My fingers tighten around the phone 74

Emma’s POV
I stormed out of the side hall, my designer heels clicking aggressively against the polished marble floor of Shadow Fang’s
ancestral home. The carefully crafted mask of vulnerability I’d worn for Ethan had slipped away, replaced by the raw fury
bubbling beneath my skin. My wolf thrashed beneath my skin, her rage mirroring my own as hot tears—real ones this
time—threatened to spill.
Despite my perfect performance, Ethan had dismissed me like a servant, choosing to stay with that wolf-less bitch Aria
instead.
I wandered aimlessly through the labyrinthine corridors. The mansion was like a maze, deliberately designed to confuse
outsiders.
My fingers traced the intricate wood paneling as I tried to find my way back to the main sitting room. The thought of
Ethan alone with Aria made my stomach churn. What were they discussing? Was he comforting her? Touching her? The
possibilities tormented me, each worse than the last.
As I rounded a corner, the low murmur of voices caught my attention—an elderly female voice that I recognized
immediately as Ethan’s grandmother. I slowed my steps, careful to remain silent as I approached.
“I quite admire that Aria,” the old Luna was saying to what sounded like a female servant. Her voice carried that rare warmth I’d been desperately trying to earn. “Though she’s lost her wolf, she possesses the true dignity and spirit of an
alpha’s daughter. And I hear her boy Lucas is quite remarkable—intelligent and well-mannered despite his
circumstances.”
I pressed myself against the wall, barely breathing. My heart pounded so loudly I feared it might give away my position.
“Do you wish for Master Ethan to choose her as Luna, my lady?” the servant asked, her voice respectfully hushed.
“Of course,” came the firm reply, brooking no argument. “Olivia sacrificed herself to save our Ethan. We owe Silver Moon
a debt that can never truly be repaid. Besides, Emma may appear pitiful, but what our pack needs in a Luna is strength,
not pity.”
The words hit me like physical blows, each syllable a knife sliding between my ribs. My wolf whimpered, sensing my
distress as my knees threatened to buckle. My fingernails dug into the ornate wallpaper, leaving tiny crescent marks in
the expensive covering.
So this was the truth—in the eyes of Ethan’s family, I had never been the ideal choice. Despite all my careful planning, my
tears, my pretenses of fragility designed to appeal to an alpha’s protective instincts, the old woman saw through me. And worse, she preferred that wolf-less Aria and her bastard child over me.
Before I could process this devastating revelation, the sound of determined footsteps echoed down the hallway. I quickly
ducked behind an ornate decorative column, my heart hammering against my ribs. Peering around the edge, I watched
as Ethan strode purposefully toward his grandmother’s room, his tall frame radiating alpha energy that made my wolf stir
with longing despite my fury.
Without knocking, he entered the room. The door remained slightly ajar, allowing snippets of conversation to drift out
into the hallway.
“Grandmother,” his deep voice resonated with determination, “I need to speak with you about Aria.”
“You’re finally giving it serious thought?” The old Luna’s voice carried undisguised approval. “She’s a good girl, Ethan. Don’t you feel this is fate’s arrangement?”
“I never intended to choose Emma,” Ethan confessed, his words driving the final nail into the coffin of my dreams. “It was
only a sense of responsibility for that night that prevented me from refusing her outright. But things are different now.
Aria and Lucas have changed everything.”
I clapped a hand over my mouth to stifle the scream building in my throat, my entire body trembling with the effort of
remaining silent. So it had all been for nothing—the elaborate lie about that rainy night, the tears, the performance, the
years of careful planning. I had never been his choice, not even for a moment.
The words hit me like physical blows, each syllable a knife sliding between my ribs. My wolf whimpered, sensing my
distress as my knees threatened to buckle. My fingernails dug into the ornate wallpaper, leaving tiny crescent marks in
the expensive covering.
So this was the truth—in the eyes of Ethan’s family, I had never been the ideal choice. Despite all my careful planning, my
tears, my pretenses of fragility designed to appeal to an alpha’s protective instincts, the old woman saw through me. And worse, she preferred that wolf-less Aria and her bastard child over me.
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Before I could process this devastating revelation, the sound of determined footsteps echoed down the hallway. I quickly
ducked behind an ornate decorative column, my heart hammering against my ribs. Peering around the edge, I watched
as Ethan strode purposefully toward his grandmother’s room, his tall frame radiating alpha energy that made my wolf stir
with longing despite my fury.
Without knocking, he entered the room. The door remained slightly ajar, allowing snippets of conversation to drift out
into the hallway.
“Grandmother,” his deep voice resonated with determination, “I need to speak with you about Aria.”
“You’re finally giving it serious thought?” The old Luna’s voice carried undisguised approval. “She’s a good girl, Ethan. Don’t you feel this is fate’s arrangement?”
“I never intended to choose Emma,” Ethan confessed, his words driving the final nail into the coffin of my dreams. “It was
only a sense of responsibility for that night that prevented me from refusing her outright. But things are different now.
Aria and Lucas have changed everything.”
I clapped a hand over my mouth to stifle the scream building in my throat, my entire body trembling with the effort of
remaining silent. So it had all been for nothing—the elaborate lie about that rainy night, the tears, the performance, the
years of careful planning. I had never been his choice, not even for a moment.
Every eye in the room was drawn to Aria. She didn’t belong here, in this world of old money and pack politics, yet
somehow she fit perfectly into the picture. The sight made my stomach heave with disgust and my head spin with
vertigo