Alpha King Chases Abandoned Luna novel Chapter 368

(Ethan's POV)

This night was extremely long.

I knelt before Olivia's door, my Alpha pride cast aside as each passing second became an agonizing torment. My wolf whined beneath my skin, exhausted and remorseful.

The cool night air carried Olivia's scent from inside the cottage. So close, yet unreachable. My mate was just beyond this door, but the distance between us felt infinite.

My knees ached against the hard ground, but the physical discomfort was nothing compared to the weight of my guilt. I deserved far worse for what I had done to Olivia and Lily.

Hours passed. The moon traveled across the sky, casting shifting shadows around me. Still, I remained, head bowed in shame.

Dawn approached, painting the horizon with pale light. Birds began their morning songs, oblivious to my suffering.

I had been here since 3 AM, and now the sun was rising. My body was stiff, my muscles protesting, but I wouldn't move. Not until Olivia acknowledged me.

My wolf, usually so proud and dominant, lay subdued within me. We both knew we deserved this penance and much more.

(Olivia's POV)

I woke to the soft ping of my phone. A message from Lucas Blackwood.

Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I opened it to find a video. The timestamp showed it was from last night.

The footage showed Ethan's Shadow Ghost parked outside Victoria Frost's residence at Rosewood Haven. Despite myself, I felt a pang seeing his car there.

Today was both Lily's death anniversary and Emma's birthday. Of course he would be with her.

The video continued. Ethan's car pulled away from the house, engine revving as he accelerated down the private road.

Then something unexpected happened. Emma appeared in the frame, wearing only thin nightclothes, barefoot in the cold night.

She was chasing after Ethan's car, her desperate cries clearly audible through Lucas's enhanced recording device.

"Daddy! Please don't leave me! I'm sorry!" Emma's wolf's desperate whines echoed in the night as she begged for forgiveness.

Ethan didn't stop. Even when Emma fell, her knees scraping against the gravel, he kept driving.

The video ended with Emma crying on the ground, blood staining her nightgown, completely abandoned.

I understood Lucas's intent in sending me this. He wanted me to see Emma's downfall, to witness her suffering as I had suffered.

A cold satisfaction settled in my chest. This was retribution. Victoria and Emma deserved every moment of pain for what she had done to Lily and me.

Losing Ethan's protection and her place in his pack was the ultimate punishment for Emma. Without him, she was nothing in werewolf society.

Before I could reply to Lucas, another notification appeared on my phone. The security system alerted me to someone lingering at my door.

I checked the notification history and froze. Multiple alerts from as early as 3 AM showed Ethan kneeling outside my cottage for almost four hours.

His Alpha scent was strong enough that even the security system had registered it. I wasn't moved by this display.

He must have discovered the truth about Emma. Perhaps he finally saw through her manipulations.

I quickly typed a message to Lucas, thanking him for the video and inviting him for breakfast. Then I prepared to confront Ethan.