Chapter 0138

Athena

Isabella persuades me to remain at the party.

She somehow gets me to sit still and do nothing.

To let Alexander and Theodore watch Ethan while I relaxed.

I couldn’t relax.

Not even a little.

Staying calm was the last thing on my mind.

“I should just end him now!” I whisper for what feels like the hundredth time. “Just get it over with.”

‘I agree!’ Nyx murmurs inside me.

“Shifting won’t help your situation. You said it yourself—you feel pain right before shifting. And if you were a Wolf, you wouldn’t be able to shift anyway! Think of the babies.”

“I am thinking of them!” I snap back.

“I know you want him gone. Honestly, I do too. But just do this for me, okay? Let the men handle it.”

“If something happens—”

“Nothing will happen! There are too many people here. It would be suicide.”

‘I don’t think Ethan cares about that.’

My instincts screamed at me, and so did Nyx.

She hated sitting here, doing nothing.

She hated waiting when she knew we could end him in seconds and be done with it.

“Besides, what do you think his pack will do when they find out you killed him?” Isabella whisper-shouts.

“I…I don’t know.”

“Exactly. We don’t need another war. At least not yet.”

I glance toward the bar.

Ethan is seated there.

Alexander and Theodore flank him as he downs drink after drink.

“He’s going to be too drunk to do anything anyway!” Isabella says with a smile.

After a few more rounds, Ethan leaves his seat.

The other two stay at the bar, avoiding suspicion as Ethan stumbles toward the dance floor.

He lasts about three seconds there.

The moment he sees me, he wobbles in my direction.

A wide, sloppy grin spreads across his face.

“Athena.” His words slur as he stops before me. “Care to dance?”

“Resting!” I mutter.

“Ah,” he smiles, placing his hands on my stomach.

I want to vomit.

Who does that?

“The pups. One little spin won’t hurt them!”

“She’s on rest. Doctor’s orders,” Isabella says, standing.

“Pfft!” He grabs me and yanks me into the air.

He holds me against him, just high enough that my feet can’t touch the ground.

“Let her go!” Isabella snaps.

He glares at her and spins me away. “We need to talk.”

Each twirl makes me nauseous.

With my feet off the floor, I can’t break free from his iron grip.

He presses my stomach against his.

His arms coil around me.

His face comes dangerously close to mine.

“I think you’re lying to me about your precious Alpha.” The slurring vanishes completely.

It’s as if I hadn’t watched him drink nonstop.

He spins us again, moving me toward a dark corner.

I see Alexander and Theodore heading my way.

If Ethan tries anything, they’ll be too far to save me.

They need to move faster.

“Please put me down,” I say, digging my nails into his arms.

“Not until you tell me where your mate is.” His dark grey eyes narrow as he waits.

He leans in close.

His foul breath fans my face.

“You see, I know, Athena. I know my brother didn’t make it home. I know Sophia didn’t either. So I’ll ask one more time—where is your mate?”

“I already told you, he’s working in the city,” I whisper.

He spins faster, impossibly so.

His hands slide to my lower back and dig into my skin.

“Don’t lie to me, Athena. I know he killed my brother. I know it’s your birthday—he wouldn’t miss that unless something serious happened.”

“I’m not lying.”

“Spoken like a true liar,” he murmurs, smiling coldly. “Takes one to know one.”

“Let her go, Ethan.” Sebastian appears beside us, halting Ethan’s spinning.