Chapter 20
Ethan's POV
The murmur of voices behind me was hard to ignore, even with the noise of the party. I didn’t need superhuman hearing to catch snippets of conversation between two Betas.
“I just saw her and Aiden getting handsy. Looked cozy, if you get my meaning,” one of them whispered. “Guess she must be one sweet ass Luna, marrying Alpha Ethan after being left at the altar…”
I turned toward them. “Would you like to say that where I can hear you?” My tone was like ice, and they flinched.
Both of them hesitated to answer, avoiding my eyes. “We… We saw Olivia and Aiden downstairs together,” one muttered.
The idea of Olivia and Aiden together gnawed at me; that she might be downstairs in Aiden’s presence sparked a heavy dose of unwelcome jealousy. I wanted these Betas to tell me everything.
Before I could press further, the birthday boy decided to chime in one arm draped across the shoulders of two shy Omegas.
“Already fighting, are we, Alpha Ethan?” he joked, grinning as he flirted with the submissives at his side. “A mistress or two is perfectly respectable among Alphas, as long as there’s a Luna to play wife.”
He threw me a smirk, clearly offering up one of the women clutching on to him.
I leveled him with a stern look. “Not interested,” I replied. He only laughed and took his leave, a smirk still plastered on his face.
I watched him weave through the crowd, my jaw tense, aware of the whispers still swirling around us.
Grace, who had been fuming next to me, leaned in. “She’s probably here to spy on you, Ethan. A breach of contract.”
I wanted to shake my head and dismiss her concerns. But the rumor mill that Chloe had stirred up – the constant remarks about my supposed “love match” – had spread throughout the room like wildfire. And I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Chloe fit right into this party and wasted no time trying to undermine me.
Most of the gossip was harmless, but some people shot me curious, even suspicious, glances as they whispered behind their hands. Subtlety was clearly lost in this crowd.
“Oh, don’t tell me you and Olivia are already mad at each other! Is that why you came separately?” This Luna was braver than most and asked me directly.
I grumbled a terse “She’s been working long hours.” And stalked away.
This place suddenly felt suffocating, and I needed to leave before I said something to ruin my chances of gaining the vote.
With a final nod to Marlus, I turned on my heel and left the VIP section.
The moment I hit the main floor, I noticed the way too many men’s eyes followed Olivia, lingering too long. Some women too for that matter. She was beautiful, I’d give them that.
My wolf stirred, restless and agitated. He didn’t like the attention she was getting.
I moved closer, just in time to see Olivia stumbling, her balance unsteady. And there he was – Aiden, reached out, ready to catch her, pulling her toward him.
In a flash, my wolf growled deep in my throat, and I closed the distance, snatching Olivia from his grasp. I steadied her in my arms. Her head tilted and I saw her eyes half-closed, barely aware.
Gritting my teeth, I passed her carefully to Mia, who was, thankfully, the more sober of the two of them. Mia shot me a worried look but nodded, holding Olivia by her side.
My fists balled with anger. I looked back at Aiden, whose smirk dared me to back down.
But I would never back down from Aiden. One hit wouldn’t be enough to release the fury boiling inside me, but I needed – my wolf needed – to protect our Luna. And right now Aiden screamed ‘danger’.
I pounced at Aiden and landed a solid punch on his jaw. His head flew to the side, clearly not expecting it.
Aiden stumbled but recovered quickly, his expression darkening as he swung back at me.
We exchanged blows, the cracking of knuckles drowned out by the pumping bass, as we grappled. This wouldn’t settle things between us, but he had touched what was mine.
Then I heard it—a soft, pained cry. Olivia’s voice. The fight immediately drained from me as I glanced over, finding her slumped against Mia.
Shoving Aiden down and away, I went to Olivia, gathering her back into my arms. She leaned into me. She felt too fragile, too quiet.
I threw Aiden a cold glare, my voice low and firm. “If you want to challenge me, do it openly. Don’t drag Olivia into your games.”
He scowled, panting with exertion, the swelling already blooming on his cheek. Aiden’s eyes darted to Olivia before looking away, saying nothing.
Holding Olivia close, I blocked out everything except the feel of her, safe in my arms.
Whatever fight Aiden wanted to have with me, I’d be there. But I’d make damn sure Olivia never got caught in the middle again.
I loaded Olivia into the passenger seat, feeling her slump back against the plush leather as I shut the door. But just as I rounded to the driver’s side, her voice, low and slurring, caught me off guard.
“Whosss the… who is the person you really love?”
I stiffened, sliding into my seat and glancing at her. She met my eyes, waiting, her gaze unfocused but searching.
“What bullshit has Aiden been feeding you now?” I snapped, irritation flaring up.
She scoffed, rolling her head towards the window. “Well, if there isss ssomeone you love, then I should get to have someone who loves meeeee too.”
A comeback was ready on my tongue, but my phone interrupted, vibrating in my pocket. Marlus’s name flashed on the screen. I took the call, already irritated, and Marlus’s tense voice didn’t help.
“Ethan, where are you? Grace says –”
I could hear her voice cutting in behind Marlus, muttering “She’s so fucking manipulative, Marlus, how can he not see it?! It’s in her nature.”
“Grace,” I growled. Marlus had the wits to shush his sister before replying.
“We need to nail down this swing vote. If you leave, we might lose it. Where are you?”
“Olivia had too much to drink,” I replied, keeping my voice flat. “I’m taking her home.”
Marlus hesitated, then asked bluntly, “Are you sure this isn’t becoming more than your arrangement? This seems personal.”
I felt a surge of defensiveness, though I kept my tone calm. “There are no feelings here, Marlus. It’s about managing our image. Anything else would only risk everything we’ve worked for. This is a calculated risk.”
Marlus replied with a quiet “If you say so,” before he hung up, leaving me along with the gentle sound of snoring to my side.
I glanced at Olivia, her head resting against the window, her breathing soft. She looked vulnerable, the usual walls around her entirely absent.
As I watched her, the thought crossed my mind: Maybe leaving that party was a mistake.
If it was a mistake, I’d already made it.
