My fingers tighten around the phone 168

Ethan’s POV
The sight of that knife against Aria’s swollen belly tore through me like a physical wound. My entire body trembled with
barely contained rage as Felix clawed beneath my skin, desperate to tear Sarah apart. But I forced myself to step back,
raising my hands in a placating gesture. Every instinct screamed at me to lunge forward, to rip out her throat before she
could harm a single hair on Aria’s head. Instead, I swallowed the growl building in my chest and nodded to David and
Blake to follow my lead.
“Easy,” I managed, my voice a hoarse approximation of calm. “We’re backing up.”
Sarah’s eyes were wild, darting between us as she dragged Aria’s unconscious form backward. My mate’s head lolled
against her shoulder, face ghostly pale in the moonlight. The sight of her—vulnerable, helpless, at the mercy of this
traitor—made my heart pound with such violence I could barely hear anything over the rushing of blood in my ears.
I established a mental link with David while keeping my eyes fixed on Sarah. *Martinez needs to circle around through
the trees. Tell him to approach from behind, but wait for my signal.*
David’s acknowledgment came through clearly. *He’s already moving. Blake can create a distraction when needed.*
I kept my expression neutral, not wanting to give Sarah any hint of our strategy. Every muscle in my body coiled with
tension as I watched Aria’s chest rise and fall with shallow breaths. Thank the Moon Goddess she was still alive. But for
how long? Each second that passed was another second where she—and our unborn children—remained in mortal
danger.
“Sarah,” I began, forcing my voice into something resembling reasonable, “think about what you’re doing. You don’t need
to make this worse for yourself.”
Her laugh was brittle, almost hysterical. “Worse? How could it possibly get worse?”
I took a cautious half-step forward, stopping immediately when she pressed the blade harder against Aria’s side. A thin
line of blood appeared on my mate’s pale skin, and it took every ounce of self-control not to transform right there.
“Let Aria go,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. “She’s innocent in all this. I’ll let you walk away—give you a head
start. You can go anywhere you want, leave pack territory forever. I won’t pursue you.” I’d have promised her the moon if
it meant getting Aria to safety.
Sarah’s lips curled into a sneer. “Don’t pretend, Ethan. We both know the moment I release her, I’m dead. I’m not stupid.”
Her fingers tightened around the knife handle, knuckles turning white. “Besides, it’s too late for negotiations. I’ve already
contacted Emma. The King of Rogues will be here soon, and he’ll destroy everything you love!”
Emma. The name sent a fresh surge of fury through my veins. So she was connected to the rogue wolves after all. The
pieces clicked into place with sickening clarity. All this time, Emma hadn’t just disappeared—she’d aligned herself with our
greatest enemy. With Victor.
I forced these thoughts aside, focusing only on the immediate threat. Sarah’s eyes kept darting toward the road, clearly
expecting reinforcements to arrive any minute. We were running out of time.
I could see Martinez slowly making his way through the trees behind her, using the shadows as cover. Just a few more
seconds and he’d be in position. I needed to keep her talking, keep her distracted.
“What did they offer you?” I asked, genuinely curious despite my rage. “Money? Protection? What was worth betraying
your own kind?”
Something flickered across her face—pain, maybe even regret. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Aria stirred slightly in her grip, a small moan escaping her lips. My heart leapt at the sound, but Sarah immediately
tightened her hold, shaking Aria roughly.
“Don’t!” I snarled, unable to contain myself as Felix rose closer to the surface, my canines lengthening with my fury.
“Stay back!” Sarah shouted, panic making her voice rise. “I swear I’ll—”
A blur of movement caught my eye—too small, too fast to be Martinez. Horror flooded through me as I realized what
was happening.
Lucas.
1/2
My son had somehow escaped the vehicle, slipping past the guard I’d left to protect him. Before I could shout a warning,
before I could lunge forward to intercept him, Lucas had already launched himself at Sarah with all the reckless courage
of a child desperate to save his mother.
His small body collided with Sarah’s leg, his teeth sinking deep into her wrist with surprising strength. She screamed in
pain and shock, her grip on Aria and the knife loosening simultaneously. Aria slumped to the ground like a rag doll, the
knife clattering beside her.
For one heart-stopping moment, everything seemed to freeze. Then Sarah’s face contorted with rage as she raised her
free hand, claws extending as she prepared to strike my son.
Something inside me snapped.
Felix took control completely, the transformation rippling through me with unprecedented speed. I leapt forward with a
roar that shook the trees around us, my body shifting mid-air into the massive Alpha werewolf that was my birthright. My
jaws aimed directly for Sarah’s throat.
She twisted at the last second, pure survival instinct driving her to avoid my fatal strike. My teeth sank into her shoulder
instead, tearing through muscle and bone with sickening ease. Her scream of agony echoed through the forest as I nearly
severed her arm.
David had already grabbed Lucas, pulling him safely away from the chaos. I released Sarah’s mangled shoulder, ready to
question her, to force her to reveal Emma’s whereabouts. But even gravely wounded, she had one final act of malice.
As I loosened my grip, her legs jackknifed upward in a desperate last attack. Not at me—at Aria.
Her foot connected with my mate’s swollen belly with a sickening thud.
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With a roar of unbridled rage, I lunged forward, my jaws clamping around her throat before she could strike again. One
savage twist, and her struggles ceased instantly. I let her lifeless body drop to the ground like the garbage she was, blood
soaking my fur and dripping from my muzzle.
Felix receded enough for me to shift back, my human form emerging blood-soaked and trembling as I rushed to Aria’s
side. Her face was deathly pale now, her breathing rapid and shallow. To my horror, I could see fluid beginning to leak
from between her legs, darkening the fabric of her pants.
“No, no, no,” I murmured, gathering her gently into my arms. Her skin felt clammy to the touch, her pulse fluttering weakly beneath my fingertips. “Aria, love, can you hear me? Stay with me. Please stay with me.”
Her eyelids fluttered but didn’t open. “David!” I bellowed, cradling Aria’s limp form against my chest. “Get the car! Now!”
Lucas appeared at my side, his small face streaked with tears and dirt, his eyes wide with terror as he looked at his
mother’s unconscious form.
“Mom?” he whispered, his voice so small it nearly broke me. “Is Mom okay?”
I couldn’t lie to him, but I couldn’t shatter him either. “She needs help, buddy. The hospital, right away.” I brushed his hair
back from his forehead with a shaking hand, leaving a smear of blood I didn’t notice until later. “You were so brave. You
saved her. You saved your mother and your sisters.”
His little chest puffed up slightly at the praise, but his eyes remained fixed on Aria. “She’s bleeding,” he said, pointing to
the growing wet patch beneath her.
Before I could answer, the SUV screeched to a halt beside us, David behind the wheel. Blake yanked the back door open,
helping me gently lift Aria inside. I climbed in beside her, cradling her head in my lap while Lucas pressed against my
side, one small hand clutching Aria’s fingers.
“Hospital,” I ordered, my voice cracking. “Fast as you can.”