(James''s POV)
"Ethan Stone, don''t touch Olivia!" I shouted, my eyes shing with protective fury. He didn''t deserve to touch her, not after everything he''d put her through.
The tavern had gonepletely silent. Every wolf present could sense the dangerous tension between us. Ethan''s amber eyes narrowed, his Alpha presence filling the room like a physical force.
"This doesn''t concern you, Knight," he growled, taking another step toward Olivia.
I positioned myself between them, my wolf rising to the surface. "The hell it doesn''t."
Two years ago, I''d received a call that still haunted my nightmares. Olivia''s voice, barely audible through her tears, saying goodbye. I''d found her on the banks of Silvermoon River, her wrists shed with a silver-edged de.
The memory fueled my rage now. I''d watched her suffer through Lily''s illness while Ethan paraded around with Victoria and Emma. I''d seen her break when her daughter died. And I''d been the one to find her when she couldn''t take the pain anymore.
"You abandoned her when she needed you most," I snarled, grabbing another bottle from the bar. "You don''t get to im her
now."
Ethan''s security team moved forward, but he held up his hand, stopping them. His eyes never left mine.
"She''s my mate," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "Step aside."
Instead, I swung the bottle, aiming for his head. He blocked it with his forearm, the ss shattering against his wrist. Blood dripped onto the floor, but he barely seemed to notice.
His fist connected with my jaw, sending me staggering backward. I tasted blood but recovered quickly, lunging at him again.
Ethan could have seriously injured me - we both knew it. But something made him pull his punches. A flicker of recognition
crossed his face, and I knew he remembered Olivia''s plea years ago not to harm her only friend from the orphanage.
"You don''t deserve her," I spat, blood trickling from my split lip.
I grabbed Olivia''s arm, pulling up her sleeve to reveal the scarred skin beneath. The permanent marks that even enhanced
werewolf healing couldn''t erasepletely.
"Look at what you''ve driven her to!" I shouted, forcing him to see the evidence of her desperation. "These scars will never fully
heal. She wanted to die so badly she made sure nothing could save her."
Ethan''s eyes widened slightly, his gaze fixed on the silvery lines crisscrossing her wrists. For a moment, his mask slipped, revealing something that looked almost like pain.
"Let her go, Ethan," I pleaded, my voice breaking. "Haven''t you done enough?"
Olivia swayed beside me, the alcohol and emotional exhaustion taking their toll. Her emerald eyes were unfocused, tears
streaming down her face.
"If her mother dies while you''re ying these power games, we''ll lose her forever this time," I warned, my grip tightening
protectively around her shoulders.
Ethan''s jaw clenched, his Alpha authority radiating outward as he signaled to his security team. "Restrain him."
Two burly wolves grabbed my arms, pulling me away from Olivia. I struggled against their grip, watching helplessly as Ethan
lifted Olivia''s limp form into his arms.
"This isn''t over!" I shouted as he carried her toward the door. "She''ll never forgive you for this!"
Ethan paused, looking back at me with cold determination. "She doesn''t have to forgive me. She just has to live."
(Olivia''s POV)
I woke to the gentle motion of a car, my head pounding and stomach churning. Through blurry vision, I recognized the interior of
Ethan''s Maybach.
"Pull over," I mumbled, feeling bile rise in my throat.
Ethan nced at me, then immediately signaled to his driver. The car had barely stopped when I flung the door open, falling to
my knees on the roadside.
The moonlight illuminated my hands as I braced myself against the ground,
vomiting violently. My sleeves had ridden up,
exposing the scars that I usually kept hidden.
When the heaving finally stopped, I became aware of Ethan standing beside me,
his eyes fixed on my wrists. I yanked my sleeves
down, but it was toote. He had seen them clearly now.
"Get back in the car," he said quietly.
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, ring up at him. "Go to hell."
Despite my defiance, I had no choice but toply. My mother''s surgery depended on his approval, and we both knew it.
Once we were moving again, Ethan broke the silence. "When did
you
do it?"
His voice was unnaturally controlled, as if he was struggling to maintain hisposure.
"What does it matter to you?" Iughed bitterly. "You were too busy taking Emma to Enchanted Kingdom while our daughter was
dying."
The memory still cut like a knife. Lily''s birthday wish had been so simple - to visit
the theme park with her father. Instead, Ethan
had taken Victoria''s daughter there, posting pictures on social media for everyone
to see.