Chapter 73

“Alpha, I—”
“Are you fucking threatening her?” 
“No, Alpha, no, I was just telling—” 
“Yes, she threatened me!” I say without hesitation, squaring my shoulders back. 
“What?” Ethan barks angrily through clenched teeth. He quickly pulls me behind him, standing between me and Kelly. 
I don’t want any lies between us. So I firmly tell him the truth, “It’s not the first time she’s threatened me. Kelly said I shouldn’t get close to you.”
Suddenly, I can swear the heat radiating from his body intensifies. The warmth seeps into my skin, enveloping me in a growing, almost palpable heat. 
I notice Ethan’s body tremble near me as if he’s so angry he can’t contain himself. Actually, anger doesn’t seem to come close to covering it.
Ethan. Is. Incensed.
“Alpha, Alpha! Please! Alicent got it all wrong,” Kelly begs, taking a step back and baring her neck as if she’s submitting to him. What?
Oh God, what am I doing?
For a moment, I almost want to slap myself hard in the face.
What was I thinking? Why did I say that? I should be thanking him for being with me and not showing him that I’m more trouble than I’m worth it.
Ethan obviously has a parade of women through his nightclub door waiting for a night with him, just like Kelly. And I have more than that, more than a night, and here I am, creating trouble for him.
Why would he want me if I’m not pliable? This is all my mouth’s fault! 
Kelly may be right. I can’t even cut him some slack. I have no idea how to please him. “Sorry for all I say. I shouldn’t have said that. Maybe we can forget it ever—” 
I immediately clamp my mouth shut when Ethan glares my way. His look silences me instantly.
But I touch his hand, and he immediately looks to where my hand is. I notice his body stops trembling, but the anger he seems to feel hasn’t diminished at all.
With a coldness so intense that it almost makes me feel sorry for Kelly, Ethan says, “Don’t you dare treat Alicent that way again.”
“No, no, I’ll never say that to her again. But Alpha Ethan, you have to understand that we both, we—” Kelly swallows hard, stopping talking at the sound of Ethan’s threatening growl. “Uh, it’s hard for me to see you two together. I-I just got back b-but I’m going to travel again, and when I—”
“Make no mistake, Kelly, I’m only letting you live in my house because you’re Jordan’s sister, and he’s important to my sister.” Ethan points at her suitcase with the tip of his chin. “For your own good, don’t threaten Alicent again, or don’t bother coming back. You won’t have a place here.”
He doesn’t bother to wait for Kelly’s reply, just grabs my hand and drags me toward his bedroom. Like a king assuming his orders will be obeyed. Like a scary dictator who has no fear of being stabbed in the back. Because no one in this place would dare challenge him. And that makes something bloom inside me. 
Attraction. 
Admiration. 
I can’t help but feel a slight tinge of fear as well. 
I’ve always known Ethan is powerful. That he can be ruthless. But I’ve never heard his deep tone like that. I’ve never seen that side of him. And it wasn’t because it was Kelly, a woman, that he said like that. I’ve seen him being ruthless even with his best friend, Josh.
As soon as we enter his room, he heads straight towards the bathroom and I sit down in one of the chairs before saying, “Do you... Do you still consider being with Kelly or other women?”
Ethan turns and gives me a stern look. I shift slightly on the chair. I know that look. 
“I’m with you,” he says with his sexy as sin voice, walking toward me. “As long as we’re together, I don’t plan to fuck anyone else, and I expect the same respect from you.”
“But Kelly is so beautiful... She has so much more to offer than I do... You two have a past.”
Ethan leans in, invading my space and resting his hands on the arms of the chair. Looking directly into my eyes, he whispers in his deep voice. “She’s no threat to you in the same way a fleeting shadow is no threat to the blazing sun.”
Oh, my.
His words, combined with the burning intensity of his unwavering black eyes, make my face burn with a fiery blush.
The corners of his mouth tug up in a smug grin as he notices my reaction. He turns to go to the bathroom, and before he gets to the door, I’m already running towards him with a squeak.
I feel almost a foot taller after his declaration.

🐺 🐺 🐺

I make my way towards the mansion. I glance down at my wrist, where the delicate bracelet catches the light. It’s crafted from a smooth, white ribbon that feels soft against my skin, tied neatly with a slight shimmer in its weave. But what really catches my attention is what’s in the center. A round, black stone like a coin-shaped nestles in it. The stone, polished to a glossy sheen, represents the moon in its new phase. The design is simple yet elegant.
Penny, the school principal, had given it to me last week. She’d smiled warmly as she explained its significance. She said the bracelet was blessed by the moon goddess during the Black Moon Festival. Her eyes alight with conviction when she assures me that it will bring me calmer days. 
I just smile at her earnestness, though my thoughts were less aligned with her beliefs. The bracelet is undeniably beautiful, and her gesture had been genuinely kind. I’d seen others around here wearing similar ones. 
Still, I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I didn’t believe in her goddess. If her goddess truly wanted to grant me calmer days, perhaps she’d consider sending a few unexpected days off my way from Penny rather than a mystical trinket. A wry smile tugs at my lips as I entertain the thought of days off spent only on Ethan’s bed. 
I enter the mansion with a smile on my face. Ethan’s been driving me to school every day for the past few weeks. He has been so attentive. But today he had to run an important errand, so he couldn’t pick me up. I place my backpack on one of the sofas as soon as I see him and Az. They’re talking without a fight. That’s a good sight.
He leans back in his chair, looking like a king surveying his kingdom before his eyes catch mine. Then he smiles back at me, and I feel warm inside. It’s silly, but it feels good to be the reason to make him smile. 
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hey, buddy.” I lean in and kiss Az’s head when I’m close to him. “I missed my boys.” I stand and turn back to Ethan. He pulls me onto his lap and kisses my forehead. Az still isn’t comfortable seeing us together.
Despite this obstacle, a sense of fear starts to creep in. Everything has been going well in my life lately, but experience has taught me that whenever things go smoothly, something bad usually follows.
“Have you done your homework?”
“Not yet. I’m going to go get Lily so we can do it together,” Az says, looking eager to get away from us whenever we’re together.
“Um, okay,” I reply, but he’s already far away. “It’s better if I avoid sitting on your lap while Az is around,” I say.
“No. He’s fine. Also, having you sitting like this allows me to have you at the angle I want. Which is a good thing because my back’s been killing me, having to bend over to reach you when we kiss,” he teases me with a handsome grin. 
I narrow my eyes. “Ethan!” I playfully slap his shoulder. “You’re terrible.”
“Terrible is the pain of my hard cock that has been hard all day just waiting for you,” Ethan whispers in my ear. Then he stares at me with such undisguised need that I feel my self-esteem grow. “Fuck! You consumed my thoughts the whole day, Little Dove. You’re so fucking hot.” 
Months ago, I would have convinced him otherwise immediately because in order to be considered hot, I would definitely need to lose a few pounds and gain at least a foot in height. However, after these couple of weeks spent with Ethan, the way he looks at me has made my self-esteem grow. I still have a cellulite-ridden body, and nothing has changed, but that no longer stops me from feeling good about myself. And I owe this feeling of self-love to him for making me feel this way. Whenever I recall Chelsea’s words about my body, I now get angry at her instead of agreeing and believing her harsh words like I did before.
I let out a soft moan when his lips kiss my neck. “Ethan, stop! I got to go. Maggie is already waiting for me.”
“Maybe I should take you up to the nearest spare bedroom and bend you over so I can fuck you fast and hard and then make you come back down here to plan Lily’s birthday party, all while my come is dripping from your tight little pussy.” I’m moaning a little bit louder by the time Ethan finishes speaking his plan. He bites my neck lightly. Then, with a smirk, he turns his head to look at me, his eyes filled with lust. Ethan looks completely satisfied with himself that he’s made me so squirmy. 
“That’s so unfair of you,” I say. I press my legs together and feel my panties wet.
“Allie?” I hear Maggie calling me from afar. She’s probably in the kitchen. “Have you arrived?”
My panties are soaked. He did this on purpose. “Ugh! I hate you,” I yell-whisper at Ethan, getting up from his lap. 
The bastard just chuckles. 

🐺 🐺 🐺
***Alpha Ethan***

I look at the little boy panting. “Come on, Az. Let’s go find some cookies and eat our weight in them,” I tell him. “Just don’t tell your mom.” I wink at him, and the boy opens an exhausted smile. Then he reaches up and slides his little hand into mine. 
“Okay!”
After seeing his mom and me together for the past few weeks, he’s finally started to warm up to me. I think he’s also noticed how much happier Little Dove has been lately.
I’ve been harder on him this training than usual because he’s been growing so fast, especially in the last month. Not to mention that he’s taller than Lily now and will soon surpass his mom’s height. Not that’s much since she’s short.
After we’ve eaten a bunch of cookies, as I promised, I tell him, “Now get out of here. You stink. Go take a shower.”
Reluctantly, he leaves the kitchen. A few minutes later, my sister and my future fiancée come into the kitchen just as I’m about to finish cleaning up the mess we made.
My sister arrived early this morning from Summerville, and as soon as she got here, she and Little Dove locked themselves in her huge closet. That’s probably when Alicent told her about her past.
Little Dove opens a cute smile as she approaches me. “Hey, handsome.” I look at what she’s wearing before she hugs me. “I hope you don’t mind. I’ve got your big hoodie.”
“I see,” I say, kissing her forehead. She looks tinier with it.  
“You smell so good, and it smells just like you. I love it. I’m going to sleep in it. Then it will feel like you’re hugging me in my sleep.” 
I chuckle. Even though she talks about my scent, all I can smell right now is hers. As if on cue, my cock pulses. Fuck.
Vi clears her throat. “I’m still here, you know.”
Allie turns to her. “Sorry,” she says, blushing. “What do you want to eat? I’m so happy you’re back!”
‘You think that’s the right thing to do, Ian?’ Vi mindlinks me as she answers Allie. ‘You will always hold back. After everything she told me... Ian, I don’t think you—’
‘I will protect her, Vi. She’s safe here,’ I answer a bit too harshly. ‘I am not anyone’s fated mate. Maybe Goddess has cursed me herself after all. She’s been taunting me with Alicent, who I finally want but who I absolutely can not have.’ I reply as Little Dove tells my sister about what has been happening the last few days around here.
‘Okay, I get it. You don’t have a mate right now, but we are close. We will find that bitch. But, Ian, *why* do you want to marry her? I don’t get it.’  
Without thinking, I reach for the container she’s about to grab from the cabinet above the sink. It’s too high for her to reach. As I place it on the counter, I step closer to her, my fingers gently tucking a loose strand of light blond hair back behind her ear, where it had slipped free from her ponytail.
Little Dove gives me a surprised look. Yeah, I’m shocked myself. I don’t usually initiate touch like that in front of anyone. Clearing my throat, I step back and adjust my clothing, making sure they are straight and unwrinkled as I get back to where Vi is sitting. I hate looking unkempt. 
“You guys are really... together,” Vi says, almost to herself than to us. 
“So, I have your approval then,” Little Dove says. She isn’t facing us, but I can hear her smile in her voice. 
“Of course! Anyone that makes my brother happy has my approval,” Vi answers her, but looking into my eyes. Then her brown eyes shift to Alicent. “And selfishly, I’m glad it’s you, Allie.” 
“Aw! You really are the sweetest, Vi.” 
“Do you guys know where Az is?” Lily asks as she steps into the kitchen. She goes straight to my sister and hugs her. “I’m so happy you’re back, Mom.” 
“Me too, Lily. I missed you so much!” She says, placing her into her lap and hugging her tightly. 
“Az’s taking a shower,” I answer my niece.
“Okay, I’ll see if he’s finished,” Lily lets go of her mom’s hug and jumps off her mom’s lap, running toward the hallway. But before leaving the kitchen, she turns back and says, looking at Vi. “I’m so glad you’re going to be here for my birthday party this weekend, Mom!”
“I would never miss it,” Vi answers her before my niece continues on her way bouncing excitedly. “Thanks for planning the party,  by the way, Allie. I’ve been so busy.”
“Don’t worry. Besides, Maggie’s been helping me,” Little Dove replies, flipping the pancake in the pan. Then, she puts a stack of pancakes on a plate with some toppings and places it in front of Vi. “Are you sure you don’t want anything?” She asks me, and I nod. Then she spins around and starts tidying up what she has been using while humming some song I don’t recognize. When she walks past me to store something in the nearby cabinet, Little Dove glances my way and flashes me a smile that can melt my cold fucking heart. From the corner of my eye, I notice Vi watching us, and then I answer the question she asked me earlier via mindlink. ‘That is *why*, Vi. It’s selfish, but I can use some more of that flicker of light in my dark, void life.’ 
After a few minutes of silence, Jordan enters and stands next to my sister like a creep. “Aren’t you going to talk to me?” 
My sister ignores him. 
Fuck. Are they fighting again? 
Little Dove looks at me with slightly wide eyes but continues what she’s doing. 
“Let me eat in peace, Jordan,” Vi says coldly. 
“Nothing is good enough for you, Vi. Everything I do is wrong!” I growl, and he lowers his voice. “You don’t come here for weeks, and when you do, you start making a fuss over some stupid little thing!” 
Although Vi’s face doesn’t show any emotion, her aura reveals that she is sad and disappointed. “What did you do this time, Jordan?” I ask, balling my hands into angry fists at my side. 
Vi pushes her plate away and places her hand on top of one of mine. “Please, Ian. No. Don’t get involved. Stay away from this.” She stands up. “I should go back to Summerville.” 
“Yeah? Then go!” Jordan answers, looking at her. “Do I look like I care, Vi? If you’re going to come here and treat me like this, you better go.” 
I stand up too, but my sister puts a hand on my chest this time. “Please, Ian. No.” She says before mindlinking me, ‘I beg you, don’t make my situation with Jordan worse. Please!’ 
In the next second, my sister leaves the kitchen with long, hurried strides without looking back. She left half of the pancakes she was eagerly eating. Fuck. I hate this asshole. 
I follow my sister; she’s my priority right now. I don’t even spare a glance in the fucker’s direction, or I’m sure I’ll do something I’ll gladly regret later. “Vi, wait,” I say behind her. 
“Mom? Where are you going?” Lily asks, getting up from the fluffy rug in the living room as Vi grabs a rolling suitcase next to one of the sofas. “Mom! You’re not going out again, are you? You’re going to stay here for my birthday party, right?” 
Az touches Lily’s shoulder, approaching her from behind. Vi takes a deep breath before speaking to her daughter. “Honey, I—” 
“You said you would never miss it! You promised!” 
Vi starts explaining to her daughter that she needs to go back to Summerville while I listen to Alicent and Jordan talking in the kitchen. They are too far away for Vi or the kids to hear them.
“Fuck. I’m starting to think Vi’s too much trouble than she’s worth it.”
“Look, I know you feel upset. But—”
Jordan interrupts her. “Vi shouldn’t have come back. She just causes trouble for me. You don’t know what you are talking about! You don’t really know her or anyone, so you don’t get a say on this.” 
I notice Az curling his hands into balls and frowning. Fuck, I’m sure he heard what Jordan said too.
Vi says goodbye to Lily before grabbing her suitcase and walking toward the foyer. “Vi, wait! You can’t drive like this.”
‘Please, Ian. I need to be alone right now. Please.’ Her desperate eyes beg me. ‘I’ll be fine, I promise. Let me go, please.’
Fuck! “Let me know when you get to Summerville. I mean it, Vi.”
As I storm back into the kitchen, I hear the little boy behind me ask my niece, “Let’s play in the garden?” He’s clearly trying to distract her. “Come on, Lily. It’ll be fun,” he says.
I speed up, and once I get to the kitchen, I immediately put Little Dove behind me and turn to stare down at Jordan.
His eyes widen with fear, sensing my fury. Jordan starts to speak, but my voice cuts in. “I’d watch the way you speak to my sister. I tolerate you for her sake, but I have no problem tearing your neck apart if you prove to be a problem.”