Scarlett’s POV
I sat there, stunned into silence. The air in the car felt thick, and heavy as Lana’s words slowly sank in.
"He is the second son of Alpha Miller," Lana continued. "From the Thorn Pack—the territory right after ours. They’ve been lovers since they were teenagers. They t during one of Elara’s holiday visits to her aunt, who lives there. Two years ago, when Elara turned eighteen, they declared themselves mates. Everyone knows they’re fated. He even marked her, and now, the wedding is only a month away."
A cold chill ran down my spine. If she had a mate, and she was already marked, then what was she doing with Ethan?
"Does that an... she’s playing him?" I whispered, my stomach turning. "I don’t think Alpha Ethan has any idea she already has a mate... one she’s about to marry."
Lana looked at firmly, her hand reaching over to squeeze mine. "You have to tell him, Scar. You can’t let him make a fool of himself for her. You have to tell him what’s going on."
I didn’t answer, my mind racing as Lana drove us back. We spent the next few hours shopping, but I was a ghost, moving through the aisles without really seeing anything. Lana bought things for herself and a few dresses for , trying to distract , but it didn’t work. By the ti we arrived back at the pack house, I saw Ethan’s car in the driveway. He was back.
"I’m going to talk to him," I told Lana as we walked inside.
She nodded, giving a supportive look. I went to my room just long enough to drop my shopping bags on the bed before making my way to Ethan’s suite. My legs felt heavy, and the strange, sensitive ache in my body from the morning hadn’t fully faded, but I pushed it aside. Reaching his door, I hesitated, taking a deep breath to settle my racing heart before I knocked.
He opened the door almost imdiately. We stood face to face, and for a split second, I thought I saw a flash of guilt in his dark eyes, but I didn’t let it soften .
"I need to speak to you," I said firmly.
He stepped aside without a word, and I walked in. He shut the door and leaned against it, watching . I turned to face him, and just as he opened his mouth to speak, I cut him off.
"Let speak first," I demanded. He nodded, gesturing for to go ahead. "I know you and Elara are having an affair."
I waited for him to deny it, but he didn’t, and frankly, I didn’t think he could.
My heart felt like it was breaking all over again, but I forced myself to keep going. "I saw you two kissing outside the coffee shop. I saw how you chose her over on the field. And I saw you two at the boutique today. You’re dating her, Ethan. I know our relationship is fake, but..." I paused, my voice trembling. "I just wanted you to know... Elara is playing you.. She has a long-ti lover, she’s already marked by him, and they are getting married in a month. You’re a good man, Ethan. You deserve to know the truth before she ruins you."
I was done. I waited for the explosion, for him to call a liar or to see him crumble because the woman he loved was a fraud. Instead, Ethan just took a deep, shaky breath.
"I’m aware of all that," he said quietly.
My eyes widened. "You’re aware? You know she’s marrying soone else and you’re still dating her?"
Ethan scoffed, a dark, bitter sound. He pulled a cigar from a box on his desk and lit it, the smoke curling around his face. He didn’t look at for a long mont, then he finally spoke.
"Elara is my mate, Scarlett."
I felt like the floor had been pulled out from under . "What?"
"Her lover, Karl, is not her mate," Ethan went on, his voice full of a raw pain I had never heard before. "They lied to everyone because they wanted to be together. They forged the bond markers. They faked it all."
He looked at then, and the agony in his eyes was unbearable. "I t Elara the day I brought you here. I was so happy... I thought the Moon Goddess had finally given what I waited years for. But she rejected instantly. She told she loves Karl and that she will never leave him. She threatened , Scarlett. She said if I told anyone we were mates, or if I tried to use my Alpha right to take her away from him, she would kill herself. I’ve had no choice but to remain silent."
I was beyond shocked. I couldn’t move, couldn’t even blink.
"Right now, I’m just trying to win her over," he continued, leaning back against the desk. "I’m trying to make her see that the bond is real, that I can make her happy. I’m desperate to win her heart before that wedding happens."
He put out his cigar, the room falling into a heavy silence. He walked toward , stopping so close that I could feel the heat of his body. It reminded of the heat of his touch, making my skin prickle.
"Scarlett, I am so sorry," he whispered, looking down at . "The way I acted on the field... I couldn’t help it. The mate bond was pulling at so hard I couldn’t think straight. Every ti she’s near, I lose control of my senses. I’ve wanted to co and apologize since then, but I was too ashad to face you."
I looked up at him, and for the first ti, I didn’t see the powerful, untouchable Alpha that he appeared to be. I saw a man who was drowning in a destiny he hadn’t asked for. My anger, which had been a hot coal in my chest all morning, began to cool into pity. I knew the pain of being rejected by your mate; I knew how he was feeling.
Slowly, I reached out, my fingers trembling as I lightly brushed the sleeve of his shirt. "Do you love her, Ethan?" I whispered. "Is that why you’re letting her treat you like this? You know you could just reject her, right?"
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