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 slave 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, clamping 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 hiccup, “And you can’t marry Nina.” I assert inanely. “You’re my mate. She can’t have you.

Ethan purrs, and I want to lash out at him for comforting me. “I don’t want to fight, Janey. The Writing is on the wall.” He nuzzles my neck. “Let’s just be together this one last 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 succession. “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 opportunity lasts.

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 for later.”

You know the problem with this plan, 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, belatedly 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 planning 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 exclaims.

“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?

“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 play tricks or hatch dibolical plans!” Riley exclaims 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 1explai “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 my laughter. 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 plans 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 clarifies 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.” She laments 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 out laughing, “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! Ryder laughs “Yeah Mommy, that was a silly question.” Paisley confirms “All right, fair enough” I chuckle. “Point taken.

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