Alpha King Chases Abandoned Luna

Ethan remained still, his amber eyes unreadable as they stared straight ahead. I had expected him to be at least slightly affected by my proximity, but he seemed completely unmoved.

"Chen," Ethan's voice cut through the silence, startling me. "Take Ms. Frost home."

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Clogies 41 The Sting of B

I froze, my hand still on his thigh. "But Ethan," I protested, dropping the pretense

of intoxication. I thought wenoveldrama

were going back to your place."

"I have business to attend to," he replied, his voice devoid of emotion

Before I could respond, he had opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle. I watched in disbelief as he

shut the door firmly behind him.

"Wait!" I called out, but he was already walking away, his powerful figure

disappearing into the shadows of

the parking garage.

I sat back against the leather seat, my carefully constructed facade crumbling. Had he seen through my act?

Was he still angry about the Pack Healer's Crystal Competition?

"Would you like me to take you home now, Ms. Frost?" Maxwell asked from the front seat, his voice professional and detached.

I swallowed my frustration and nodded. "Yes, please."

As the car pulled away, I stared out the window, my reflection staring back at me with worried eyes. For the first time, I felt a flicker of doubt about my hold on Ethan Stone.

(Olivia's POV)

The solid chest I had collided with belonged to none other than Ethan Stone. His amber eyes looked down at

me with a mixture of coldness and amusement as I clutched his formal jacket for support.

"Counting steps now, are we?" he asked, his deep voice vibrating through his chest.

I immediately tried to push away, but my inebriated state made the movement too forceful, I stumbled

backward, nearly falling before Ethan's strong hands caught my elbows.

"Let go," I demanded, my voice sounding slurred even to my own ears.

"So you can fall flat on your face? I think not," Ethan replied, his grip remaining firm.

The moonlight illuminated his features, highlighting the sharp angles of his face. He looked unfairly handsome, his black hair slightly tousled by the night breeze. "Where's Victoria?" I asked bitterly. "Shouldn't you be taking her home?"

A shadow crossed Ethan's face. "Victoria is on her way home."

I laughed, the sound hollow and pained. "So you've come to check on your other responsibility? How dutiful of you, Alpha King."

I tried again to pull away, and this time Ethan released me. Without his support, I

swayed dangerously, the garden spinning around me.

"You're drunk," he stated flatly.

"How observant," I shot back. "Did you figure that out all by yourself?"

My foot cat on

I took an unsteady step toward the stone bench, determined to reach it without his help. My foot ca

an uneven paving stone, and I pitched forward.

Once again, Ethan was there, catching me before I could hit the ground. This time, he didn't just steady me- he swept me into his arms, cradling me against his

chest.

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III

"Put me down! i protested, pushing weakly against him,

"Stop struggling," he commanded, his Alpha voice sending a shiver down my spine.

I fell silent, too dizzy and too tired to fight anymore. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my ear was

oddly comforting.

"Why are you here?" I asked quietly after a moment. "Why aren't you with her?" Ethan didn't answer immediately. He carried me to the stone bench and set me down gently, then took a seat.

beside me.

"You shouldn't drink if you can't handle it," he said, ignoring my question.

I turned my face away from him, staring at the moonflowers that lined the garden path. “You didn't answer

my question."

"I don't owe you an explanation for my actions, he replied coldly.

The familiar sting of rejection washed over me. Of course he wouldn't explain. He never did.

"Then leave," I whispered. "Go back to Victoria. She needs you more than I do." Ethan remained seated, his presence both comforting and torturous. The silence between us stretched, filled with unspoken words and buried emotions.

"Can you walk?" he finally asked, his voice softer than before.

I nodded, though I wasn't entirely sure. "I just need a minute."

"I'll wait," he said simply.

We sat there under the moonlight, the fragrance of moonflowers enveloping us in

a sweet cocoon. For a brief moment, I could almost pretend we were just Ethan and Olivia again, not the Alpha King and his discarded

mate.

I closed my eyes, fighting back tears that threatened to fall. When I opened them again, I carefully counted

my steps once more.

"One... two... three..." I whispered, focusing intently on each placement of my feet.

Ethan watched me with a mixture of coldness and amusement. As I reached "eight," I stumbled forward, directly into Ethan's broad chest, my hands instinctively clutching his formal jacket for support.