My fingers tighten around the phone 76

Aria’s POV
After dinner, Ethan’s grandmother insisted he drive Emma and me home. I wanted to refuse, but her kind yet unyielding
gaze left me no choice but to silently nod. Emma practically strutted to the passenger seat with a triumphant air, claiming
it before anyone could suggest otherwise. I mentally rolled my eyes and quietly slipped into the back seat.
The leather upholstery felt cool yet comfortable against my skin, but relaxation was impossible. The atmosphere inside
the car seemed frozen solid, with Emma’s deliberately overpowering perfume making my throat constrict. I turned my
head toward the window, focusing intently on the passing trees and buildings, trying desperately to ignore the woman in
the front seat whose very presence reminded me of betrayal.
The silence in the car was oppressive. Emma occasionally made small talk with Ethan, her voice syrupy sweet and
performative. Each time she laughed, the sound grated against my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. I kept my gaze fixed
on the landscape outside, counting the minutes until I could escape this mobile prison.
Inadvertently, my eyes drifted to the rearview mirror and collided with Ethan’s intense stare. Those eyes were studying me
through the reflection, filled with emotions I couldn’t decipher. I quickly averted my gaze, pretending to find the
nighttime scenery suddenly fascinating, but my traitorous heart had already accelerated its rhythm.
I mentally calculated the route: once we left the mountain area and reached the city streets, I would immediately exit the
vehicle and make my own way home. I couldn’t bear to remain in Emma’s company a moment longer than necessary—
even if it was just for another twenty minutes. Each second felt like torture, stirring up memories I’d spent years trying to
bury.
Emma’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Remember that party at Silver Moon when we were sixteen, Aria?” She turned
slightly in her seat, her expression a perfect mask of nostalgia. “We wore matching dresses—you looked so pretty in
silver.”
My jaw clenched. How dare she pretend we shared fond memories? As if she hadn’t orchestrated my downfall, hadn’t
helped Bella set me up that rainy night, hadn’t watched with cold amusement as my father banished me from the pack.
When we finally entered the city district and the brightly lit streets came into view, I broke the silence: “Please pull over,
Ethan.”
He continued driving as if he hadn’t heard me. I felt anger rising from my chest, hot and urgent.
“I said, stop the damn car!” This time I practically pushed the words through gritted teeth, my voice low but laced with
unmistakable threat.
Ethan’s brow furrowed, but he finally pulled over to the curb. I didn’t even bother with goodbyes. I quickly yanked the
door open, slammed it with enough force to make the whole vehicle shake, and strode toward the sidewalk. The night
breeze caressed my face, carrying away the suffocating atmosphere from the car.
I heard the driver’s door open behind me, followed by rapid footsteps, but I didn’t slow down. Instead, I raised my arm to
hail an approaching taxi.
“Aria!” Ethan’s voice called out, deep and commanding.
Ethan’s POV
I stood there on the sidewalk, my heart pounding with frustration as Aria stormed away from the car. The night air was
cool against my face, but I barely noticed it, too focused on her retreating figure.
“Aria!” I called out, my voice carrying the unmistakable command of an alpha. Several passersby turned to look, but she
didn’t even flinch.
I watched helplessly as she ignored me completely, her attention fixed on the approaching yellow cab as if it represented
her salvation. I couldn’t let her leave like this—not with so many unresolved tensions between us.
I watched helplessly as she ignored me completely, her attention fixed on the approaching yellow cab as if it represented
her salvation. I couldn’t let her leave like this—not with so many unresolved tensions between us.
As she reached for the door handle, I moved instinctively, my hand covering hers. Her skin felt impossibly soft beneath
my palm, sending a rush of awareness through my entire body.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded, keeping my voice low enough that only she could hear. Felix, my wolf,
surged within me, urging me to keep her close, not to let her slip away.
She lifted her face to mine, and the defiance blazing in those amber eyes nearly took my breath away. Even angry, she
was magnificent.
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“What does it look like? I’m going home,” she replied, chin tilted up in challenge.
“I can take you there,” I insisted, setting my jaw firmly. I needed more time with her, needed to explain, though I wasn’t
entirely sure what I wanted to say.
“No, you can’t,” she shot back, her voice cold enough to freeze flame. “I’ve had enough of your company—and especially
hers—for one evening.”
Her rejection stung more than it should have. “You’re being unreasonable,” I said, feeling my expression darken.
“Am I?” She tried to pull her hand free, but I maintained my gentle hold. The connection between us—that simple touch
of skin on skin—felt too important to break. “I think I’m being perfectly reasonable. I want to go home, alone, without
Emma’s fake sympathy and your confusing signals.”
The taxi driver impatiently rolled down his window. “You getting in or what, lady?”
“Yes,” she called over her shoulder, then lowered her voice for my ears only. “Let go of my hand.”
Felix whined within me, resistant to releasing her. “We need to talk,” I pressed, aware of how desperate I must sound, but
beyond caring.
“No, we don’t,” she countered firmly. “There’s nothing to discuss. You have Emma, remember? Your precious, traumatized
Emma who needs your protection.”
The bitterness in her voice cut through me. Was that what she thought? That Emma was mine? That I had chosen Emma?
“You don’t understand—” I began, my grip loosening slightly as I struggled to find the right words.
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“I understand perfectly.” In one swift movement, she jerked her hand free and yanked open the taxi door. “Go back to her.
She’s waiting.”
Before I could gather my thoughts to respond properly, she had slipped into the backseat and pulled the door shut with
finality. I stood frozen on the sidewalk, my hand still suspended in the air where it had held hers, watching as the taxi merged into traffic and took her away from me.
I slowly returned to the car, where Emma waited with an expression of calculated innocence.
“Was that about me?” she asked, her voice quavering slightly. “Is she leaving because of me?”
I didn’t answer immediately, sliding back into the driver’s seat and gripping the steering wheel tightly. The leather creaked
under my fingers as I fought to control my frustration.
“She’s not comfortable around you,” I finally stated, keeping my voice neutral despite the storm raging inside me.
Emma’s eyes immediately welled with tears. She’d always known exactly when to cry.
“It’s not my fault,” she whispered, a single tear tracking down her cheek. “After what happened to her that night at the
resort, she was never the same. She blamed me because I asked her to come help me, but how could I have known what would happen?”
“She was my best friend,” Emma continued, her voice trembling artfully. “We shared everything. And then after that night,
after she lost her connection to her wolf, she just shut me out completely.”
I started the car, pulling away from the curb. “Emma, I don’t want to talk about this anymore.