Chapter 199
I closed my eyes briefly, gathering courage for what needed to be said. My heart hammered against my ribs, and I could feel a cold sweat breaking out along my hairline. When I opened my eyes again, I found Ethan studying me with such intensity it nearly took my breath away. His green gold eyes were fixed on me as if I might disappear if he looked away.
“We need to talk,” I said quietly, my fingers tightening around his. I could feel the slight tremor in his hand, belying the calm facade he was trying to maintain. About six years ago.”
His entire body tensed, shoulders squaring as if bracing for a physical blow. The muscle in his jaw jumped, and the color drained from his face so rapidly 1 worried he might faint. His free hand clenched into a fist at his side, knuckles whitening with the strain. “Aria, you just woke up. This can wait until
“No,” I interrupted firmly, giving his hand a squeeze that conveyed more determination than my weakened body could otherwise show. “It can’t wait. We’ve lost 100 much time already.” I took a deep breath that sent pain rippling through my chest, but I pushed through it. “I need you to tell me what you remember about that night with Erama.”
Pain flashed across his face. His jaw clenched so tightly I could see the muscle ticking in his cheek, a steady pulse of tension that matched the monitor tracking my heartbeat.
“Please don’t ask me to talk about that. His voice was barely above a whisper, rough with emotion. The plea in his tone made my chest constrict painfully.
I need to hear it from you,” I insisted, forcing strength into my voice despite my physical weakness. I gripped his hand tighter, anchoring him to me, refusing to let him retreat. All of it. My eyes remained fixed on his face.
He pulled his hand from mine with a jerky movement, as if the contact burned him. Rising to his feet in one fuld motion, he began to pace the small room like a caged animal. His fingers raked through his disheveled hair, tugging at the roots as if the physical discomfort might distract from the emotional pain.
“Why?” he asked, voice raw, stopping abruptly to face me. His eyes were haunted, filled with a torment so deep it made me ache to erase it. “Why would you want me to relive the worst night of my life right now? His hands opened and closed at his sides, a nervous gesture I’d never seen from him before.
“Because it matters.” I whispered, each word weighted with significance. My eyes never left his, willing him to see the importance behind my request. More Than you know.”
Ethan stopped abruptly, his back to me, shoulders hunched in defeat. When he finally spoke, his voice was hollow. I was drunk. There had been a rogue wolf incursion that night, and after we handled it, I drank too much whiskey. Way too much. He pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the window, eyes closed. “I don’t remember much. Flashes, fragments. Some scent. The taste of alcohol. Waking up the next morning, alone with the guilt.”
My heart ached for him. “And what did Emma tell you happened?”
“That I forced myself on her. The words seemed physically painful for him to speak. She said I was aggressive, that I wouldn’t listen when she said no.”, shudder ran through his powerful frame. “I didn’t remember, but the evidence was there the necklace I left that night, Emma held it.”
He turned to face me, eyes swimming with unshed tears. “Yes, I raped her. I’m a monster, Arla, The kind of man I’ve spent my life ensuring gets punished.” His voice broke on the last word, and he slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor, head in his hands. Now you know why I didn’t want to tell you. How could I admit that to the woman I’ve fallen in love with?”
Trans streamed down my cheeks as I absorbed his pain, the unnecessary burden he’d carried for years. I held out my hand to him. “Come here, I said softly,
He hesitated before rising to his feet and approaching the bed with the reluctance of a man walking to his execution. When he finally took my hand, I pulled him close enough that I could reach up and stroke his hair, the gesture both comforting and Intimate.
“Six years ago,” I began, my voice steady despite my tears, “Hella and Emma orchestrated a plan to poison me and trick me into a compromising situation with a stranger.”
Ethan’s head jerked up, shock evident in his widened eyes. “And then?”
They slipped wolfsbane into my water bottle, I explained, my fingers still weaving through his hair. Then Emma texted me, claiming she’d been kidnapped and needed my help. She gave me an address–a resort outside the city. Room 302,”
