Chapter 5

Ethan.

I was so damn angry!

I could feel the anger brewing inside me the moment I stepped out of the car. My hands clenched into fists, white-knuckled, the anger swirling inside me like a tornado. The drive home had been a blur, but the image of Aurora, and that of the little girl that called her mommy kept playing in my head. And the audacity. The absolute audacity.

I couldn’t believe it. Aurora was pregnant with my child before I’d even rejected her and she didn't even say a word of it to me. The idea was enough to make my blood boil. 

She had my child, and she hadn’t even bothered to let me know. She ran. Disappeared. And what hurt the most was that she didn’t think I was worth telling. Like I didn’t deserve to know.

As I stormed through the gates, the fury building up inside me, I barely registered the familiar stone walls of the estate, the pristine landscape that usually calmed my nerves. Today, everything felt suffocating.

I barely made it to the front door when I heard voices.

"Good evening, Ethan," Ivy’s voice was soft, almost demure, as she stood at the threshold of the living room. Her blonde hair was impeccably styled, her smile a perfect mask of innocence, like a doll, waiting for me to play my part.

Ivy. My mother’s idea of a perfect match. A perfect candidate to marry and take my place as the next Alpha’s mate.

The second I laid eyes on her, my blood pressure spiked. Anger surged through me again. I hadn’t even stepped into the room before I snapped.

“Get out. Now!" I growled, my tone sharp and unforgiving.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t move. She just stood there, frozen in place. I took a step forward, my fists tight at my sides. “I don’t care if my mother sent you here, Ivy. But if you know what's good for you, you'd be gone before I lose what's left of my temper and descend on you!"

She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, someone appeared from behind her.

It was the Luna Dowager. My mother.

Her eyes narrowed, sharp with authority. “Ivy isn’t going anywhere, Ethan.” Her voice was cool, controlled—exactly the way it always was when she was putting her foot down.

I could feel my blood beginning to boil again, my vision narrowing with rage. “What the hell is this?!” I spat. “Take you whore out of my room, I am not in the mood, mother.”

“Ethan,” my mother’s voice dropped into a warning tone, her eyes flashing with something I couldn’t quite identify. “You can not call the next Luna of this pack a whore. I will not stand and hear you say that. I’ve made arrangements, and it’s not up for discussion. You need to take responsibility, for the pack, for your future. The pack is asking questions, Ethan, and the throne…” She paused, making sure the next thing she was about to say sinks into my head. “The throne is at risk if you remain single. You’re not a child anymore. Your father would not rest in his grave if he finds out that this family lost royalty because of your nonchalant behaviour!"

I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth would crack. The throne. The pack. It was always about the damn pack. I hated that this was even an issue. I hated that my mother, the Luna Dowager, couldn’t understand that I wasn’t ready for this. 

“I don’t care!” I snapped, my voice louder than I intended. “I’m not marrying her. I don’t want to marry her. I don’t care about the damn throne, or the pack. You’re always pushing me into these roles I don’t want.”

Luna Dowager’s eyes darkened. “You’ll do as I say, Ethan. You will marry Ivy, or I will disown you. You will never be Alpha if you defy me.”

The words hit me like a slap to the face. Disown me? The thought of losing everything—of being completely alone—was a crushing blow. I stared at my mother, my throat tight.

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. The anger, the frustration, it was all there, but now… now, there was something else. Fear. A deep, gnawing fear I couldn’t shake. What the hell was I supposed to do now?

Before I could find the words to respond, I blurted out something else, something that had been eating at me since I saw Aurora this afternoon.

“I saw her, Mom.” The words rushed out of me, filled with raw emotion. “Aurora. She’s got my kid. She’s pregnant, and I—”

Luna Dowager’s eyes widened, her expression shifting from irritation to something else. “What? What are you talking about?”

“I saw them! She’s got a child. My child.” I was breathing hard now, my chest heaving with the intensity of everything I was feeling.

My mother’s face softened for a brief second, but then, like flipping a switch, her expression hardened. “You can’t be sure.” She shook her head, her tone dismissive. “She might have gotten pregnant right after she ran away from the pack!"

“I’m sure,” I gritted out, my teeth clenched. “I saw them, Mom. I saw her and the kid with my own eyes. The moment I laid eyes on her, I knew. I know it’s mine.”

She stared at me for a long time, her eyes searching my face, as though trying to discern whether I was telling the truth or just reacting out of pure rage.

“You don’t know that for certain.” Her voice was sharp now, cutting through my chest like a knife. “Aurora could have gotten with anyone. Don’t jump to conclusions, Ethan.”

But I was done listening. “I don’t care what you think. I’m going after her. I’m taking my child back.”

My mother’s face paled, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I hate when you don't listen,” she warned me, but there was no backing down now.

I turned away from her and stormed out of the room, my heart racing, my mind already a thousand steps ahead of me.

I marched to my study, where my phone sat on the desk. Grabbing it, I dialed my Beta without hesitation. He picked up on the first ring.

“Alpha, what can I do for you?” his voice was steady, professional—just the way I needed it to be right now.

“I need you to follow Aurora. Don’t let her out of your sight. Find out everything—about her, the child, everything. I’m going to need every detail.” I didn’t have to explain why. He knew me too well, and he knew that when I said I wanted answers, I meant it.

“Yes, Alpha. It’ll be done.”

I ended the call. And I had just one thing on my mind! Claiming my child!