My fingers tighten around the phone 98

Ethan’s POV
I needed to get my alcohol consumption under control. This past week, I’d been drowning myself in whiskey almost every
night, my only escape from thoughts of Aria. Today was my first attempt at sobriety, and my body was making me pay for
it—head pounding, hands slightly trembling, a hollow ache spreading through my chest. I couldn’t show up drunk to a
charity gala, especially not while representing my father. I’d spent too many nights with a bottle as my only companion,
replaying my fight with Aria, her rejection, and my father’s harsh words on repeat in my mind.
Tonight would be different. Tonight I might see her. The thought sent equal parts hope and dread coursing through me.
She couldn’t avoid me here. As Leo’s date, we’d be seated at the same table, giving me the chance I desperately needed
to speak with her, to make her understand.
My drinking hadn’t just affected my personal life. The pack had suffered too. David had been silently picking up my slack,
handling responsibilities that should have been mine. The guilt sat heavy in my gut. I hadn’t been fully present anywhere
lately—not as a son, not as an alpha-in-waiting, not even as a man trying to win back the woman he loved.
The limousine glided to a stop, and beside me, Emma made a show of smoothing down her dress. The red gown she wore clung to every curve, the neckline plunging dangerously low.
Aria wouldn’t wear red, I thought with a small smile. She’d choose something practical but elegant—midnight black or
soft champagne. I imagined how she would look, her raven hair cascading down her back, those piercing eyes
challenging everyone in the room. My smile deepened as I remembered the time I’d picked up her lace underwear, how
her cheeks had bloomed with that beautiful pink flush that spread down her neck. God, I missed her.
The valet opened my door, snapping me back to reality. I slid out with practiced ease, buttoning my jacket as I
straightened to my full height. Camera flashes exploded around me like tiny lightning strikes, temporarily blinding. I
raised my hand, squinting against the assault of lights until my eyes could adjust, all while wishing a different woman would be stepping out behind me.
“Aren’t you going to help me out, Ethan?” Emma called softly behind me. I just shook my head and walked toward the
stairs. I knew it was a dick move not to help her out, but the valet could assist her when she exited. I’d repeatedly told
Emma she wasn’t my date. I wouldn’t act like a gentleman for a non-date. The last thing I needed was for Aria to see a
news report of Emma and me exiting the limousine together, making a spectacle in public. That would cement her belief
that Emma and I were together, which we weren’t. So I’d rather come across as an asshole than hurt Aria.
When I reached the top, I showed my invitation to the female attendant, who let me enter. Emma grabbed my arm, “You
didn’t wait for me!”
I was a bit surprised she’d managed to catch up in those ridiculously high heels. “Of course I didn’t. I’ve repeatedly told
you we’re not attending this event together. You have your own invitation; I don’t need to escort you,” I said.
Emma put on that pitiful expression again, batting both eyes at me and stomping her foot. I extracted my arm from her
grip and turned toward several guests I recognized to start conversations. I needed to get away from her drama before I
dumped all my aggravation on her. From the corner of my eye, I saw Emma take a glass of champagne from a circulating
server, then stomp away. Among the countless people who wanted to greet me and chat for a while, I kept searching for
Aria.
The crowd parted, giving me a direct line of sight to Leo. He stood alone with an amber liquid in his glass, shaking hands
with an older gentleman. I searched around him for Aria but couldn’t seem to find her. Had she gone to the restroom? Or
to get a drink? I strode toward where Leo was standing, and his gaze eventually landed on me. Before I could say
anything, my grandmother grabbed my arm, smiling at me, “Ethan! I’m so glad you could make it.”
“Grandmother, it’s good to see you,” I said, kissing her extended hand. “The event is wonderful so far. I can’t wait to see
the performance.”
“Yes, the production company this year is quite talented,” Grandmother said, lifting her chin proudly. I returned her smile
with equal pride.
“That’s because you’re an extraordinary person, Granny,” Leo teased our family matriarch affectionately. He looked to the
side, his eyes narrowing as he took a sip of his drink. “I see you brought some trash with you.”
I followed his gaze to see Emma animatedly talking with a group of people, batting her eyelashes at the men and
showing off to the women. Good. I hoped she would attract another man and have a whirlwind romance that would take
her out of my life.
After a moment, Grandmother’s delicate fingers settled on my forearm, her touch gentle but commanding as always.
“And where is Aria tonight, dear?” she inquired.
My jaw clenched involuntarily. “Not a clue. She was supposed to be with him,” I replied, unable to keep the bitterness
from seeping into my voice as I jerked my chin toward Leo.
Leo’s laughter burst forth, too loud and too sharp. “Oh, I extended the invitation,” he said, raising his glass in mock salute.
“But our warrior princess declined. She’s been mysteriously absent from training sessions lately—practically a ghost.”
“Avoiding training? Why?” The question tumbled from my lips before I could stop it, concern tightening around my chest
like a vise.
“Can’t say for certain,” Leo shrugged, swirling his amber liquid. “David mentioned something about her compromised
immune system.”
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. Of course—without her wolf, illnesses that barely affected normal werewolves would ravage Aria’s system.
“If you’ll excuse me,” I muttered, already backing away. “Restroom.”
I turned quickly, needing space, air. That’s when I caught it—a flash of raven hair disappearing into the crowd. My heart
lurched, and without conscious thought, my feet were moving, following that dark silhouette through the glittering
throng. People materialized in my path with congratulatory smiles and extended hands, momentarily blocking my
pursuit. Each handshake and shoulder clap felt like an eternity as I strained to keep that dark head in view.
Then, nothing. She’d vanished into the swarm of elegantly dressed bodies. I sagged against a nearby wall, scanning the
crowd desperately, my eyes jumping from face to face. Gone. With a defeated sigh, I pushed off toward the restrooms. Maybe cold water would clear my head.
Each step seemed to require more effort than the last, as if my shoes were filling with concrete. My thoughts grew fuzzy
at the edges, like an old photograph left too long in the sun. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Black spots bloomed
across my vision, multiplying with each labored heartbeat.
Through the kaleidoscope of my failing vision, I saw her—the back of a dark-haired woman, her silhouette painfully
familiar. Not a hallucination. She was real. I tried to push away from the wall, but my limbs refused to cooperate, sending
me slumping back against the cool surface.
“Aria!” The name escaped as little more than a desperate rasp.
The figure turned, showing me her profile. A red dress hugged her curves. She approached, and I summoned every
ounce of strength remaining to stay upright.
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“Aria?” I whispered, hope and confusion warring in my clouded mind.
“Ethan?” The voice that answered was smooth and deep, but something about it wasn’t right. Unfamiliar hands pressed
against my chest, sending waves of nauseating tingles through my body. “Let’s wait until we get home.”
Home? The word echoed strangely in my mind.
My body betrayed me, slumping against her as my legs threatened to give way entirely. Disoriented, I instinctively
lowered my face to her neck, seeking comfort in the scent that should be there—or rather, the unique absence of scent
that was purely Aria. Instead, my nostrils filled with a cloying perfume that made my stomach revolt.
Wait. Something wasn’t right. Aria had no wolf, no scent. This woman—whoever she was—wasn’t Aria.
Summoning the last dregs of my strength, I tried to push away, but my arms felt like they were moving through molasses.
“Ethan, you’re so eager,” the woman panted, her voice dropping to a seductive purr. “We can do whatever you want when we get home.”
Emma? The realization crashed through my failing consciousness. How had I mistaken her for Aria? How had I—
Aria’s face suddenly materialized in my mind’s eye, her expression soft and vulnerable in a way that made my wolf howl
with longing.
Then darkness rushed in like a tide, swallowing everything—thought, feeling, consciousness—leaving nothing but empty
black silence in its wake.
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