My fingers tighten around the phone 54

Ethan’s POV
I followed Aria at what I considered a perfectly reasonable distance. Felix, my wolf, practically whined with the need to get
closer, making it difficult to maintain my supposedly casual surveillance.
Every time she paused at a storefront, I seized the opportunity to drift closer, pretending to be absorbed in whatever
display had caught her attention. The autumn breeze carried her scent to me – rain and lightning mixed with something
uniquely Aria – making Felix pace restlessly beneath my skin.
“You do realize,” she finally said without turning around, “that I can see your reflection in literally every window you’ve
been lurking behind?”
“You do realize,” she finally said without turning around, “that I can see your reflection in literally every window you’ve
been lurking behind?”
I froze mid-step, suddenly conscious of how ridiculous I must look. Ever since I’d insisted on paying for Lucas’s uniforms,
she’d been striding ahead of me, her rigid posture screaming annoyance. And here I was, the mighty heir of Shadow
Fang, reduced to trailing after her like a lovesick pup. Felix grumbled at the comparison, but even he couldn’t deny the
accuracy.
Her sudden acknowledgment of my presence sent an embarrassing surge of hope through my chest. If she was willing to
speak to me, perhaps she wasn’t as angry as I’d thought. Felix perked up at this possibility, urging me closer.
I straightened, caught off guard. The amusement in her voice made Felix’s ears perk up hopefully. “I wasn’t lurking. I was…
shopping.”
She turned then, one eyebrow raised as she gestured to the window display I’d been ‘examining.’ “Really? You’re
suddenly interested in pink baby bonnets and tiny booties?”
Heat crept up my neck as I glanced at the infant clothing behind me. Felix rumbled with embarrassment as I scrambled
for a response. “The pack has many new mothers who—”
“Save it.” She shook her head, but I caught the ghost of a smile playing at her lips. “Don’t you have important alpha heir
duties to attend to? Treaties to sign? Territories to patrol?”
“Nothing more important than ensuring the safety of our new combat instructor,” I replied smoothly, falling into step
beside her now that my cover was blown. “These streets can be dangerous.”
She snorted. “I think I can handle a shopping trip without an alpha escort.”
“And yet here I am.” I couldn’t help grinning as she rolled her eyes. “Consider it a personal security detail.”
“Consider it stalking,” she muttered, but the corner of her mouth twitched upward.
The late afternoon crowd parted around us like water around a stone – wolves and humans alike instinctively giving way
to an alpha’s presence. I noticed how Aria tensed slightly at the attention, clearly uncomfortable with the whispers and
stares that followed us.
“They’re just curious,” I said softly. “It’s not often they see their future alpha shopping for baby clothes.”
That startled a genuine laugh from her, the sound making my chest tight with an unfamiliar ache. Felix practically purred
at the achievement.
Bella’s POV
I’d been waiting for this day. Saturday afternoon – when Marcus would pick Lucas up from school and take him out, while
Aria was busy at the training facility. I’d made sure to coordinate with Sarah beforehand, confirming that she would
handle the task of hiding Aria’s phone. Everything was falling perfectly into place.
“Father,” I called out sweetly as Marcus prepared to leave. “Are you taking Lucas to the shopping district today?”
Marcus looked up, surprise and pleasure crossing his features at my interest. “Yes, he needs some new toys, and I thought we could visit that new wolf cub playground.”
“Why don’t I come along?” I offered, arranging my face into an expression of earnest enthusiasm. “You must have so many pack duties to attend to. I could help watch Lucas while you handle any urgent matters.”
The hope in his eyes made something twist in my stomach – how desperate he was to believe his daughters could get
along, that his family could somehow be whole again. “That’s… that would be wonderful, Bella. But are you sure? I know
you usually have plans on Saturday afternoons.”
“Nothing’s more important than family,” I said, the lies flowing smoothly from my tongue. “Besides, I barely get to spend
time with my nephew.”
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Right on cue, Marcus’s phone buzzed with another pack emergency. His face fell as he checked the message. “The Northern Pack needs an immediate response about the territory dispute…”
“Go ahead and handle it,” I assured him, touching his arm gently. “I can take Lucas to look at the toy stores while you make your calls. He’ll be perfectly safe with me.”
The relief and gratitude in his eyes would have been touching if I weren’t imagining all the ways I was about to destroy
his happy little family reunion.
The crowded shopping street pulsed with life as I gripped Lucas’s small hand, watching Marcus disappear around the
corner in search of parking. My lips curved into a practiced smile as I looked down at my nephew, but inside, bitter
jealousy twisted like a knife.
He was everything I’d feared he would be – perfect in every way that mattered to our kind. Those forest-green eyes
sparkled with intelligence and warmth. The high cheekbones and graceful features promised he would grow into
devastating handsomeness. Even his laugh was musical, drawing admiring glances from passing shoppers.
“Aunt Bella, look!” Lucas tugged at my hand, pointing to a window display of traditional wolf tribe artifacts. “Mom told me stories about those! She said they used to belong to the first alpha families.”
The enthusiasm in his voice made my teeth clench. Of course Aria would be teaching him our history, preparing him for a
position he had no right to claim. “How interesting, sweetheart,” I forced myself to say. “Would you like to get some ice
cream?”
“Really?” He bounced on his toes, a gesture so reminiscent of Aria that it made bile rise in my throat. “Can we get the
special moon-berry flavor Uncle Leo always gets me?”
I tightened my grip on his hand, leading him deeper into the crowded pedestrian area. “Of course. Let’s find the very best
ice cream shop in the whole district.”
The press of bodies grew thicker as we navigated through the mass of shoppers. Lucas’s hand tightened on mine, trust
radiating from every pore. Such a foolish child – just like his mother used to be.
“Aunt Bella?” His voice held a note of uncertainty as the crowd jostled around us. “Maybe we should wait for Grandpa…”
“Don’t be silly,” I smiled down at him. “We’re almost there.”
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At the busiest intersection, where five streets converged in a chaotic dance of humans and wolves alike, I paused. Lucas
looked up at me, those damned green eyes wide with confusion as the crowd surged around us.
“I don’t like it here,” he said softly. “It’s too crowded.”
“Oh, darling.” I knelt down, straightening his collar with false tenderness. “You know what your mother always says about
being brave?”
Without warning, I released his hand and stepped back, letting the surge of people separate us. His face crumpled with
panic as he realized what was happening.
“Aunt Bella!” His cry pierced through the noise of the crowd. “Wait! Please!”
I turned and walked away, my designer heels clicking against the pavement in perfect rhythm with his increasingly
desperate calls. Sarah had confirmed that Aria’s phone was already missing from her locker. Even if Lucas remembered
her number, he’d have no way to reach her.
“Your dear mother can’t save you now,” I whispered under my breath, satisfaction warming my chest as his cries faded
behind me.
Fifteen minutes later, I rushed back to where Marcus waited, my face a masterpiece of distress. “Dad!” I called out, tears
flowing on command. “Lucas – he was right beside me, and then – I don’t know what happened! One minute he was
there, and the next…”
Marcus’s face drained of color. “What? Where? When?”
“The crowd…” I wrung my hands, watching horror dawn on his features. “I tried to hold onto him, but there were so many
people… Oh gods, what if something happens to him?”
As Marcus pulled out his phone with shaking hands, I had to bite back a triumphant smile. Everything was proceeding
exactly as planned. By the time anyone realized this was more than a simple accident, it would be too late.
“We have to find him,” I said, my voice trembling with false concern. “The wild wolves have been so active lately… and a
child alone…”
Marcus’s face went even paler at the implication. I watched with dark satisfaction as he barked orders into his phone, mobilizing every available pack member for the search.