Chapter 29: Chapter 29 Aria’s been different lately
Ethan’s POV
The apology video dropped like a bomb in our alumni group chat. Within minutes, my phone was exploding with notifications.
I watched Keira’s video three times, my jaw clenching tighter with each replay. She looked like hell—makeup smeared, eyes red and swollen, voice trembling as she stammered out apologies to Aria.
What the fuck happened at that reunion?
"Ethan?" Clara’s voice cut through my thoughts. She stood in the doorway of my office, her expression sharp. "Why is Keira posting videos about Aria? And why are half your classmates messaging me?"
I ran a hand through my hair, already feeling the headache building behind my eyes. "I don’t know. Keira went to some finance department reunion tonight."
"Without you?"
"I wasn’t invited." The words tasted bitter.
I pulled up the group chat, scrolling through dozens of messages—all asking the same questions, all filled with speculation about what had gone down.
But no one who’d actually been there was talking. It was like they’d all agreed to stay silent.
Marcus chose that moment to run into the room, nearly knocking over my coffee. "Daddy, look what I drew!"
"Not now, Marcus." I barely glanced at the paper he was waving.
"But Daddy—"
"I said not now!" My voice came out harsher than intended. Marcus’s face crumpled, and Clara immediately swept him up, shooting me a disapproving look before carrying him out.
Fuck. I was losing control of everything.
My phone buzzed. Sophie’s name flashed across the screen.
"Did you see Keira’s video?" My sister didn’t bother with greetings.
"Yeah, I saw it."
"What did Aria do to her?"
"Why do you automatically assume Aria did something?" The defensiveness in my voice surprised even me.
Sophie laughed—sharp and bitter. "Because Keira’s practically cowering in that video, Ethan. She looks terrified. And we both know Aria’s been different lately."
Different. That was putting it mildly.
Two weeks ago, Aria had been soft, accommodating, eager to please. The perfect Luna in everything but name.
Now? I didn’t even know how to describe her. Cold. Distant. Like she was looking through me instead of at me.
"Aria wouldn’t hurt anyone," I said, but even I heard the uncertainty in my voice.
"Wouldn’t she?" Sophie’s tone turned calculating. "She walked away from you, from Marcus, from this Pack without a backward glance. That’s not the behavior of someone who cares about anyone but herself."
"She’s just—" I started, but Sophie cut me off.
"She’s what? Throwing a tantrum because you won’t give her official Luna status? Grow up, Ethan. She’s manipulating you, and you’re too blind to see it."
I ended the call without responding, my wolf stirring uneasily beneath my skin.
*Mate,* he whispered. *Find mate. Protect mate.*
I shoved him down hard. Aria wasn’t my mate—not really. Not anymore. I’d rejected the bond the moment I’d marked Clara, even if Aria didn’t know it yet.
But fuck, I wanted to know what happened tonight.
I pulled up my messages with Aria, scrolling through weeks of one-sided conversations. Every text from me, met with silence from her.
My fingers moved before my brain caught up, typing out another message.
*I saw Keira’s video. Are you okay? What happened tonight?*
I stared at the words for a long moment, then deleted them character by character.
What was I doing? Showing concern would only make me look weak. Give her more power over me.
Instead, I typed: *Pack business requires your attention. Contact me immediately.*
Professional. Distant. Exactly what an Alpha’s message should be.
I hit send and watched the message deliver.
Then I waited.
And waited.
Nothing.
"Daddy?" Marcus’s small voice came from the doorway again. "I’m sorry I bothered you."
Guilt crashed through me. "Come here, buddy."
He ran over, and I pulled him into my lap, looking at his drawing properly this time. It was supposed to be our family—crude stick figures in crayon.
But there were only three people. Him, me, and Clara.
"Where’s Aria?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral.
Marcus’s face scrunched up. "She doesn’t live here anymore. So she’s not family."
"Marcus—"
"Mom says Aria left because she didn’t love us enough."
His amber eyes—so much like Clara’s—stared up at me with complete trust. "Mom says when people really love you, they stay."
Something in my chest twisted painfully.
"It’s more complicated than that," I started, but Marcus had already wriggled free, running off to show Clara his drawing.
I stared at my phone, at that delivered but unread message, and felt my wolf’s rage building.
*She’s our mate,* he snarled. *You rejected her. You chose another. This is your fault.*
"Shut up," I muttered, rubbing my temples.
But he was right, wasn’t he? Everything that was falling apart now—Keira’s video, Aria’s silence, the instability in Pack relations—all of it traced back to decisions I’d made.
Decisions I’d thought were right at the time.
Now I wasn’t so sure.
I forced myself to close the messaging app and pull up tomorrow’s project files instead.
The Maxwell Group meeting. I couldn’t afford to fuck this up—not with everything else spiraling out of control.
Clara had spent all night refining the proposal. I had to believe it would be enough.
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