Chapter 18%
Ethan’s POVE
My wolf had been a restless storm inside me, a constant, low growl since Ivy had left. I had told myself, over and over, that I wouldn’t let her be with Alpha Vincent. It was a promise I’d made to myself, a desperate vow to reclaim what I now, agonizingly, understood I couldn’t live without. But nothing, not the fury of my wall, not the denial in my heart, could prepare me for the news that ripped through the pack like a cold, sharp blade.
They were getting married
The words whispered through the pack, then shouted in the gossip of the market, finally landing in my office like a death knell. Ivy an
and Vincent. Planning their wedding.
My world stopped. The buzzing hum of the pack house, the distant shouts from the training grounds, the rhythmic scratching of my pen on paper – all of it faded into a deafening silence. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic, desperate rhythm that echoed in my
Suddenly, memories flooded my mind. Not the vague, convenient memories I’d allowed myself before, but every single, agonizing detail
I saw her in my mind’s eye, standing by the bed, patiently waiting as I stumbled in, drunk, after a night with my warriors. She’d always sigh, a soft weary sound, but then her hands would be there guiding me to the bathroom, helping me out of my clothes. She’d bring me water, then a strong, bitter coffee in the morning, already anticipating my headache
I remembered the way she’d sit beside me on the sofa after a long day of pack meetings, her fingers working the tension from my shoulders, her touch a warmth that seeped deep into my bones. I’d never asked for it never acknowledged it out loud, but I’d sink into it letting her melt away the stress I carried.
Her cooking. God, her cooking. Not just the bland meals the kitchen staff provided, but the special ones. Her spicy stew, rich and flavorful, always made exactly how I liked it. The way she’d bake that honey–glazed bacon, telling me it reminded her of a happy childhood memory.
How she’d sometimes just bring me a simple cup of tea and a piece of combread to my office, always with a small, handwritten note tucked undemeath. Messages that I’d usually just glance at, dismissing them as trivial. Now, each memory of those notes felt like a punch to the gut
Her clothes. Always neat, always perfectly folded and laid out for me in the mornings. My uniforms, pressed and crisp. My casual tunics, always soft and clean. She took care of everything, without being asked, without demanding recognition. She just did.
And her smiles, Not the forced, polite smiles she’d given me in public, but the genuine ones. The way her eyes would crinkle at the corners when something truly amused her, when she was genuinely happy. The soft, quiet way she’d sometimes lean against me. murmuring “I love you” when she thought I wasn’t listening, or when we were alone, in the quiet intimacy of our room. Her warmth, the scent of her, so distinct, so comforting, so mine.
A gasp tore from my throat. It was Ivy. It was always Ivy..
The realization hit me with the force of a rogue Alpha’s charge, knocking the wind out of me, leaving me gasping for air. It wasn’t just some vague attachment, some accustomed presence I missed. It was her. Her warmth her kindness, her quiet strength, her unwavering care. All those little things I had taken for granted, trampled underfoot in my pursuit of something shallow and fleeting with Farah.
- 100
It was Ivy I loved. All along. And I had just liked the idea of having Farob. The idea of an easy, uncomplicated devotion. But now it was late Terribly, painfully, irrevocably too late.
No No, it couldn’t be. Not now. Not now that I finally, truly, recognized the crushing weight of my feelings. I couldn’t lose lvy now. Not when my wall was howling her name, not when my heart finally knew its true rhythm. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t
I slammed my fist on the desk, the sudden noise echoing in the silent office. “Gray! roared, my voice raw desperate.X My Beta appeared in the doorway almost instantly, his face a mask of practiced neutrality. “Alpha?”
“I need details,” I bit out, my voice tight, straining with urgency. “Every single detail of Ivy’s wedding. Where, when, who’s invited Everything. Find out. Now. My wolf was a raging storm, tearing at his chains. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t let her marry another man. I would rather die than see her stand beside Vincent, promising him forever, giving him the smiles, the touches, the love that should have been
Gray’s gaze shifted, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. He opened his mouth, then closed it, looking uncomfortable. He wanted to say something, something he was clearly reluctant to reveal.
“Spill it, Beta,” I snarled, my patience worn thin, my voice laced with a dangerous waming. “Don’t you dare keep anything from me.”
He sighed, a low sound of defeat. “Alpha,” he began, his voice carefully neutral, “there’s something else Something troubling it came through in the last set of comprehensive health reports from the Head Healer.“}
My jaw clenched. “What is it7%
“It’s about your your reproductive health, Alpha,” Gray continued, clearly uncomfortable “The report indicates a change. It says that the Alpha that you cannot have a child”
The words hit me like a physical blow, “What?” I barked, disbelief warring with a sudden, chilling fear. “That’s impossible! I’m checked monthly! Every month, for years, the reports have been clear. My fertility is strong. It’s been confirmed multiple times Why would it change now?”
The report states you are infertile, Alpha,” Gray reiterated, his voice softening slightly, almost sympathetically. “It appears to be recent development. The Healer suspects there had been a misdiagnosis for years. Or a hidden defect that has only just manifested.” My blood ran cold. Infertile.
“Get another doctor, Gray, I commanded, my voice strained but firm. “Immediately. Someone independent. Someone from outside t pack. There’s no way. There’s no way I’m infertile. The thought was a vile poison, twisting in my gut. My pup. Farah’s pup. If I couldn’t hav children, then what was Farah carrying? And what did it mean for my bloodline, for my legacy?”
