Chapter 75
Ethan's POV
The air was thick with tension as I stepped into the room where Isabella was waiting. Her scent, once so familiar and grounding, felt foreign now – a bittersweet reminder of what had been and what would never be again.
My wolf paced uneasily, the last tendrils of our bond with her barely hanging on, but I pushed him to focus. We needed closure, and this was the only way.
Isabella turned as I entered, her eyes lighting up with what I recognized as a practiced charm. She wore the same soft expression that had once melted me body and soul, but now it only made my stomach churn.
“Ethan,” she said, her voice lilting as if we were picking up where we left off. “You look well.”
I crossed the room slowly, keeping my distance. “Isabella.”
She studied me, her gaze dipping as though she expected me to falter. “You don’t have to do this, you know,” she began, her tone coaxing. “We’re Fated Mates. That connection doesn’t just disappear. We could try again, Ethan. We deserve that chance.”
Her words landed in my gut like stones, but I remained standing, unyielding. “We were Fated,” I acknowledged, my voice steady. “But fate only gives us a starting point. We both know how that bond ended, and it can’t be revived.”
Her lips tightened, and a flicker of frustration passed through her eyes. “You think Olivia can replace what we had? Ethan, she’s not your Fated Mate. She’ll never understand you the way I do.”
A growl rumbled low in my chest, my wolf rising to the surface, but I forced him back. “She isn’t replacing anything, Isabella. What you and I had is over. What I feel for Olivia is my choice, and my wolf’s. And it’s stronger than anything I ever felt for you.”
Her face crumpled briefly before she composed herself. “You’re making a mistake,” she said softly, her voice trembling just enough to stir pity, if I’d had any left to give. “I love you, Ethan. And I know you love me.”
“I did,” I admitted, the words heavy but true. “But love doesn’t mean holding onto something that’s gone. It means letting it go when it’s time, and it’s time, Isabella.”
Her shoulders stiffened, and the mask of vulnerability shattered. “You think you’ll be happy with her?” she asked, her tone sharp. “She’ll never understand the bond we share. She’ll never be enough.”
“She already is,” I said firmly, the conviction in my voice silencing her. “And I won’t let anything – or anyone – come between us.”
Her eyes flashed, but she said nothing, instead turning her back on me. I could feel the final threads of our bond unraveling, a ghostly ache that faded with every breath. My wolf stirred, letting out a low, relieved sigh as the thread of a lingering connection snapped.
“It’s done, Isabella,” I said, my voice softer now. “Take care of yourself. Truly.”
She didn’t respond, and I didn’t wait for her to. The door clicked shut behind me as I stepped out into the cool air, the heaviness in my chest lifting with every step.
My wolf stretched for the first time in years, the pull toward Isabella gone, replaced by a growing certainty.
Olivia wasn’t just my choice; she was my future. And nothing – no past bond, no lingering doubts – would stand in the way of that.
I turned over my meeting with Isabella in my mind. The severance of our bond had brought a strange sense of peace, but it also left me raw, every nerve exposed. My wolf, however, was uncharacteristically calm, satisfied even, as if he knew we’d just taken a step closer to where we were meant to be.
With Olivia.
The thought of her was soothing and steadying. But the idea of marking her, of sealing our bond fully, was a weight I wasn’t ready to shoulder just yet.
As I drove up the Pack House, Marlus was waiting near the entrance, his stance alert but casual, a sign that whatever news he had wasn’t an immediate crisis. Still, his expression was grim, and that alone sent my wolf pacing inside me.
“Marlus,” I greeted as I stepped out of the vehicle.
“Ethan,” he replied, falling into step beside me as we headed toward the main building. “I’ve got an update you’ll want to hear.”
“Go on,” I said, my tone clipped, though I kept my strides measured.
We entered my office, and I gestured for him to sit, but he remained standing, his arms crossed as he delivered the report.
“The evidence we’ve tied to Matthew is starting to make waves. A few Council members are… unsettled, to say the least. Derek’s playing it close to the chest, but he’s hinted that Matthew’s arrest is going to complicate the vote.”
I let out a low growl, my wolf bristling at the thought. “Complicate it how?”
“Derek didn’t spell it out, but you know how this works. The Council thrives on optics. With Matthew tied to Olivia’s Pack through the hospital and rumors of some kind of Lunera Beauty medical breakthrough, it raises questions about alliances.”
My hands curled into fists, and I had to focus on keeping my breathing steady. “So, they’ll try to use this against Olivia and me? Turn it into a weakness instead of a strength?”
Marlus nodded grimly. “That’s the gist of it. Derek’s doing what he can to spin it, but you know him. He won’t stick his neck out unless he’s sure it’ll benefit him.”
I paced the length of the room, growling low in my chest. The idea that this could impact Olivia – that Matthew’s betrayal could ripple through her life even more – made the need to destroy something flare. She didn’t deserve this.
“Anything else?” I asked, my tone sharper than intended.
Marlus hesitated, then added, “Your wolf’s been restless, hasn’t he?”
I stopped pacing and turned to face him, my jaw tightening. “What are you getting at?”
“You know exactly what I’m getting at,” Marlus said, his voice calm but firm. “Your wolf wants to mark her. And honestly, I don’t blame him. Olivia’s got the kind of presence that could sway the entire Council if they saw her as your true Mate.”
The thought stirred a primal urge in me, my wolf surging forward with a possessive growl. “You think marking her before the vote would help?”
“It could,” Marlus admitted. “It would send a message; to the Council, to Chloe, to anyone doubting your alliance. But it could also backfire. The timing could make it look like a desperate political move instead of a genuine bond.”
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling under the surface. “She deserves better than to be used as a pawn in this mess. Again.”
I didn’t want to mark Olivia from pressure from the Council or a sense that we were running out of time. I wanted to complete our bond out of love and need. I wanted it to be private, something just for us.
“Agreed,” Marlus said. “But she’s also stronger than they give her credit for. If anyone can handle the impact of this, it’s Olivia. The question is, can you trust yourself to handle it with her?”
His words hit their intended mark, and I turned away, staring out the window at the Pack grounds below. The idea of marking Olivia, of fully claiming her as my Mate, wasn’t just about politics. It was about us and what we were building together.
“I need time to think,” I said finally, my voice quieter now.
Marlus clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Take the time you need. Not to sound like a broken record here, but don’t wait too long, Ethan. The Council doesn’t play fair, and neither does Chloe.”
As he left, my wolf stirred again, restless and impatient.
I leaned against the edge of my desk, my thoughts circling back to Olivia. She was my Mate in every way that mattered. The question wasn’t if I would mark her, it was when.
And whether I could make it about us, not the chaos threatening to tear us apart.
