Chapter 8

Ethan's POV

That night, Lily arrived with two oversized suitcases and moved right in. She walked through the den like she already owned the place, snapping orders at the servants left and right. "These flowers need to go—swap them out for roses. I can't stand the smell of lilies. And for dinner, I want venison, prepared with my favorite herbs."

I sat on the couch, pretending to flip through the Pack Council documents, but my eyes kept drifting to Aria.

She walked over to the wall and tore a page off the calendar.

The sound of ripping paper cut through the quiet living room like nails on a chalkboard, and my chest tightened for no reason I could name.

I stared at the calendar. More than half the pages were already gone, and what was left looked pitiful—like some kind of countdown.

"You tear off a page every day," I said. "Is there something important coming up?"

"Nope. Just something to do." She didn't even look at me when she said it. Her eyes stayed fixed on those few thin pages still hanging on the wall, and her voice was so indifferent it made my skin prickle.

That casual attitude only made me more uneasy.

I thought about everything she'd done lately—all the things that didn't add up. She'd stopped questioning where I went. She didn't get angry anymore when she caught Lily's Omega scent on me. She'd returned the crescent moon necklace, the one that marked her as my Luna. She hadn't even flinched when Lily moved into our den.

Everything started after Lily arrived.

No—that wasn't quite right. It started the night Aria poured me that glass of wine.

It had tasted bitter, with an herbal edge I couldn't place. But Lily had been upset about something, and I was too distracted trying to calm her down. I'd swallowed the wine without a second thought.

I shot to my feet, and my eyes locked on Lily as she directed the maids around on the second floor, telling them where to put her things. That's when it hit me—I'd made a colossal mistake.

Aria had to be testing me. She was playing it cool, backing off to see what I'd do. There was no way she'd actually be okay with Lily moving into our home. She loved me too much for that.

I turned to Aria. "This is our den, and my promise to you still stands. Lily shouldn't be here, and I'm taking her back today."

I strode toward the stairs and called up to Lily. "Pack your things. You're leaving today."

Lily froze, and tears welled up in her eyes instantly. "Ethan, you... you just said yes. What happened?"

"I changed my mind." My voice came out hard, and my Alpha dominance rolled off me before I could stop it. "This is my nest with Aria. I never should've let anyone else move in. I made her a promise, and I'm not breaking it."

The pressure of my aura hit Lily full force, and her face went pale. She trembled but still pushed back. "But Luna already agreed—"

"Her agreeing doesn't make it right." I cut her off. "Pack up. I'm taking you back now."

A few minutes later, Lily came down with red-rimmed eyes, dragging her suitcase behind her with a pitiful look on her face. We left the villa together.

I drove her back to her place, and she cried the whole way. "Ethan, you said you'd do anything for me. I just wanted to spend more time with you. Is that really too much to ask?"

Watching her sob like that, I felt myself soften. I'd kept my promise to Aria—I wasn't bringing another woman into our home. This was just a small thing Lily wanted. Aria wouldn't hold it against me.

"Fine, stop crying." I sighed. "As long as it's not at my place with Aria, I can make it work."

Lily's tears dried up instantly, and a smile broke through. "Really? Then let's go on that trip! The one we talked about before—what do you think?"

I smiled back. "Sure. Whatever you want."

Aria's POV

Three days had passed since Ethan left with Lily, and he hadn't set foot in pack territory once. I didn't care. I just kept packing my things in silence, and the moonlight spilled through the window onto everything I was about to take with me.

As his Luna, I used to have full access to the pack vault. Over the years, I'd used his resources to build up properties of my own. Today, I went to the notary's office and ensured that every house and piece of land was legally registered in my name.

I deserved all of it.

I took the jewelry from dozens of display cases—most of them courting gifts Ethan had given me during our mating pursuit—and moved everything to a bank vault. The gems caught the light and threw off a cold glitter, just like my heart felt right now.

Once the mate bond was entirely severed and I officially left the pack, I'd move everything to my new home.

I had wasted five years of my life on Ethan.

These jewels, these properties—they were my compensation for the damage.

As the Alpha's former mate, I had every right to take it all.

The days slipped by one after another, and I tore off the last page of my calendar.

The Moonbreak Herb should have taken full effect in his system by now. That night, I poured his drink myself, and the bitterness of the herb disappeared entirely into the burn of the liquor. He didn't notice a thing—just like he never noticed my pain.

My phone buzzed suddenly.

A message from Lily, accompanied by a photo.

It was my grandmother's pocket watch. [Luna, I saw this pretty little watch in your room the other day and just took it. I'm bored with it now, so you can come pick it up yourself.]

My wolf spirit howled inside me.

But I forced her down. I couldn't lose control now, not when I was this close to the end.

I checked the address in her message—the riverbank by Central Bridge—and drove there immediately.

I rushed to the riverbank, and there was Lily, standing right at the edge with Grandma's pocket watch held high above her head. Her eyes glowed gold under the moonlight—a telltale sign of a wolf on the verge of losing control.

"Aria," she said with a smirk that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I called you here tonight to settle something once and for all."

"Settle what?" I kept my voice steady, but my wolf was already pacing beneath my skin.

"I want to see who Ethan would choose—you or me."

A cold dread crept through my chest, but I couldn't look away from the watch dangling in her grip. It was the only thing I had left of my grandmother, and I wasn't about to let this woman taint it.

I stepped forward and reached for it.

My indifference only made her angrier.

"What makes you think you're so special?" Lily's voice turned shrill. "Just because you're his Luna? Ethan's wolf doesn't even recognize you anymore! His Alpha mark hasn't left a scent on you in months!"

Jealousy twisted her features into something ugly.

And then she threw the watch into the river.

The silver case caught the moonlight as it arced through the air, and I heard the soft splash as it disappeared into the dark water.

"You—!"

My wolf shattered through my control. I felt my canines lengthen and my nails sharpen into claws. I grabbed her throat and pinned her against the railing. "Lily, how dare you?"

That's when I heard the roar of an engine approaching fast.

Something shifted in Lily's expression. Her gaze flicked toward the familiar black sports car pulling up, and a slow, satisfied smile spread across her face.

Then she shoved me with everything she had.

I lost my balance and stumbled backward.

In the split second before I hit the water, I watched Lily throw herself in after me.