Chapter 8

But looking at him now, what he wanted was nothing like that.

I held it in for a while. I couldn't.

"Alpha Wyndham. Aren't you afraid I'm a plant for Ethan? You're handing me everything. What if—"

I didn't finish. He understood.

Adrian stopped walking.

"Why do you think that? Can't I just trust you?"

His eyes on me were very honest.

I didn't understand. I looked up at him, confused.

He went on. "I want you — the wolf. Not Sterling Pack secrets."

"In our fight with Sterling, I wouldn't use anything that low. And I'd never ask you to do it."

His eyes were serious. They burned. I looked away.

I don't know if I imagined it. I thought I saw something like love in his eyes.

But that couldn't be right.

Adrian and I didn't even know each other.

After a moment I made myself sound normal. "Alpha Wyndham. I don't want anything special. Just let me work as your Beta aide."

He cleared his throat. His ears turned faintly pink. He said something quick and hurried off.

I watched him go. Flustered. My confusion doubled.

Ethan got into the car panicking after the call from the Infirmary.

The whole way back he floored it. He ran every red light.

One thought in his head — get to the manor.

The Infirmary must have misdialed.

Elara's mother was in a coma, sure, but she'd been stable. How could she just die?

And right in the window when he'd stopped paying her Healer fees. Too clean a coincidence.

Even though he'd felt the weight of it in his chest, he refused to believe.

Because if this was real, given how much Elara loved her mother, he'd never win her back.

The thought of losing her completely made his chest feel like it had a hole in it, wind rushing through.

He couldn't accept it. He had to believe this was a mistake.

Ethan stood at the door of Sterling Manor. The panic kept him from pushing it open the way he usually did.

He steeled himself. He opened the door and turned on the lights.

A figure on the couch. His face lit up.

He rushed over and wrapped his arms around her.

"Elara, you're back. I was wrong. I've been terrible to you. From now on it's just you. Seraphine and the pups — I'll set them up somewhere else."

"They'll never be in front of you again. Okay?"

He said it, thrilled. He didn't notice the body in his arms going rigid.

When there was no answer for too long, Ethan felt it.

He looked down. Seraphine. Eyes full of fury.

He jerked back. "Why are you here? Where's Elara?!"

His disappointment curdled into hate.

Seraphine didn't understand why he'd turned so fast. But she knew now wasn't the time to fight him.

She softened her voice. Her eyes welled up. "You were gone for days. I missed you."

"I just wanted to wait for you where you'd see me."

"Ethan. Why did you send the pups and me away?"

"Did Elara say something? I didn't mean anything by it. As long as I can be with you, anywhere is fine. Just visit us."

"But — the pups are little. They need their father. If Elara really wants me gone, and she'd be good to the pups, I could leave."

She smeared Elara into the words without making it obvious.

Before, Ethan wouldn't have caught it.

Now it disgusted him. He shoved her off onto the floor.

"Are you done?"

"Don't think I can't hear what you're doing. You're smearing Elara. I know what kind of wolf my mate is. I don't need your judgment."

"And only pups Elara accepts will ever be mine. If she doesn't want the twins, take them and get out of my sight!"

His shadow swallowed her.

"Seraphine. Before I decide to hurt you, get out. Take the twins with you. You've got one day."

"If I come home tomorrow and see you and those pups in this manor, I won't be polite."

His voice and his face went cold enough to freeze blood.

She cried, tried to say something, saw his eyes, lowered her head.

The phone on the desk rang. He answered fast. His assistant on the other end.

He cut him off. "Did the Infirmary call and say they made a mistake? Did Elara call? My phone is broken. Get me a new one. Give Elara the number."

He was almost smiling.

The assistant was awkward. "Alpha. The Infirmary didn't call. And the Luna hasn't reached out either."

"You asked me to pay the Infirmary, and they returned the payment. They said..."

Ethan's face froze. His voice trembled.

"Said what?"

The assistant hesitated, then pushed it out.

"They said the patient has already passed. There's nothing left to pay."

Ethan's mind blanked.

He'd run through every possibility. The one that played out was the one he'd wanted least.

In one moment, his bond with Elara became a dead end.

There was nothing left to hold her with.

The thought of losing her completely dropped him into oil and fire.

He couldn't understand why Elara's mother would pass right at this point.

Seraphine heard it too. Her crying turned to a flash of triumph.

She pretended to get up and reached to help Ethan.

"Ethan, it's okay. Even if Elara's left you, the pups and I will always be here."

She moved to fold herself into him. He slapped her across the face.

Fury in his eyes, disgust in his voice. "What do you think you are? When I was ruined, you ran off with another wolf. I remember all of it."

"I was just entertained by you. I thought it was funny to keep you around. You actually thought you were my Luna?"

"My Luna is Elara. Even if she leaves me, it will never be you!"