fighting, he'd lean toward Elara.

He almost smiled. A voice came up behind him.

"Ethan. What are you smiling at?"

A pair of hands slid over his eyes.

"Guess what I'm wearing right now?"

Seraphine guided his hand toward her.

Ethan frowned. When he touched her skin—

something sticky crawled over him. He shoved her off.

"I told you. Not tonight. Do you not understand?"

He opened his eyes. Seraphine was in a piece of lingerie even more revealing than last night's.

She was on the floor, exposed.

He frowned at her in disgust.

When he'd first gotten Seraphine he'd found her exciting — exciting enough that he'd hurt Elara for her.

But now, with Elara gone, he understood. Elara had always been in his chest.

He'd been blinded by novelty and couldn't feel his own heart.

The closer Seraphine got, the harder she pushed, the more he thought of Elara.

Under Seraphine's shocked stare, Ethan grabbed his phone and called Elara.

He'd decided. The moment she picked up, his first word would be an apology.

If he was sincere enough, after seven years together, she'd forgive him soon.

What he hadn't planned for was what he'd do if her phone didn't go through.

The line rang. His smile froze.

"I'm sorry, the number you are calling is disconnected..."