Chapter 13
Olivia's POV
The mention of a wedding struck me like a blow. I’d had one disastrous almost-ceremony and was planning another that wasn’t real.
I was definitely the girl who’d dreamed of the perfect wedding growing up. I pictured an event full of love and joy and an endless garden of roses. But now it felt like an unrealistic fantasy, painful and out of reach.
I didn’t know how to respond, my voice catching in my throat.
Before I could gather my thoughts, Ethan answered smoothly, “I know it seems too quick how Liv and I came together, and the wedding will be soon. But I will do whatever I can for her happiness and safety.”
His tone was so certain, as if it was a simple fact and not a lie we were both living.
I managed a smile for my mother’s sake, but inside, I tried to harden my heart against the relentless desire for this to be real.
“We should let you rest, mom. I’ll call you later.”
The hallway felt too bright, too cold, and I could still feel my mother’s judging gaze lingering behind me. The second the door clicked shut, I exhaled, the tension in my shoulders loosening just a little.
I turned to Ethan. “Thank you for that,” I muttered, trying to sound casual, though gratitude was heavy in my voice.
He gave a dismissive shrug of one shoulder, hands loose in his pockets. “It’s part of our contract.”
Of course. The contract. I should have been used to it by now, the way he treated everything like a business transaction.
Because it was. So maybe I would throw him a bone, so to speak.
“At the gala, the daughter of Alpha Gideon was very interested in my perfume. He’s on the Alpha Council. I know you’re after his vote, and maybe I can help you get it.”
A smile crept onto my lips. “My father used to be on the Council, too, you know.”
Ethan’s eyes lit up with curiosity. He stepped closer, his smile growing more genuine. “It seems my Luna is more capable than I thought.”
I wasn’t prepared for how close he was. His earthy scent of mint and jasmine and mint enveloped me.
My back hit the wall before I even realized I’d stepped back, and suddenly, the air between us felt charged, like we were something more than we actually were.
Just then, Mia’s voice interrupted. “Olivia! Oh, I’m sorry, am I interrupting?”
Her teasing smile said she wasn’t sorry at all.
Mia’s teasing words echoed in my mind the moment Ethan walked away.
“You two seem closer than I thought.” I could feel my face heating up, and I opened my mouth to deny it, but before I could get a word out, a sharp voice cut through the air.
“What are you doing here?” Grace snapped, hobbling toward us with her leg in a cast.
Her eyes were full of venom. That seemed to be her default state. “Ethan came to visit me, and you followed him here like some pathetic little shadow?”
I barely had a chance to respond before Mia sighed loudly, rolling her eyes. “Is she delusional?” Mia pointed at Grace.
Grace’s fury was written all over her. I didn’t need empathy to feel it.
Her body tensed like she wanted to lunge forward and claw at me, but the pain in her injured leg held her back.
Still, her next words stung.
“You’re just a gold-digger! A fraud! You think using Ethan’s money makes you someone important, but I’ll make sure he sees you for who you really are.”
She wasn’t wrong, but she didn’t know Ethan and my relationship was transactional both ways.
I felt a flicker of anger but dug deep for some patience and smiled sweetly. Seems it was up to me to give her that daily dose of anti-bitch juice.
“Then why didn’t Ethan choose to marry you, Grace?” I asked, my voice calm, almost mocking. “Why is he willing to spend so much on a ‘fraud’ like me?”
Her face twisted in frustration, and for a brief second, she was at a loss for words. She clenched her fists, scowling, before hobbling away on her crutches without another word.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Mia raised an eyebrow at me as Grace disappeared down the hall. “Well, that was satisfying.”
It was, in a way. But despite the small victory, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that everything was about to spiral out of control faster than I could keep up with.
I was losing my grip faster than I cared to admit.
The staff, especially her attending physician Dr. Matthew Calder, took great care of my mother and I wanted to thank them.
As I headed towards his office in the hospital, I heard a familiar voice filtering from a nearby room. It was Grace.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I paused, instinctively letting my wolf’s hearing take over to listen.
I peeked around the corner and saw Ethan standing there, his back to me. I couldn’t see his face, but the way Grace’s voice dropped into that syrupy, flirtatious tone made my hackles rise.
“That’s so sweet you came to visit me,” she purred. “But let’s be real. This whole mating thing with Olivia is fake, isn’t it? You’re not really in love with her, so you’ll get divorced soon, right?”
My heart raced as I pressed myself against the wall, hidden from view. The world seemed to pause as I waited for Ethan’s response, every nerve in my body on edge.
Would he hold up his end of the deal? He’d been the possessive fiancé in public and with my mother, but Grace was his Beta’s sister.
The silence that followed felt unbearable. I fought the urge to step into the room and confront both of them, but something held me back.
I needed to hear what Ethan would say, to know if he would defend our lie or betray me in front of Grace.
My mind raced, filled with doubts. My hands tightened into fists at my sides, and I willed myself to stay quiet.
As the seconds dragged on, I realized how much I wanted to hear him say it wasn’t fake. A small spark of desire wanted to know that just maybe, it was real enough to mean something to him beyond the Alpha Council seat.
I felt a rush of conflicting emotions; fear of losing my Pack if he betrays our deal, anger at Grace’s intrusion, and a flicker of hope that he might surprise me.
In that moment of uncertainty, it felt like my entire future was just waiting for Ethan’s next words to either build on our fragile connection or confirm my deepest fears.
I waited in silence, holding my breath for Ethan’s answer.
