Chapter 30
3rd Person
Ryder, Parker and Riley kneeled in the back of the swan shaped boat carrying them down the lazy river winding through the dark tunnel, giggling in excitement as they spied on Ethan and Jane. Despite the pitch black surrounding them, their sharp wolf eyes could make out their parent’s bodies through the gloom, and saw that Ethan was about to kiss Jane.
This is exactly the opportunity they’d been waiting for. “Riley, you’re a genius.” Parker whispered.
“Thank you.” His sister smiled widely. She didn’t know why these silly rides existed, but she was certainly glad they did. It was so romantic, with the cozy boats and soft love songs blaring through the overhead speakers. At this very moment some pop star was singing about how she’d died every day waiting for her lover, and the pup couldn’t help but think Mommy had been waiting a very long time for their Daddy - at least as long as they’d been alive, if not longer!
Unfortunately Ethan and Jane’s lips had barely brushed together when Jane turned her face away, “don’t!”
The Alpha rested his forehead against hers, nuzzling gently. “Why not?”
“We shouldn’t have agreed to this.” Jane whispered, she glanced towards the boat in front of them, and saw three pairs of spying eyes suddenly duck down behind the stern. “It’ll give the pups the wrong idea.”
“Actually, I think the pups have the right idea.” Ethan murmured in answer, “You’re the only one who seems to be confused.”
“I’m not confused.” Jane grumbled, “I know exactly what I want, and becoming your plaything isn’t it.”
“My plaything?” He repeated, not sure where this was coming from.
“I know you Ethan.” She growled softly, making the big wolf wrapped around her raise his brows. “I mean I’ve known wolves like you before.” She amended, realizing her slipup. “You’re only interested in one thing.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, baby.” Ethan purred, earning a true snarl from Jane. “Easy now,” He cautioned, smirking as he nodded towards the pups. “Do you want them to hear?”
Jane narrowed her eyes, but quieted her protest.
“I’d be a fool if all I wanted from you was…” Ethan paused, searching for an appropriate word, “Your beauty.” He finally decided, “I want it, make no mistake, but I also want your intelligence,” He admitted, brushing his lips over her cheek and trailing them to her jaw, “your strength and charm. I want your sweetness and your defiance, your good moods and your bad.” His mouth was traveling the slender column of her throat now, making her pulse pound beneath his touch. “I want you in sickness and health-”
“Stop it!” Jane objected, her voice thick with emotion.
“What’s going on?” Ryder whispered to his siblings?
“I can’t really hear.” Parker frowned, “but I think they’re fighting.”
“No, they’re not supposed to fight!” Riley pouted, her plan was them for to kiss and cuddle, not argue. “Why don’t grown ups ever behave?” She muttered under her breath.
Back in the other boat, Ethan was sighing and shaking his head, studying the seething woman beside him with longing and frustration. “You can’t leave, Janey. We need more time.”
“Stop calling me that.” Jane hissed, understanding he wanted to pick up their earlier conversation and deciding not to give him the chance. “And I will do what is right for my family. We don’t belong here.”
It was the Alpha’s turn to snarl now, “Enough. Enough lies.” Though he’d released Jane when she asked, he now tugged the collar of her top aside to reveal the crescent shaped mark on her shoulder. “You think I wouldn’t recognize my own mark?”
“It Isn’t yours.” She insisted fiercely, “and it never will be.”
Ethan’s wolf rose the the surface, making his usually dark eyes glow amber and his fangs emerge. “Is that a challenge, little wolf?”
“No Alpha.” Jane countered. Even though her own wolf wanted to roll over on her back and expose her fluffy belly to the dangerous predator in front of her, she tilted her chin up in defiance, making her former mate’s eyes flash. “It’s a promise.”
“We’ll just see about that.” Ethan rumbled ominously, replacing her collar and moving his strong hand to circle the back of her neck.
“Try all you want.” Jane invited, arching a blonde brow, “but you wont like the outcome.”
Ethan let Jane slide back to the other side of the bench as the boat floated along, but kept his possessive grip around her nape, massaging her tense muscles and imposing his dominance at once. “As I said, Jane. We’ll see.”
Across town, Eve just received a call from the board of her Atelier informing her she was being removed as CEO. She was pissed off and hung the phone up.
"Damn you, Jane! Damn Paisley"
She shouted and decided to get rid of the little mongrel once and for all.
Paisley was asleep when Eve arrived, and though Eve would have liked to make the little bitch suffer, she supposed it was better this way: quick and clean. She strode to her IV without any interference or hiccups, uncapped the syringe, and injected the drug.
As she scurried away, she lamented the fact that she couldn’t stay and watch Paisley take her last, miserable breath, but again - needs must. She hurried from the room and rushed down the hall before the machines started going haywire, immensely grateful the hospital didn’t put cameras in the VIP wing for the sake of patient privacy. Fools. She thought gleefully. She waited in the stairwell just long enough to hear the code alarm and see the nurses go running, before sashaying away in triumph.
Ethan's phone suddenly began to ring, and his heart sank as he sensed something was wrong.
He immediately answered his phone when he saw the specialist’s name scrolling across the screen. “Dr Hastings?” He greeted the man, glancing anxiously at Jane. “Is everything okay?”
Jane immediately sat up, reading his agitated energy but too far away to hear what was being said on the other end of the line. “Alpha, I’m very sorry but you need to get down here now.” The doctor informed him. “There was an incident, and we’ve rushed Paisley into emergency surgery, there was no time to waste.”
Ethan lowered his phone in a daze, looking horrified. “We have to go - now!”
