Chapter 5
After all, no matter how much it hurt, I always waited for him, quietly, willingly, always hoping he'd come back to me.
He'd gotten used to me always being there, always following him wherever he went.
Everyone around him said it, whispered it like a fact: Ivy could never leave Ethan, that I'd die without an Alpha's protection, without his guidance.
He believed it, too, with the arrogance of an Alpha.
I kept dragging my suitcases, determined to leave, but Ella's soft, triumphant voice stopped me in my tracks. "Ethan, you're here."
She threw herself into his arms, clinging to his arm, rubbing her scent all over him, a blatant display of possession for my benefit.
"How's your rash?" Ethan brushed the hair from her forehead, checking her skin gently, his gaze as tender as if she were a precious cub.
Ella smiled, her eyes crinkling, her act of innocence flawless, "Much better. Don't be mad at Ivy, Ethan."
She clung to Ethan's arm, giving it a gentle, playful shake as she spoke.
"It's my fault, really. If I weren't so weak after my first transformation and allergic to something as common as evening primrose, the Elder Council wouldn't have made us swap rooms.
"Ivy wouldn't have resented me, wouldn't have tried to hurt me."
"How could anyone blame you? She's the one being petty, acting like some feral, uncivilized wolf," Ethan said with a dismissive snort.
He glanced at me, then wrapped Ella in his arms, letting his Alpha pheromones wash over her in a protective gesture.
"Come on, let's head inside. You're just getting better. Don't risk catching a cold," he said gently, guiding her away.
"Okay," Ella replied softly.
I watched them walk away, inseparable, their laughter echoing through the air, and felt nothing.
My wolf turned away, refusing to look at the sickening sight, its resolve as strong as mine.
After my mother's death anniversary, Marcus never came to fetch me.
Ethan's full moon transformation arrived in the blink of an eye, a day that once would have consumed my thoughts.
In years past, I'd have spent days preparing herbs to calm his Alpha's rage during the shift, organizing the grandest full moon feast, and arranging the traditional rituals to honor the Moon Goddess.
This time, I did no preparations, no celebration, no care.
At five o'clock that afternoon, I was in the car heading to the airport.
My phone kept lighting up with a steady stream of new messages.
Marcus was nagging me over text: [Why aren't you here yet? Linda, Ella, and I are already at the Pack House.]
[Ivy, you need to be the bigger person. Ethan's going to be Alpha someday, and we're supposed to be allies.]
[If you don't come, people will talk. They'll think there's strife between you, and it'll hurt the family's reputation. Do the right thing.]
I laughed, a cold, hollow sound, before deleting the messages and blocking his number.
As I prepared to board, a text arrived from Ethan, his arrogance still intact: [Where are you? Everyone in the Pack is waiting for you. My wolf's getting agitated. I need you to settle him down.]
I smirked, deleting the text and blocking all his contacts.
Then I walked through the boarding gate, never looking back.
*****
Seven o'clock chimed, and the full moon hung low on the horizon.
Ethan's transformation ceremony should have been underway.
Perched on the main throne, he twirled a lighter between his fingers, his expression neutral, yet every Beta around him picked up on the restlessness seeping from his pores.
Now and then, he'd check his watch.
And every so often, he'd unlock his phone, as if waiting for something.
Ella bit her lower lip, tugging softly at his sleeve while releasing a wave of calming pheromones.
"Ethan, it's getting late. The full moon's almost risen, and everyone's waiting for you to start," she said.
A smile appeared on his face as he glanced at her, but it never reached his eyes.
He gave her cheek a quick squeeze, his tone light and teasing. "You're the one who can't wait, aren't you?"
"Can you blame me?" Ella snuggled into his chest, her voice syrupy sweet. "I've been dying to see you in your giant wolf form. The way you look so majestic, so powerful."
A faint, familiar scent tickled Ethan's nose.
He froze, brows furrowing slightly as he leaned in. "What essential oil are you wearing?"
"I just grabbed whatever was on the counter at home and used it." Ella looked a bit surprised. "Is it not to your liking, Ethan?"
Ethan shook his head. "No, it's nice."
It was the same blend of evening primrose and lavender Ivy always wore, the fragrance from the sachets she carried to help soothe his wild wolf instincts.
The brand slipped his mind, but the scent quieted the restlessness in his veins, if only for a fleeting moment.
Laughter and chatter filled the room as the full moon feast kicked off, but Ethan excused himself, grabbed a pack of cigarettes, and headed for the terrace.
His phone stayed silent. There were no messages, no calls, nothing but a blank screen.
He remembered Ivy's promise, clear as day: she'd never miss a single transformation, would be his anchor, would stand by his side through the agony of shifting.
She'd broken that promise faster than he could have imagined.
Coldness settled in Ethan's eyes, a bitter smirk curving his lips as he typed, fingers tight with irritation: [Ivy, are you dead? Reply to me.]
He hit send.
But the message failed to send. The "sent" tick remained stubbornly grey, refusing to deliver.
He knew what it meant: he was blocked.
Without a second thought, he dialed her number, only to be met with the automated voice telling him the line was disconnected.
On the terrace, he stared out at the dark night and the rising full moon, a nameless rage burning in his chest, tangled with a sharp, unspoken ache of rejection.
He'd been the one to push her away, the one to choose Ella, the one who'd grown tired of her constant presence.
Now that everything was exactly as he'd demanded, an emptiness gnawed at him.
It was so deep that his wolf form wavered, unstable and unruly.