My fingers tighten around the phone 153

Aria’s POV
I stared into Ethan’s eyes, watching a violent storm of emotions swirl in those green-gold depths as confusion shattered
into dawning horror. My heart hammered against my ribs, each frantic beat sending waves of anxiety through my weakened body.
“Wha…?” he stammered, his voice cracking with tension, barely audible over the steady, mechanical beeping of my heart monitor. His fingers gripped the metal railing of my hospital bed, knuckles turning white as the color drained from his
face.
I took a shaky breath, wincing at the lingering ache in my chest. “That night,” I began, my voice still rough from disuse, “I
entered that elevator thinking I’d completely lost my wolf, but I was still determined to rescue Emma. The broken bond
and poison left me disoriented.”
My fingers twisted nervously in the thin hospital blanket. “I stumbled down the hallway, barely making out room
numbers. When I found the door, it wasn’t locked.” I swallowed hard, the memory sharp and clear after my vision. “The moment I stepped inside, someone grabbed me, and then… nothing. My memory went dark until morning. I woke up no
longer a virgin, clutching a strange necklace I’d never seen before.”
Ethan jerked backward as if physically struck, his face draining of color. His hands shot up to grasp his head, fingers
digging into his scalp. “It was you,” he whispered, his voice breaking.
“Yes.” I held his gaze, refusing to look away from this crucial moment. “Emma and Bella never revealed who was in that
room. They only showed my father the video of me leaving in some man’s shirt, using it as evidence I deserved
banishment.” The memory still stung, even years later. “I pawned the necklace after discovering I was pregnant, just for
living.”
“Oh God…” Ethan’s breathing grew shallow and erratic, his broad chest rising and falling in uneven bursts. He lurched
forward, nearly toppling from his chair as he gripped its arms with such force I heard the plastic creak. “It was me who—I was the one who—?” His voice fractured completely. I could almost feel it radiating from him. “I can’t even…” The words
strangled in his throat. “All this time… the nightmares you must have lived through because of me—”
I reached across the space between us, ignoring the pull of IV lines as I captured his ice-cold hand between mine. “Listen
to me, Ethan,” I whispered, squeezing his fingers to anchor him. “My wolf showed me everything.”
“Wolf?” His head jerked up so quickly I heard his neck crack, bloodshot eyes wide with confusion. “What wolf, Aria? Your wolf has been gone.”
“That’s what I believed too.” A bittersweet smile touched my lips as I traced my thumb across his knuckles. “When I
hovered between life and death, Cassandra came to me. She never truly died—she cut our connection and drew the
poison into herself to protect me. She’s been doing the same thing all this time for our children.” The memory washed
over me with startling clarity—her sleek golden fur beneath my fingers, those knowing amber eyes. “The Moon Goddess
herself told me that Cassandra needs more time to heal completely, but eventually I’ll sense her again. Maybe someday
even transform.”
“I watched you die,” Ethan whispered, leaning closer until his forehead nearly touched our joined hands. His voice broke with remembered agony. “Several times, your heart just… stopped.” His fingers intertwined desperately with mine, as
though I might still slip away. “Each time they revived you, I thought…” A shudder ran through his powerful frame, the words dying unspoken, but the haunted darkness in his eyes revealed everything his voice couldn’t express.
He continued. “The doctors can’t visualize twins on any equipment. They can only detect heartbeats.”
“My wolf is protecting them,” I explained. “The Moon Goddess showed me what truly happened that night, Ethan.
Neither of us remembers because our wolves took control. We recognized each other as true mates, and we both
consented to the bond.”
His brow furrowed deeply. “If we were true mates, I should have sensed it,” he argued, though uncertainty had begun
replacing self-loathing in his expression.
“Without my wolf, there could be no connection,” I said gently. “Cassandra severed our link to save my life. But even without my wolf present, yours recognized me, didn’t he?”
Ethan’s eyes widened with sudden understanding. “He’s been calling you ‘mine’ since we met at the training camp.” His
thumb traced erratic patterns on my skin. “I dismissed it as mere possessiveness.” His voice dropped to a desperate whisper. “So I didn’t… I didn’t force myself on you without consent?”
“You asked for my consent over and over that night,” I told him softly, reaching up to touch his face. “Every step of the
way, you made sure I wanted what was happening. You never forced anyone, Ethan.”
My fingers traced the strong line of his jaw, feeling the slight stubble beneath my touch. He leaned into my hand, turning
to press his lips against my palm in a gesture so tender it made my heart ache. For a moment, we stayed like that—
connected, breathing in sync, the beeping monitors fading to background noise.
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Then something dangerous ignited in his eyes, the tenderness replaced by cold fury. His jaw clenched so tightly I could
hear his teeth grinding together. “Emma and Bella stole six years from us,” he growled, the muscle in his jaw jumping
beneath my fingertips. “Six years we can never get back.”
“They’ll answer for what they’ve done,” he promised, his voice dropping to a growl that sent an involuntary shiver down
my spine. He threw his head back, a burst of startled laughter erupting from his throat. He leapt to his feet, pacing the
small room with frantic energy.
“Lucas is my son,” he exclaimed, disbelief and wonder making his voice crack. “My child. My blood.” His hands trembled
as he ran them through his hair again, eyes wild with realization.
Despite my exhaustion, his joy was infectious. “Yes,” I smiled. “I should have recognized it immediately. He mirrors you in
so many ways.”
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“Something about Lucas’s scent has been haunting me for months,” Ethan murmured, shaking his head in wonder. “It was
like a word on the tip of my tongue that I couldn’t quite grasp—it was maddening.” His eyes softened with realization.
“All along, it was because he carries my scent, my blood.”
“What does his wolf smell like to you?” I asked, suddenly desperate to know this part of my son I’d never been able to
experience myself.
“Like morning dew on pine needles,” Ethan replied, his voice dropping to a reverent whisper. He moved toward me with
the fluid grace of a predator, eyes never leaving mine as he slowly lowered himself to sit on the edge of my bed. The mattress dipped beneath his weight, shifting me slightly closer to him.
His warm palm settled gently against my abdomen, the heat of his touch penetrating the thin hospital gown. Something
protective and possessive flared in his expression. “And these little ones—they have their own signature too. Sweet, like wild honey, but with undertones of something fierce.”
I placed my hand over his, our fingers naturally intertwining as they rested atop the place where our children grew. The
simple contact sent a current of warmth traveling up my arm. “I’m pregnant, with your twins,” I whispered, the words no
longer a burden but a joy I could finally share.
“Yes,” Ethan choked out, his eyes filling with tears that caught the fluorescent light. One escaped, tracking down his cheek
as he stared at our joined hands. “I can hear their hearts beating in perfect rhythm, even when the machines show
nothing.”
Ethan leaned down, bringing his lips close to my stomach. His breath warmed my skin through the thin fabric as he
whispered, “Your big brother has already decided you’re both girls.” His voice held such tenderness it made my throat
tighten.
I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up from somewhere deep inside me, a sound of pure lightness I hadn’t
experienced in years.