Ethan got out of his car, straightened his clothes, and put on a poker face. His wolf senses were on high alert, already detecting something off about the atmosphere surrounding the villa.
He thought to himself that while he would comfort me, he also needed to make me understand the gravity of my actions. His
Alpha instincts demanded he establish boundaries.
“I’ll be gentle but firm,” he muttered to himself. “She needs to learn her place.”
So that in the future, I wouldn’t just take our child and run away on a whim. No Alpha’s mate should have such freedom, he
reasoned, ignoring the voice inside that reminded him I wasn’t just any mate–I was a Silver Crescent heir.
He pushed open the door, ready to receive me as I fell into his arms. His chest puffed slightly, already rehearsing the
magnanimous speech he would give when I inevitably apologized.
But the person who looked up at him was Victoria.
She was on the verge of tears, her mascara already running down her cheeks in black rivulets. “Ethan, where did you go? I
thought you didn’t want me anymore…” Her voice rose to that high–pitched whine that had once seemed endearing but now set
his teeth on edge.
Ethan’s brows furrowed tightly. He had never found Victoria so irritating before. The sweet scent she typically carried now
seemed cloying, suffocating.
“Where is Autumn?” he demanded, not bothering to answer her question.
Victoria’s lips trembled. “She’s gone, Ethan. She took the child and left hours ago.
Impatiently pushing her away, Ethan headed straight upstairs. “Autumn!” he called, taking the steps two at a time, his heart.
racing with a dread he’d never felt before.
But upstairs, there was no sign of me.
