Shattered Vows Novel Harper And Ethan の小説・ストーリー

My heart was pounding in my chest, my fingers trembling as I banged on the door with all my might. "Ethan!" I yelled, banging again. "Open the door!" Silence. I banged harder this time, my voice cracking with urgency. "Ethan! Open up!" Finally, the door swung open, revealing a frustrated-looking Ethan. His face was a mix of anger and confusion. "Are you insane?" he shouted, stepping forward. "I’m working!" I stare at him, my chest heaving with the force of my emotions. "Jack’s gone," I said breathlessly. "He left me, Ethan. I need to know where he is. Did he talk to you? Did he say anything?"

It fell to the floor with a loud crash, but I couldn’t hear anything over the sound of my own heart shattering into a million pieces. The bedroom door opened. Ethan walked out, angry, ready to yell at me for making noise—until he saw my face, and the open messages glowing on the screen. His expression didn’t turn guilty. It didn’t turn sorry. It just turned cold and annoyed, like I was the one who did something wrong. “You read them, didn’t you?” he asked, like it was no big deal. Tears streamed down my face, hot and endless. “Why, Ethan? Why? I gave you everything. We started from nothing together. I worked two jobs just to help you build your career. I loved you more than I love myself… ho

As Harper jogged up, Avery teased, "What were you two howling about? You looked like two pups sharing a secret." Harper cleared her throat. "Nothing of importance, Avery." "I see the way he guards you, Harper. He is a good male. Do not let fear make you toss away a true bond. You might regret the silence one day." Harper link arms with her, sighing. "It is hard to move on when I think of my brother, Ethan. What that rogue female, Joanna, did to him... it took my courage." At the mention of Ethan, Avery’s expression softened. "How fares his spirit?"

“Promise me that if you ever show up just to annoy me again, you’ll end up with every nasty pack curse imaginable—cysts, lumps, and a permanent loss of your shift.” Then I turned my gaze to Ethan. “What about you, Alpha? Want to make a vow too? I have a perfect one for you. If you ever bother my peace again, you’ll suffer from a permanent limp and total sexual dysfunction.” I leaned back, feeling invigorated. “Sounds terrible, doesn’t it? I’m such a ruthless bitch. Asking you both to stay away from me seems like a fair trade for everyone’s safety, right?” Ethan and Lila were so taken aback they seemed to lose their ability to speak. Ethan was the first to find his voice, shooting me a glare.

But the damage lingered. We cut the trip short, heading home to Blackwood. In the car, Ethan reached for my hand. "I'm sorry for the mess. But I'd fight for you again. Every time." I squeezed back, but doubt festered. The storyline had shifted—from reclamation to rivalry, ruthless men clashing over me like I was a prize. I wasn't. I was Lila—widow, wife, heir to vines and legacies. My terms, remember? Yet as we drove, Ethan's profile hardened in the fading light, I wondered if the shadows were truly gone, or just regrouping. Damien's seduction lingered like a bruise, Ethan's possessiveness a chain. And me? Caught in the crossfire, questioning everything.

It was a final, absolute act of sacrifice—a mirror of the cruel, impossible decisions imposed by Luca’s father years ago. “I will come back for you,” Ethan promised, his voice trembling with the weight of the vow. It was a raw, ragged oath, but one that carried the certainty of blood and fire. Pushing against the wall for support, Ethan forced himself upright. Each step sent a jolt of agony through his ribs, every movement a test of endurance. He lunged toward the hallway just as the deadbolt on the front door exploded inward under the battering ram of Thorne’s team. Wood and splintered metal flew into the air, mingling with glass shards, chemicals, and dust. Ethan disappeared into the chaos

“No one is touching you. Do you hear me? No one.” His eyes burned into mine, so close I could see the flecks of gold in the brown, the storm swirling inside him. But all I could think was—how can he promise that, when Evelyn once trusted him too? A sob wrenched out of me before I could stop it. My hands shook against his shoulders. “I can’t do this, Ethan. I can’t live like this. The whispers, the headlines, and now—” I broke off, choking on the words. “Now someone wants me dead.”

Claire fidgeted beside me. My stomach churned. God, were there no good women on Earth anymore? Was my grandma the last batch of good, trustworthy women to be created? Zyliah had hurt me and now left to get pregnant for another man. I didn't even want to think of that, or of the fact that her husband had come here crying wolf about a missing Zyliah. I knew Claire wasn't a good girl, but to this extent?" I couldn't distinguish the individual emotions—betrayal, fury, disgust—only that they were a tidal wave strong enough to shatter my world.

Her voice cracked, emotion rising beneath the words. Ah, of course. That’s right. Tessa wasn’t there at that exact moment when I stood at Elena’s grave and made that vow, a promise carved deep inside my chest, one I would never abandon. She had no idea. I never told her how I had sworn to bring Ethan down, to dismantle everything he had and everything he was, piece by piece. To her, my sudden question about Ethan must have looked like old wounds reopening, like some hidden yearning to check up on the man who had wrecked me. She probably thought I still cared in that pathetic romantic way. But she was wrong.

The slap landed weakly, with almost no force. Yet, it seemed to deal Shane a crushing blow. His whole body went rigid. "Shane, do you even know what her filthy rumors have caused? Three newlywed couples have already demanded their money for the wedding back. One woman has undergone an abortion. Her husband is threatening suicide! And now you want me to go apologize—have you thought about what they'll do to me?" Shane closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.