Chapter 181 You’ll come back to me
Ethan’s POV
Unless... unless she’d been planning this for longer than I thought. Maybe she’d been seeing him for months, building a relationship while I was focused on the Pack and Clara.
No. That didn’t make sense. Aria wasn’t that calculating. She didn’t have it in her to be that deceptive.
Did she?
A memory surfaced through the pain, sharp and clear. Years ago, when I’d first proposed to her, when things were still good between us.
When I’d still been trying to convince myself I could make it work with my True Mate instead of the woman I actually loved.
"Aria," I’d asked one night, testing the waters. "If I ever hurt you—not on purpose, but if I made a mistake—would you forgive me?"
She’d smiled at me, that sweet, trusting smile that used to make my wolf purr with satisfaction.
"Of course I would. You’re my husband, Ethan. You’ve been so good to me. We’ve built something real together, something worth fighting for. I wouldn’t throw that away over one mistake."
The words echoed in my head now, taking on new meaning.
She’d loved me for so many years.
That kind of love doesn’t just disappear overnight. It doesn’t evaporate the moment you discover some uncomfortable truths. If anything, the deeper the wound, the harder it is to let go.
A bitter laugh escaped my throat, sending fresh pain shooting through my ribs.
This was all an act. It had to be. Aria was hurt—rightfully so—and she was lashing out, trying to hurt me the way I’d hurt her. This mystery husband, this sudden coldness, the threats about exposing our arrangement... it was all part of her revenge fantasy.
But revenge fantasies don’t last. Reality sets in. The initial rush of anger fades, and you’re left with what you actually had, what you’re giving up.
The more vicious she acted, the more she tried to convince me she’d moved on, the clearer it became:
She was desperately trying to convince herself. Every cruel word, every threat, every display of indifference was just proof that she still cared.
Because if she truly didn’t care, if she’d genuinely moved on, she wouldn’t be putting on such an elaborate show.
She’d just... leave.
My phone buzzed with a text from Clara saying she was ten minutes away. I let my head fall back against the headrest, staring at the car’s ceiling through swollen eyes.
Fine, Aria. You want to play this game? You want to find some nobody to parade around as your husband, thinking it’ll make me jealous?
You want to threaten me with recordings and public scandals?
Go ahead. Do your worst.
Because I knew the truth. I knew that underneath all that anger, all that hurt, there was still the woman who’d loved me unconditionally for six years.
The woman who’d moved into my pack house as a naive college graduate, who’d worked herself to exhaustion building my company, who’d endured my mother’s cruelty and Clara’s smugness all because she believed in us.
That woman was still in there.
The pain in my ribs flared as I shifted in my seat. Jesus, those guards had really done a number on me.
The bastards had known exactly where to hit to cause maximum damage without leaving obvious external injuries.
Professional. Military-trained, maybe.
What kind of man had Aria gotten involved with who could command that level of loyalty and violence?
A flash of doubt crossed my mind, quickly suppressed. No. Whoever this guy was, whatever temporary infatuation Aria thought she felt, it wouldn’t last. It couldn’t last.
Because at the end of the day, she knew me. She knew my family, my pack, my world.
We had history—real, deep history that some flashy newcomer with violent tendencies couldn’t compete with.
I just needed to be patient. Let her get this out of her system. Let her have her little tantrum.
And when she came crawling back—and she would come back, they always did—I’d be magnanimous.
I’d forgive her little rebellion, welcome her home, and she will become the true Luna.
I smiled despite the pain splitting my lip.
Let’s see how long you can keep this up, Aria.
Let’s see how long before you realize that walking away from me means walking away from everything you’ve built, everyone you know, the entire life you’ve created over the past six years.
You think you’re strong enough to start over? You think this mystery husband will stick around when the novelty wears off and he’s left with a damaged, bitter woman nursing a broken bond?
Please. I’d love to see you try.
Because when you fail—and you will fail—I’ll be right here, ready to take you back.
That’s what True Mates do, after all.
We forgive.