Chapter 218


    Jane


    Ethan winces, then kisses me again, long and deep. When he pulls away, I feel tears in my eyes. I


    already know he hasn’t been swayed by my pleading. “I know it hurts right now, Jane.” He


    acknowledges, looking truly aggrieved. “It hurts me too. But one day you’ll see that I’m right.” His thumb


    brushes a stray tear from my cheek. “You were so much better off without me. You built a fragrance


    empire and raised three amazing pups all by yourself. But a few months with me and you were on my


    floor, begging to be a ve again.”


    “That wasn’t because I was with you, it was because I wasn’t!”I argue fiercely.


    “It was because of what I did to you!” Ethan explodes, his wolf glowing in his eyes. “I took a strong,


    independent woman with the world at her feet, and turned her into a hopeless, broken shell of a person


    without dignity or a single shred of self worth.


    “You took a woman who had been going through the motions for years, how to actually live again.” I


    correct him. “Which is why I was so devastated when I lost you. You taught me how to trust again


    “And then I smashed it into pieces!” Ethan reminds me, mping his eyes shut and pursing his lips.


    “Listen Jane, I know this isn’t what you want and believe me when I say that I wish things could be


    different,” He sighs. “But they can’t. I promised myself I would never put you at risk again, and being


    with me has done nothing but break your heart and crush your soul time and again I have to take


    responsibility for that, and that means protecting you from myself even and especially when you dont


    want me to.”


    My tears are falling freely now, and I’m clinging to Ethan as he rubs my back. “You’re wrong. I’m not


    going to give up, I’m not going to let you get away with this I hup, “And you can’t marry Nina.” I


    assert inanely. “You’re my mate. She can’t have you.


    Ethan purrs, and I want tosh out at him forforting me. “I don’t want to fight, Janey. The Writing is


    on the wall.” He nuzzles my neck. “Let’s just be together this onest time. Let me hold you, let me kiss


    you and watch over you while you rest” He suggests, stealing another deep kiss from my tear-stained


    lips. “And when you wake up we’ll start fresh. This is a new beginning for both of us it doesn’t have to


    be sad”


    “But it is sad.”I insist sullenly. “And there’s nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise. This


    isn’t right”


    “shhh,” Ethan croons, stroking my hair. “it will all seem better in the morning.”


    “That’s stupid” I sniffle. “It’s already morning.


    He chuckles, pressing his lips to my temple in quick session. “You know what I mean.”


    I snuggle closer, deciding that even if Ethan can’t be reasoned with right now, I might as well get a few


    cuddles out of this while the opportunitysts.


    I’m not giving up, but he has a point a limited amount of time that he’ll allow me to be affectionate with


    him this way, so I might as well take advantage of it and save the fighting forter.”


    You know the problem with this n, don’t you?” I inquire, turning my face up to his.


    “Tell me?” Ethan encourages, gazing down at me with utmnost affection.


    I run my hands over his powerful shoulders, btedly wondering how he managed to stay in Such


    amazing shape while he was paralyzed. “Now I never want to fall asleep.”


    “Hmm, Ethan rumbles thoughtfully. “That is a dilemma. I suppose I’ll just have to kiss you until you’re


    too exhausted to continue.”


    I can’t help the smile that stretches across my features. “Deal.”


    When I wake up, I feel as though I’ve been emotionally wrung out and there are no more tears or


    feelings left in my overwrought body. I slip from Ethan’s bed, not wanting to be there when he wakes.


    He’s only going to send me away, and I need some time to regroup.


    I know that Ethan has the upper hand here. He’s been nning for months while I’ve been in the dark.


    Now I have to find a way to beat him at his own game, and I don’t have much time at all. My only


    advantage is that Ethan wasn’t prepared for me to learn the truth that and he clearly has a weak spot


    where I’m concerned. He still loves me, still wants me, and I can use that against him. Not to mention, I


    have four not-so-secret weapons up my sleeve, and a fifth on the way.


    When I find the pups in the on-site childcare center, they’re just waking from their own naps. I eagerly


    pull them into a hug, feeling a familiar spark of emotion reignite in my chest. “Hello my babies.”


    “Mommy, mommy, we missed you!” Riley exims.


    “How’s Daddy?” Paisley adds anxiously.


    “Your Daddy is being really hard headed”I confess, trading out my girls for Parker and Ryder.


    They’re quickly getting too big for me to hug them all at once, and I miss the days when I could fit all


    my pups in my arms at once. But we’ re not going to let him get away with it, okay? I search their young


    faces for understanding I’m going to need your help, my loves. We have to beat Daddy at his own


    game and it wont be easy.


    “Mommy. Parker eyes me curiously, a mischievous light in his eyes. “Are you saying we gets to plot?


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    “And scheme? Ryder adds in an excited whisper.


    “That’s right.” I confirm, grinning at the excited pups. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.


    “But you never lets us y tricks or hatch dibolical ns!” Riley exims in disbelief.


    “Well I think diabolical is a strong word, angel I reply, knowing that my daughter’s definition of diabolical


    is more akin to general shenanigans than any kind of menace. Still, Riley is easily the most devious of


    my pups, and I want to both encourage her cunning and ensure that she only uses her powers for


    good. “We’re just going to be convincing Daddy to see the error of his ways.


    “Was the error of his ways?” Paisley asks, furrowing her brow


    That’s just an expression that means, where he went wrong or the mistake that took him down the


    wrong path 1exi “And in Daddy’s case that’s thinking that we’re better off without him.


    “Mommy, that’s not an error, I think the word you’re looking for is just stupid Parker points out, quite


    astutely “I love Daddy, but he’s being a big dumb-dumb.


    I purse my lips to hold back myughter. My pups know better than to call other people stupid and in


    fairness, l’ve never heard them lob the word at other children. Still, I can’t argue with Parker’s


    assessment, Ethan is definitely being a dumb- dumb.


    “Well whatever we call it, we have to find a way to make him see how wrong he is.I answer. Now I have


    an idea for how we can start, but Im going to need your help for the rest.”


    The pups all crowd in a little closer, their expressions full of mischief. “How do we starts?”


    “Well, your Daddy is going to be in the hospital for a few days recovering, and since we’ll be staying in


    the Penthouse while we’re here, I was thinking we could move our things from the Dark Moon pack


    back in.”I share, already forming the ns in my head. “By the time he gets home, all our stuff could be


    here and unpacked.”


    “You mean we can sneak moves in? Ryder rifies eagerly.


    “That’s exactly right.” I praise him. “Your Daddy’s going to have a much harder time avoiding us if we


    live with him, and luckily for us my name is still on the deed from when we were married. So he can’t


    kick us out.”


    “Mommy that’s brilliant!” Parker giggles.


    “Well thank you,” I beam. “I’m going to move my business here too, which will take more time, but


    listen: we’re a family, and I want us all to be on the same page” There’s a small tremor in my voice. I


    think I know my pups’ hearts, but I don’t want to make this decision without giving them all a voice in


    the matter. “So do we all agree that this is the Tight things to do? Do any of you want to stay in the


    Dark Moon pack, or think we should let Daddy marry Nina?”


    The pups exchanged a surprised look, and then Riley sighs dramatically, shaking her head. “Oh no,


    you guys.” Shements gravely, “I think Daddy’s dumbness is rubbing off on Mommy.” She gestures to


    me as if I’m a very pathetic figure indeed. “She’s ready losing her mind”


    I burst outughing, “how dare you!”I joke catching Riley and tickling her until she’s squealing and


    writhing on the floor. “I was only asking! I just wanted to make sure we all agreed The other pups are


    giggling too, “Of course we agree! Ryderughs


    “Yeah Mommy, that was a silly question.” Paisley confirms


    “All right, fair enough” I chuckle. “Point taken.


    Nowe on you little rascals, it’s time to pull one over on the Alpha.”