Chapter 9
Olivia's POV
Mia’s statement dropped like a bomb.
Amelia’s fake tears vanished, her shock plain as she blinked in confusion. But it was Aiden’s reaction that caught me off guard.
His face darkened, and before I could react, he grabbed my wrist, dragging me down the hall.
“What is Mia talking about?” Aiden’s voice was thick with disbelief as he pulled me into a more secluded corner. “You’re mating my brother Ethan?”
I yanked my arm free, glaring at him. Of course he’d be shocked. Aiden said he wanted me to be there, waiting in the background; the mistress hopelessly in love while he played house with Amelia.
I could feel his confusion. Aiden couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea that I would still defy him by choosing someone else. Especially Ethan, the eternal bachelor.
“You’ve always loved me,” he continued, his voice lower now, almost accusing. “How could you be selling yourself to him? To Ethan? That outcast? He was kicked out of his pack by his own father!”
“At least Ethan fully recognizes my position of Luna,” I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “And I’m pretty sure he won’t go and get another woman pregnant.”
Aiden’s jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists at his sides. “Don’t try to provoke me, Olivia,” he growled. “Ethan is nothing more than an opportunist. He doesn’t make deals without getting something in return. You really think he’s doing this for you?”
I met his glare head-on, refusing to back down. "Just watch and see."
The tension between us was palpable, but I was done letting him have any power over me.
But there was some truth to what Aiden said, and once again, the reality of the situation crashed over me like a wave.
I knew Ethan was just mating me to get the Alpha Council off his back. He was doing this for himself, not to help me.
And I now also knew Aiden and Amelia weren’t going to stop. They would always be pushing my boundaries, digging up old wounds and finding new ways to hurt me.
But I have bigger things to worry about now. Like the arrangement with Ethan and the fact that, soon, I would have to put on a different show altogether.
Mia had worked her magic. I stared at myself in the limo’s mirror, adjusting the emerald velvet gown that hugged every curve of my body perfectly. My nerves were buzzing, but I had to admit, I looked hot.
“You look amazing,” Ethan said, his voice low.
I turned to him, feeling a slight warmth from the compliment. His eyes lingered, trailing down by body, and for just a second, I almost forgot this was fake.
“Anything I should know for tonight?” I asked, hoping for as much information as I could get to make this arrangement as convincing as possible.
“Just stay away from Aiden,” Ethan replied, his sarcasm cutting through the air. “I mean it. Don’t sneak off with him for any whispered conversations. It’ll make people talk.”
His tone stung. I clenched my jaw in irritation. “Then maybe you should tone down that ego, big guy, or your pathetic acting will give away we’re not real mates.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. The air between us thickened with tension, and my heart skipped a beat. I should probably stop sassing the powerful Alpha.
Without warning, Ethan gripped my chin and crashed his lips against mine. The kiss was rough, possessive, and unexpected. I found myself kissing him back.
I parted my lips, our togues tangling together. Heat rushed through me, but just as quickly, he pulled away.
“As you can see,” he said, voice smooth and smug, “I won’t be the one to blow our cover.”
Anger flushed my cheeks. I wanted to lash out at Ethan, but before I could, we arrived outside the gala.
I quickly fixed my lipstick in the reflection of the car window before exiting the limo.
I looped my arm through Ethan’s and took a steadying breath. And plastered on the armor of a perfect smile.
All eyes seemed to turn our way when we entered the grand room. The low hum of murmurs broke out and spread through the crowd like wildfire.
“Wasn’t she engaged to Aiden?”
“How is she with Ethan now?”
I held my head high, pretending not to notice. Instead, I tried to focus my attention on Ethan as his ‘smitten Luna Mate.’
From the corner of my eye, I saw Aiden, standing stiffly by the bar, glaring at us. His grip on his wine glass was so tight that it shattered, shards falling to the floor.
Satisfaction coursed through me like a spark of fire. Let him watch.
“Don’t forget your role,” Ethan’s voice slid into my mind through the Pack’s mind link, calm but firm.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look away from Aiden’s burning stare. The satisfaction dulled as reality hit me again; this was all just an arrangement, a game we were both playing.
As Ethan moved ahead to greet the other Alphas, I found myself separated from him.
That’s when I spotted her; Kaycee, the daughter of the Red River Pack’s Alpha, leading her entourage around like good little lemmings. And they were headed my way.
“Olivia,” Kaycee purred, a fake smile on her lips. “Such a shame I couldn’t attend your wedding. But who knew we’d get such an ‘exclusive show’ instead?”
My jaw tightened, but I remained silent, knowing exactly where this was headed. If there were such a thing as rivals, Kaycee had declared herself mine.
One of her devotees snickered. “That picture in the tabloids, did you tip off the paparazzi yourself? Trying to distract from such an embarrassing wedding?”
Kaycee tilted her head, her voice dripping with mock concern. “And what exactly did you promise Ethan to get an invite to this gala?”
Their words struck like tiny needles, but I kept my expression neutral. They were enjoying this too much, trying to get a rise out of me. No way would I let that happen.
“Impressive imagination,” I replied coolly, though my blood simmered beneath the surface.
Kaycee leaned in closer, her eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. “Maybe you cheated so much that poor Aiden had no choice but to have an affair. How many others were there, Olivia?”
The accusations were baseless, but the venom behind them was real. I opened my mouth to snap back against my better judgement, but the air in the room thickened.
A low, powerful growl commanded the attention of every wolf present.
Silence fell, and Kaycee’s entourage around me froze, their stuck-up confidence replaced with wide-eyed fear. Their wolves instinctively showed submission.
Ethan.
He stepped forward with an eerie calmness, wrapping an arm possessively around my waist. He radiated control and dominance, but his tone was cold as ice.
“I don’t appreciate people associating my fiancée with other men,” he said smoothly, though there was an unmistakable edge to his words.
Kaycee swallowed nervously, the sharpness in her expression fading as she stammered out some half-hearted apology.
Ethan kept me locked against his body, his grip on my waist firm. I could feel the warmth of him; a stark contrast to his cold eyes as they swept over the group. Challenging anyone else who dared to say something further.
It wasn’t clear how much he had overheard, but his intervention had shut them down completely. I couldn’t decide whether to feel relieved or humiliated by the fact that he’d stepped in so easily.
The murmurs sparked up again, no doubt gossiping about me and Ethan again.
He leaned down; his breath felt warm against my ear. “Don’t let them get to you. We’re playing the long game.”
I nodded, but wondered just how long I could keep this game going.
