Chapter 18
Olivia's POV
My hands trembled beneath, but I forced my expression to remain calm. Breathe. I can’t show fear. “Even if scarred,” I said slowly, meeting Amelia’s crazed gaze, “a wolf won’t so easily abandon their Fate Mate. Everyone knows that.”
Amelia’s sneer deepened, her grip tightening on the silver blade. Seems like she was done monologuing and wasn’t going to let me stall for time.
My mind raced, and my heart pounded painfully against my ribs as she raised the knife, preparing to strike.
Shit, this is going to hurt…
Just as the knife was about to fall, the door crashed open.
My head whipped around, and I saw the rogue leader outside drop to the ground, clutching his stomach in shock. Ethan stood at the threshold, his eyes blazing an unnatural gold, his wolf barely restrained by a thin thread of control.
“Get your hands off my Luna.”
The raw power in his voice sent a shock through the room. It hit Amelia like a wave, immediately forcing her wolf into submission. She whimpered, the knife clattering to the ground as her body folded, powerless against the strength of Ethan’s Alpha command.
I sagged in relief as Ethan moved toward me, his presence a mix of rage and fierce protectiveness.
My wrists throbbed, raw from struggling against the ropes holding me down. Without a word, Ethan untied me and scooped me up into his arms.
He held me as if I were weightless. Like I was precious. I pressed my cheek to his chest, too weak from the wolfsbane to resist the comfort of his warmth.
He turned to Marlus, his Beta, who stood silently behind him, waiting for orders. “Exile her,” Ethan said coldly, his voice a deadly calm. “Make her a rogue.”
Before Marlus could move, I found my voice. “Wait.” Ethan glanced down at me, his eyes softening slightly as I spoke. “Let Aiden handle her.”
Amelia’s eyes widened in shock, but she didn’t dare speak. “She’s pregnant, Ethan,” I continued, my voice firm despite my weariness. “If she’s exiled as a rogue she won’t survive, and neither will the child. It’s innocent.”
Ethan’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t argue. With a single nod from him, Marlus lowered his head in obedience, understanding my request.
Amelia's sneer faded, replaced by a fearful, trembling expression as she met my gaze.
“Who was behind this, Amelia?” I demanded; my voice was steady even though my whole body ached with an adrenaline crash. “There’s no way you did this on your own.”
She hesitated, but under the weight of Ethan’s glare and the knowledge that she had no power here, Amelia’s resolve cracked. “It was Chloe,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “She promised me... if you were gone, I could be with Aiden. I could be Luna.”
My blood ran cold, but I kept my face neutral. Of course it was Chloe, always lurking in the shadows, always trying to take what wasn’t hers.
“Let’s go,” Ethan murmured, his voice low but laced with fury. He held me tighter, and I leaned against him, too drained to think of anything beyond the pounding ache in my wrists and another betrayal to add to my growing list.
As Marlus dragged Amelia out, I felt the scope of what just happened, and what could have happened.
I had tried to protect her once. But now, all I felt was… numb.
I knew Chloe wouldn’t stop here.
Exhaustion weighed on me as Ethan's angry voice yelled at me in the parking lot. “What were you thinking, Olivia? You could have been killed!”
I stared at the ground, my body aching from the ordeal, but I didn’t let the guilt settle. I’d planned for this. “I’m not a complete idiot,” I said, my voice flat. “If I didn’t check in within three hours, a timed message would have let you know to track my phone.”
He scowled down at me, the frustration obvious beyond my empathy power. But I knew he didn’t come to rescue me; he came for his Luna and our perfect image. We’re a business deal. “I’ll repay you, Ethan.”
Ethan’s eyes softened, but only slightly. “Is that why you spared Amelia? Because of Aiden’s child?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but Mia came rushing over, her face pale and her eyes wide with guilt. “I’m so, so, so sorry, Liv. I should’ve seen this coming. Amelia –”
“Enough,” Ethan interrupted, his voice low but authoritative. “Marlus will take you home.”
Marlus, standing nearby, stepped forward like the obedient Beta he was. I just nodded, too drained to argue.
As we walked to the car, Mia leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. “Is Ethan mad at you?”
I glanced at her, not actually knowing the answer for once. “I don’t know,” I finally muttered, turning my gaze back to where Ethan still stood, eyes locked on us.
The truth was, I had felt anger coming from him, but I wasn’t sure if he was angry with me, or if he was angry that Chloe and her lapdogs were at it again.
Ethan's POV
I held myself back from going after Olivia. It was better this way; I needed some space to pull myself together.
My wolf growled, pacing in the cage of my mind. Ask her, he urged. Ask if she still has feelings for Aiden.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my jaw clenched painfully. “It’s a contract marriage,” I muttered, more to remind myself than to silence my wolf. “I have no right to interfere in her personal life, as long as it doesn’t affect the Pack.”
But my wolf wasn’t satisfied.
She’s our Mate now. No Alpha wolf could tolerate their Mate in love with someone else.
A wave of jealousy surged through me, stronger than I expected. It gnawed at me, souring my gut. Olivia wasn’t just a political move or a way to strengthen the Pack. She was my Luna, my responsibility.
The idea that Aiden still held some place in her heart made my blood boil.
Why the hell was she so attached to that first wedding dress? The one she’d chosen for Aiden. The one she planned to wear to their ceremony before I had a new one made.
It shouldn’t have mattered, but for some reason it did. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I slammed my foot on the gas, the engine roaring as I turned towards town. My thoughts raced as fast as the car, but none of them made sense.
For the first time, I couldn’t think strategically. I couldn’t get myself to view this partnership like any other alliance. This wasn’t just about power or politics. This felt personal.
Damn Aiden. I hated him long before Olivia came into the picture, but now? Now, he was more than a petty rival. He was a threat. A threat to something that was mine.
I couldn’t control this storm brewing inside me; the jealousy, confusion, rage... Aiden wasn’t just an enemy anymore. He was in the way of something I couldn’t name and wasn’t ready to face.
But one thing was certain: my Mate would not be taken from me.
Never again.
