Chapter 11
Ethan’s POV
Ethan stood at the full–length window in his study, his knuckles tapping the mahogany desk.
The full moon was approaching, and his wolf was particularly restless.
He had just kicked Isabella out of the pack house, but now there was something more important.
His assistant hurried in, handing him a file. “Alpha, we’ve confirmed the former Luna’s location. She’s at an art therapy studio on the West Coast. Our trackers finally picked up her scent trail.”
The file included a candid photo-
Aria was crouching in front of a little girl, gently wiping paint from her face.
Standing beside Aria was a tall, bespectacled man, watching them with a smile.
From the photo, the man exuded a faint wolf scent.
Sunlight streamed through a window, bathing the three of them in a warm glow.
The domestic scene was a dagger to his pride.
Ethan’s fingers tightened unconsciously, crinkling the edge of the photo, his wolf roaring with jealousy.
The way that man looked at Aria… he knew it all too well.
It was a tenderness he had never given Aria.
What angered him even more was that the man was also a wolf!
“Get the car ready,” he said coldly, his Alpha pressure making the assistant flinch. “We’re going now.”
On the way, Mason and Maya were unusually quiet.
They pressed their faces against the car window, looking at the unfamiliar city scenery, their small hands nervously clutching their clothes, their little wolf ears twitching anxiously.
Ethan noticed that both cubs had deliberately worn the clothes Aria had bought for them last year–though they were a bit small now.
“Dad,” Mason suddenly asked in a small voice, his young face etched with anxiety, his little wolf tail tucked nervously.
“Do you think… Mom will forgive us?”
Ethan didn’t answer immediately.
He remembered the security footage of Aria’s pained expression as she was pushed down the stairs, and Aria’s determined back as she left.
“She will,” he finally said, not knowing if he was lying to them or to himself.
“Mommy loves you more than anything. Why wouldn’t she want you?”
The car stopped in front of an art therapy studio called “Moonbeam Healing.”
Through the glass window, Ethan saw Aria at once.
She was wearing a simple white T–shirt and jeans, her hair casually tied back, completely focused on using her healing abilities to help a little girl.
Aria’s unique jasmine scent… he could smell it even through the glass.
Sunlight edged Aria’s profile in gold, making her look soft and bright.
The little girl, Sophie, suddenly grabbed a handful of clay and playfully smeared it on Aria’s face.
To Ethan’s surprise, Aria didn’t get angry. Instead, she laughed and pretended to smear it back.
