My fingers tighten around the phone 44

Aria’s POV
The soft glow of the Mountain View dining room seemed to blur around the edges as I tried to focus on Leo’s voice. His
stories about Northern Pack politics usually captivated me, but tonight my attention kept drifting to the commanding
presence that had just entered the restaurant. Even without my wolf powers, I could feel Ethan’s energy from across the
room—an electric current that made my skin prickle with unwanted awareness.
“…and then the Northern elder actually tried to convince me that moonflowers could grow in desert conditions,” Leo
chuckled, his hands moving expressively as he spoke. But the words washed over me like background noise as I caught
Ethan’s reflection in the polished window beside our table. His forest-green eyes burned with an intensity that made my
pulse quicken, though I fought to maintain my composed expression.
I took a sip of water, trying to cool the heat rising in my cheeks. This was ridiculous. I was a grown woman, a mother, not
some lovesick teenager. I had responsibilities, priorities. A son who depended on me.
Leo reached across the table, his fingers gentle as he brushed a drop of sauce from the corner of my mouth. The casual
intimacy of the gesture made me tense. I felt Ethan’s alpha energy spike dangerously from across the room. The air grew
thick with suppressed aggression, making it harder to breathe.
“Excuse me,” I managed, pushing back my chair. “I need to freshen up.”
I kept my steps measured as I headed toward the restroom, refusing to acknowledge how Ethan’s presence seemed to fill
the entire restaurant. The corridor leading to the facilities was dimly lit, sconces casting pools of golden light at regular
intervals. I had almost reached my destination when the sharp scent of pine needles and mountain air made me freeze.
My heart jumped into my throat as Ethan materialized from the shadows, his broad shoulders blocking the narrow
hallway. In the muted lighting, his eyes seemed to glow with predatory intensity. “Running away?”
“I’m not running from anything.” I lifted my chin, channeling the strength that had gotten me through six years of single
motherhood. The strength that had helped me rebuild my life after being cast out, after losing my wolf, after everything.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me—”
His hand shot out, fingers encircling my wrist. The touch sent electricity racing up my arm.
“You and Leo seem to be enjoying yourselves,” he said, his voice rough with barely contained emotion.
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“That’s none of your business.” I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened fractionally. The heat of his skin against mine was distracting, making it hard to think clearly. “Let go, Ethan.”
“Is it none of my business?” He stepped closer, alpha energy rolling off him in waves that made my knees weak.
His eyes darkened, something dangerous flickering in their depths as he stared down at me. The familiar forest-green
shade that my son had inherited seemed to glow with predatory intensity in the dim hallway. “Is that what you think?” He moved closer, each step deliberate, until my back pressed against the cool wall. “That I’m perfectly content
His scent enveloped me—pine needles and mountain air, mixed with something uniquely male that made my head spin.
The narrow corridor suddenly felt too small, too intimate, his broad shoulders blocking out the rest of the world until
there was nothing but him.
“I’m not yours,” I hissed, even as my body betrayed me with a shiver of awareness. His proximity was intoxicating, the
heat radiating from his body making it hard to think clearly. “I’m not anyone’s.”
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“No?” His free hand came up to cradle my jaw, thumb brushing across my lower lip with surprising gentleness. The
contrast between his tender touch and the possessive energy radiating from him made my knees weak. “Then why does
your pulse race when I’m near?” His thumb traced a path down my neck, following the frantic beat of my heart. “Why do
you tremble when I touch you?”
I should push him away. Should maintain the careful distance I’d built over years of self-protection. Instead, I found
myself leaning into his touch, drawn by something deeper than mere physical attraction. His other hand released my
wrist only to settle on my hip, fingers splaying possessively across the silk of my dress.
“Tell me to stop,” he murmured, his breath hot against my ear. The words sent shivers down my spine, his lips barely
brushing my skin. “Tell me you don’t feel this.”
I couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. His scent filled my lungs with every breath, making me dizzy with want. The hand on my
hip tightened fractionally, pulling me closer until I could feel the hard planes of his chest against mine. The thin fabric of
my dress felt like too much and not enough all at once.
His nose traced along my jawline, inhaling deeply. “You smell like lightning and spring rain,” he growled, the sound
vibrating through his chest and into mine. “Like something wild and untamed.” His lips brushed the sensitive spot below
my ear, drawing a gasp from my throat. “Like mine.”
“Stay away from me,” I whispered, hating how my voice shook with need rather than conviction. “Whatever this is—
whatever you think this is—it needs to stop.”