Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Ethan’s two options
Ethan’s POV
Ten minutes later, I stood before my father in his office.
The former Alpha sat behind his massive oak desk, his piercing gaze fixed on me with barely contained fury. The air was thick with his dominance, making my wolf instinctively submit.
"Four Pack members, Ethan." His voice was cold, controlled. "Four of our valuable members have severed ties with Silver Creek in the past week alone."
I kept my expression neutral despite the knot forming in my stomach. "I’m aware of the situation—"
"Are you?" He slammed his hand on the desk, the sound echoing through the room. "Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re letting this Pack fall apart while you brood over your mistakes."
The Alpha authority in his voice made it impossible to interrupt. I clenched my jaw and waited.
"Jennifer’s family has been with us for three generations. The Hendersons brought in over two million in contracts last year. And now they’re gone."
He stood, towering over me with the presence that had made him one of the most feared Alphas in the region. "All because you couldn’t keep your Luna in line."
"Father—"
"I’m not finished." His eyes flashed gold. "You have two options, Ethan."
"Either you bring Aria back and fix this mess, or we arrange a marriage alliance with the Stoneheart Packs. The Stoneheart Alpha has already expressed interest in uniting our territories."
I straightened, meeting his gaze despite the pressure of his dominance. "I’m already married to Clara. She’s given me an heir—"
"Marriages can be dissolved." His tone was dismissive, brutal. "Especially when the survival of the Pack is at stake. Clara understands her position. The question is whether you understand yours."
The casual way he dismissed Clara, dismissed my son, sent rage coursing through me. But beneath the anger was the cold reality of Pack politics. He was right, and we both knew it.
"You have one week," he continued, returning to his seat.
"Either convince Aria to return, or I’ll begin negotiations with Alpha Stoneheart. This Pack has survived for over a century, Ethan. I won’t let your personal failures destroy what generations of our family built."
The dismissal was clear, but I held my ground. "And if I refuse both options?"
His smile was sharp, predatory. "Then perhaps it’s time to reconsider who should be leading this Pack."
The threat hung in the air between us. Challenge my authority, and he’d challenge my right to be Alpha.
"Let me think about it," I said finally, hating how the words tasted like defeat.
He nodded once, already turning his attention to the papers on his desk. "You have until next Monday. Don’t disappoint me again."
I left his study with his words echoing in my head, the weight of the Pack’s future pressing down on my shoulders like a stone.
I picked up my phone again, staring at Aria’s contact information. My thumb hovered over the call button.
Who was that man? Where was she right now? What was she planning?
The questions burned, but I forced myself to set the phone down.
Calling again would only make me look desperate.
But god, I wanted answers.
I wanted to know if that mystery man had touched her. If she’d let him hold her the way she’d never truly let me.
The thought made my blood boil.
Because despite everything—the fake certificate, the hidden Bond with Clara, the years of using Aria’s talents without giving her proper recognition—some part of me had always believed she’d wait.
That she’d always be there, loyal and devoted, ready to support Silver Creek no matter what.
I’d been an idiot.
My phone buzzed with an incoming message. I grabbed it eagerly, hoping—
But it wasn’t from Aria.
It was from Marcus’s preschool. Again. Something about his behavior, another incident with other pups.
I deleted the message without reading the full details. Clara could handle it.
Right now, I had bigger problems than my son’s tantrums.
I had to figure out how to fix this mess with Aria before everything I’d built came crashing down.
The problem was, for the first time in years, I had no idea where she was—or who she was becoming.
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