Ch. 76..80: The Luna and her Quadruplet Pups Chapter 76-80
The Luna And Her Quadruplet Pups Chapter 76
Jane
The vineyard sprawls before Ethan and me, neat rows of grapes lining the rolling hills of the NightFang valley and painting the lush earth with verdant vines. I breathe in the fresh montane air as Ethan tucks me under his arm, sipping from my third sample glass of the day.
We’ve only been here for about an hour, but I already feel more relaxed than I have in a very long time. The generous wine samples help, but more than anything else l’m just relieved to know my fears about Ethan were false.
The press conference he gave yesterday finally put my tormented heart at ease, proving once and for all that he doesn’t intend to let me take the fall for Petra’s murder. I suppose Eric would say it’s another trick, another example of the Alpha trying to prove he’s on my side so that I won’t blame him when things go wrong, but this occasion is so unlike the first time.
The Ethan who imprisoned me was nothing like the man who took on the pack and proclaimed my innocence while damning Eve, and this feels nothing like the aftermath of that horrible attack on my graduation trip. I almost feel silly for convincing myself he might be involved somehow. After all, Eric wasn’t there last time and I was – I know how it felt and I know how different things are this time around.
One of the vineyard employees appears by our side then, exchanging our empty glasses for fresh ones. She pours the decadent burgundy liquid into graceful crystal glasses while describing the vintage in more detail than I honestly needed, but I don’t complain. This vineyard’s tasting portions are more like full-sized servings in a restaurant than true samples.
Sipping the new sample once she departs, I sigh contentedly as I savor the taste. Then, feeling the fine hairs on the back of my neck rise to stand on end, I glance to my left and catch Ethan watching me with a tender smile. “| think we might need to get some food into you.” He teases, “you’re going to be completely sloshed.”
“Hey, I’m no light weight.” I reply haughtily, turning my nose up at the presumptuous statement.
“Except in the literal sense of the word.” Ethan chuckles, raking his eyes over my body, “you forget that I know you better than I know myself, Janey.”
“Maybe you used to.” I reply, slipping out of his hold and sauntering towards the villa’s tasting room, but it’s been a long time. Wrangling three pups builds up your tolerance like nothing else.”
“Uh-huh.” He indulges me, following at a close distance, “is that why you can’t walk in a straight line?”
Straightening up indignantly, I grouse, “hey, you wanted us to relax and have fun, not me. You don’t get to backtrack because your idea worked too well.”
“I’m not backtracking” Ethan grins, “l simply think we can avoid a nasty hangover if we have some lunch with our drinks.”
Pursing my l!ps, I ponder the vineyard’s offerings, suddenly realizing how good a charcuterie board sounds. “Can we keep sampling while we eat?” | inquire hopefully, “I wouldn’t want to waste the pairings.”
“We can do whatever you want, gorgeous!” Ethan agrees, tucking me under his arm as we return to the main building.
A little while later I’m salivating over a curated spread of rustic bread, fruit, cheese and meat, and Ethan is eyeing me as if I’m the meal, rather than the food on the table between us. I know I’m entering dangerous territory here, because l’m painfully conscious of his attention, yet I have no intention of discouraging it at all. Clearly I didn’t realize how heavily Ethan’s potential betrayal had been weighing on me, because despite my situation being every bit as dire as it had been a few days ago, I suddenly feel light as a feather.
“Are you going to have some of this,” l ask him saucily, “or are you just going to keep staring at me?”
“Can you blame me?” He remarks, arching a brow.
“You have to admit it’s an incredible view.”
“I dunno.” I flirt, throwing caution to the wind. “
Mine’s not so bad either.”
Ethan shakes his head and laughs, “You’re trouble, you know that?”
“Where do you think the pups got it?” I counter, unable to contain my beam. I know some of my good spirits are purely from the wine, but if l’m being honest I know I’m just using the wine as an excuse to release some of the pent up s****l tension between us. It’s been building for so long, and it’s taken all my strength to resist Ethan. It feels nice to indulge it, knowing I can always deflect him by blaming the booze.
“It’s so good to see you smiling” Ethan tells me, leaning forward to brush a lock of hair from my eyes.
You really needed this.”
Clean into his warmth, preening shamelessly as he pets and admires me. “Well it helps that I know you’re not sabotaging me now.”
I know the words are a mistake before they’ve even left my mouth, but the wine has loosened my tongue, and I can’t take them back no matter how much I might want to. Pressing my fingers to my l!ps, I glance at Ethan, hoping he didn’t catch my meaning.
Unfortunately for me, Ethan is twice my size and not nearly as affected by the alcohol. His muscles tense dangerously, and I have the sudden urge to flee. “What do you mean?”
“I..” Flushing deeply, I try to walk back my statement. “I’m sorry, I’m talking total nonsense. Too much wine I suppose.”
Ethan’s sharp eyes remain locked on my own, and I can’t help but lower my gaze in submission.
Jane, look at me” He orders, his deep voice raking over my skin like velvet wrapped steel. He waits until I hesitantly lift my gaze to his, his dark brow deeply furrowed. “Did you think I had something to do with all this? With the investigators focusing on you as a suspect?”
“No, honestly, l’m just tipsy. Don’t even listen to me I deflect, rising from my chair.
Ethan stands too, following me as I try to retreat towards the vineyard.”Tell me the truth, little wolf” He commands, catching my arm and channeling all his Alpha authority into his voice.
I try to pull out of his grasp, but he doesn’t give me an inch. Instead l just end up restlessly squirming and probably making myself look even guiltier than before.
“It wasn’t like that…”I sigh, “I never even would have considered it, then Eric got all in my head and l just, I don’t know, I freaked out Ethan.”
“What are you saying?” He demands, his dark eyes narrowed to slits as he towers Over me.
“For a hot second there, I thought you might be framing me so you could keep me and the pups… if l was found guilty you could take custody and use your power to get me sentenced to house arrest… you could make me your slave again.” I whisper, ashamed of myself for ever buying into Eric’s suspicions. “I’m sorry, I know it was a crazy idea, I was just so afraid and every time the police came up with something new it sort of seemed like it might be real.”
To my surprise, Ethan releases me abruptly, all his warmth leaving my body at once and making me feel as though I’ve been dunked in an ice bath. When I peek up at him, I can see he’s shaking with barely contained rage. “You thought l killed my mother so that could make you my personal prisoner?” He repeats, his jaw ticking dangerously.
really
“I’m sorry!” I repeat desperately, “I never believed you would harm Petra, things just kept going wrong and I kept hearing Eric’s voice in my head making me paranoid!”
“So you didn’t believe I would hurt my own mother, but you had no problem buying into the idea that I would enslave you – after everything we’ve been through, after how far we’ve come!” Ethan thunders, clenching and unclenching his fists so fiercely his knuckles went white.
“I mean..” I squeak, wringing my hands and backing away from him, “it’s not that crazy, is it? You did it once before.”
Ethan prowls towards me, every bit of humanity erased from his visage. He’s pure animal now, and my heart begins pounding fearfully in my chest. “You need to walk away, Janey.” He growls, “before it’s too late.”
Despite my racing pulse and hammering heart, I also feel butterflies explode in my belly – triggered by the predator bearing down on me. “Why? What will happen if l don’t?” I whisper.
“Walk away, before I lose control.” He orders, his wolf glowing behind his eyes and making his usually inky irises appear amber.
I’m not sure whether Ethan wants to kill me or k!ss me, but I’m sure it’s one of the two. We’re still standing in the middle of a public place, and the little devil seated on my shoulder is urging me to push him, just to see what he’ll do. “No. l decide, tilting my chỉn up stubbornly, “I’m not going anywhere. It’s not my fault for thinking the worst of you Ethan. You did that all on your own.”
The Luna And Her Quadruplet Pups Chapter 77
Ethan
Even as fury overwhelms me, my wolf can’t help but puff up with pride. My naughty little mate might not realize it, but she would never häve pushed me this way unless she felt safe doing so. It actually makes the fact that she believed I might be framing her even more outrageous, because she clearly knows I won’t harm her.
Then again, maybe she’s tipsy enough that she’s simply thrown caution to the wind. The scent of her obvious ar0usal is driving my hunger for her higher and higher, and it’s entirely possible that she’s gambling on my reaction to her provocation, hoping I won’t hurt her despite her better judgment.
Either way, she’s going to get her wish.
Without another word I close the distance between u, bending at the waist and hitching her up over my shoulder.
Jane yelps as I unceremoniously cart her away as if she’s a sack of potatoes, her small fists pounding my back once her mouth catches up to her brain, “Hey! What are you doing?
Put me down!” She orders, sounding about as intimidating as an angry kitten.
“I warned you, baby.” I remind her, swatting her behind when she continues to struggle against my hold. “You’re the one who chose not to listen.
“Where are you taking me?” Jane demands, whipping her head left and right before dropping her voice to an affronted whisper. “Ethan, there are people watching! We’re in public.”
“Maybe you should have thought of that before you decided to mouth off to your Alpha.” I scold, not giving her an inch of leeway.
“You’re not my Alpha.” She mutters mutinously, trying and failing to kick her legs in defiance.
“Alright,” l amend, “then you should have thought of that before you decided to mouth off to your mate.”
“You’re not that either:” Jane grumbles, “not anymore.”
“According to the Goddess I am” I remind her smugly, resting my hand on the back of her thighs just to taunt her.
Once a mate, always a mate.”
“Well not according to the courts.” She hisses fiercely.
I stride into the vineyards store room, scanning the small space to make sure we’re alone before shutting the door behind me and depositing Jane on a desk by the entrance.
The windowless space is full of sealed casks and smells of wine and wood, but my senses are too full of Jane to take notice.
Sprawled on her back, her hair a golden halo around her head, my former mate is glaring up at me with her brilliant green eyes. Leaning over her prone form, I circle her nape in one powerful hand, resisting the urge to fist my hand in her silky hair. “Last chance, little wolf” I warn her. “If you tell me to stop now, I will. If not, you pay the price.”
She studies me closely, and I can practically see the gears turning in her head as she weighs her options. Part of me fears I’m pushing too hard, especially with our history, but my Alpha instincts are driving me now. My wolf knows what the omega needs even if I remain uncertain.
Sure enough, Jane bares her teeth a moment later and challenges me outright, her stunning eyes ablaze with desire.
“Bite me.” She snaps, trying to rise up from the desk.
I catch her shoulder, pressing her back down before lowering my body over hers. Now I do slide my hand into her hair, tangling my fingers in the shining mass and pulling her head back to expose her neck to my sharp canines. “Gladly.”‘ I reply, closing my teeth around my faded mark.
I don’t bite down, as much as I want to. Instead I pause and gauge her reaction, chuckling darkly when she arches her back and tries to rub her swollen bre*asts against my chest. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for this?” l question, retracting my fangs and instead k!ssing my way up her neck. Jane gasps softly, squirming beneath me and unconsciously licking her pink lips as I stare down at her.
“Waiting for what?” She goads, “you haven’t done anything yet.”
With a ravenous growl I claim her mouth, cutting off her defiant words and swallowing her cry of surprise. I catch her l!ps between mine over and over again, teasing the seam of her l!ps with my tongue and delving deep when they part.
She tastes of wine and sunshine, and suddenly I feel drunk for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with our vineyard tasting tour. I devour Jane whole, running my hands over her lush body and reacquainting myself with her soft curves, feeling as if l’m finally coming home after too much time away.
Jane is arching up into me again, m0aning as our tongues tangle and clinging to me like a little blonde monkey. She nibbles my lower l*p and slides her hands beneath my shirt, exploring the hard contours of my ch3st and back as I steal more k!sses from her willing mouth. Her long legs wrap around my waist and her h**s rock reflexively, grinding against my hardness as I trail my tongue down the slender column of her throat.
Jane whimpers when I pull down the top of her dress to expose her bre*asts to the cool air, panting with need as I svck one swollen n****e into my hot mouth and tease the other with my thumb. I’m aching to delve my fingers between her legs, already knowing l’ll find her soaked, but I’m trying to bide my time. I don’t know when I might get this opportunity again, and I’m determined to make the most of it while l can.
Jane, on the other hand, is completely impatient, tossing her head back and forth as I lave her bre*asts and whispering soft pleas for me to claim her the way she desires.
“Please, Ethan” She breathes, “I need you.”
“How do you need me, sweetheart?”l press, bunching her dress up around her h!ps and sliding my hands beneath her round bottom, holding her still so that she can no longer try to steal pleasure simply by grinding her needy cl!t into my er3ction.
“You know!” She whines indignantly, pushing herself up onto her elbows and reaching for my fly.
Catching both her wrists in one of my large hands, I yank her hands above her head, continuing to explore her body as she yanks at my hold. Taking mercy on Jane, I slide my hand into her p*nties and run my thumb over the swollen bud at the apex of her th!ghs, circling it with enough pressure to give her relief, but not take her over the edge.
“Ask me, Janey” l instruct her, stealing another k!ss from her delectable l!ps, before lavishing more attention on my mark. Tell me what you want. My c**k? My mark?”
Her h!ps j3rk at the sound of my blunt words, and I feel a gush of wetness beneath my fingers. Teasing her drenched entrance while l continue to work her cl!t, I pull back to watch her fall to pieces before me, feeling lightheaded when I see the way she’s spread out like my own personal feast – exposed and vulnerable, needy and nearly begging for more.
“I almost forgot how beautiful you are.” l admit gruffly, swearing under my breath. “I thought I had to be imagining how sweet you tasted, how perfect you look when all your inhibitions are lost.” Shaking my head, I continue, “but I wasn’t. You’re everything I remembered and more.”
“Please, please don’t make me wait any longer.” Jane half-sobs, blinking up at me with l**t-glazed eyes.
“Well, since you asked so nicely.” I agree, only caving because I think I might go crazy if I put this off for a single moment longer. I unbutton my trousers as swiftly as I can, pulling my rigid manh0od from my boxers and r!pping away Jane’s p*nties as if they were made of string.
Lining myself up with her tight sheath, I ease the flared tip of my c*”k into her heat, hissing through my teeth when I feel her silky channel gripping me for dear life. I thought we might be an easier fit after the pups, but apparently they didn’t make a difference. She feels as tight as she did ourvery first time, and I realize in hindsight I should have prepared her more. Oh well, I muse, it’s too late now. Now that l’ve felt her, there’s no going back.
Thrusting forward, I bury myself in Jane, impaling her on my thick length in one go. She tosses her head back and cries out in ecstasy, and I can only hold myself still for a few moments as she adjusts. Her sweet s*x is clenching and spasming around me, testing my willpower and begging me to claim her as roughly as both of our instincts demand.
All my hopes for a long, luxurious lovemaking session go out the window when Jane begins pushing herself down onto me further, and the next thing I know I’m spearing my tongue into her mouth as I pound into her welcoming sheath, ravishing her completely.
Pulling her up into a sitting position, I angle my c**k into her sweet spot, drinking in her satisfied m0ans as she grinds her cl!t against my pelvis. The next thing I know, she’s exploding around me, detonating so quickly she takes me by surprise. She tries to pull away as she comes down on the other side, but I slide my hand between our bodies and strum her love button straight into a second org*sm.
Unable to hold back any longer, I spill myself inside her with a satisfied growl. Gathering her to my ch3st in the delirious aftermath, I purr as she cuddles closer, pressing her face into the curve of my neck and clinging tight.
As our sated bodies return to earth, l can only think one thing: Finally.
The Luna And Her Quadruplet Pups Chapter 78
Jane
My head hurts before I even open my eyes. There’s a dull throbbing in my temples, and my stomach feels completely sour. The combination makes me afraid to move, but as terrible as I feel on the inside, I feel incredible on the outside.
My body is sore in all the right places, and my bare skin is cushioned on all sides by warm muscles. Ethan is wrapped around me like a big blanket and his deep, steady breaths have a hint of a purr rumbling in his ch3st.
I wish I could lie here forever. If it weren’t for the sun blazing through the windows and searing my poor eyes, l’d even consider it. Groaning softly, I try to remember just how much I had to drink yesterday. When Ethan and I made love in the storage room I was still just tipsy, but high on the endorphins of amazing s*x, we went back to the tasting room afterwards and continued drinking. Eventually we got a couple bottles of wine and booked a room at a nearby hotel, taking our two person party up to a suite with a stunning mountain view.
It seems I lost count of both the drinks, and how many times we had s*x – especially since Ethan kept waking me up in the middle of the night in the most wicked ways. His affections seeped into my dreams, filling them with deliciously naughty images until I would finally wake and realize that he was bringing my fantasies to life.
In some ways it feels like a second honeymoon –I never forget the ache of deprivation that built up beforehand, or the s***l frenzy that followed on our wedding night. Even though our first honeymoon went out the window with the death of Ethan’s father, my chosen mate’s need for intimacy at that terrible time soon sent me into heat. My eyes snap open as I think these words, the bright sun be d*mned.
l’d gotten so lost in the incredible feelings Ethan elicited that l’d almost forgotten the consequences of giving in to him. Heat doesn’t come on as quickly for us because we aren’t fated, but l’m still an Omega and being with an Alpha as dominant as Ethan is bound to trigger it before too long.
Worse, I’ve gotten so caught up in being close to a man after so many years of celibacy that I haven’t given a single thought to what comes next or how this might change things.
Suddenly unable to keep my hangover at bay any longer, I untangle myself from Ethan’s arms and lurch from the bed, stumbling towards the restroom. I push the poor open and frantically flip up the lid of the toilet, emptying the contents of my stomach into the porcelain bowl without a second to spare. “Oh Goddess,”I murmur to myself, wallowing in guilt and self-pity.
My sudden movement must have roused Ethan, because a moment later I hear him behind me, and feel his warm hands pulling my hair back from my face. “Poor baby.” He croons, pulling one of my hair ties from the counter and quickly tying my lock locks into a ponytail. Apparently raising a daughter on his own has taught him a few things, but the last thing I need right now is to be reminded how wonderful he is with Paisley. I need to harden myself against him before he gets under my skin.
“Are you okay?” He asks gently, stroking my back in long, soothing care*sses.
“I feel like l’ve been hit by a truck.” I m**n, squinting up at him, “why do you look so decent?” The truth is that he looks far better than decent, he looks powerful and masculine and like he could happily run a marathon.
I lament in my head, it does he have to be so handsome?
Why isn ‘t fair for one person to have everything!
“I’m a lot bigger than you, little mate.” He reminds me with a sympathetic smile. “The wine didn’t hit me as hard.”
Whining pitifully, I close the toilet and flush, reaching for my toothbrush to get this disgusting taste out of my mouth.
Ethan simply sidles up behind me, sliding his arms around my wa!st and dropping a k!ss to my throat. “l’m going to run out and get you a few things. We can stay here until you’re feeling better.”
I don’t want to feel warmly towards him, but I can’t remember being more grateful to anyone. I absolutely hate being sick or feeling badly, and I don’t exactly handle it well.
“Can l have saltines and ginger ale?” l ask hopefully.
“You can have whatever you like, sweetheart.” He promises, “and you might take a look at the room service menu too- sometimes a big greasy breakfast cures a hangover like nothing else.”
I nod in agreement, holding my breath until he leaves the suite. When the door finally clicks shut behind him, I sink down against the bathroom cabinets, not stopping until my bottom connects with the floor. “What have done?” I ask aloud. It’s going to be impossible to get rid of Ethan now. He’s already treating me more affectionately, and it’s not exactly like he held back before.
The most important thing is to prevent this from happening again. l’m not sure how much I can backtrack, but I can certainly trying to freeze us in place. If this goes on and | fall into heat, there will be no saving me – especially because I no longer have the excuse of not being ready to be parents to convince him to use protection. In fact my only comfort about last night is knowing that I can’t breed unless I enter that hazy s****l state.
I jump into the shower and clean myself up as best I can, feeling infinitely better once the hot water has done it’s work. I’m wrapped up in a plush robe and scanning the room service menu when Ethan returns with a bag from the pharmacy. It’s only been a half hour and I don’t truly feel like I’ve had enough time to guard myself against him – but it’s better than nothing.
“Here you go,” He greets me, dropping a k!ss to my cheek. “Saltines, ginger ale, anti-nausea meds, some electrolyte water, a few bananas – we’ll get you feeling better in no time.”
“Thank you.” | say, conjuring a weak smile.
“Of course.” He replies, sitting next to me on the sofa and slinging a possessive arm over my shoulders. “Did you find something to order?”
“1 don’t think I’m ready for real food yet” I admit, eyeing him warily. “But listen, I think we need to talk about yesterday.”
To my surprise, Ethan grins. “I knew you would. I could feel you freaking out before you even opened your eyes this morning.
Belatedly it occurs to me that Ethan wasn’t asleep at all when I woke. He always used to have a habit of watching me sleep, somehow passing it off as sweet instead of creepy.
Even now I tell myself it is creepy, but my d*mned besotted wolf doesn’t listen at all. She simply urges me to climb into Ethan’s lap and have an encore round of s*x, despite the fact that I feel like hot garbage. Sometimes she can be the most unhelpful creature.
“Im not freaking out.” I argue, “I simply think it was a mistake. Our lives are too complicated to be getting involved with each other. The pups are already upset and confused, and l’m leaving in a couple of months – it’s a bad idea. I mean for Goddess’s sake-Ethan, I’m being investigated for your mother’s murder.”
“We’re going to take care of that, Janey.” Ethan assures me, “And as for the rest, I know things are complicated, but we’re the one complicating them. I know I made a lot of mistakes when we were married, but l’m not the same person I was then, and neither are you. Our life doesn’t have to be such a mess, if you and I work together instead of against each other, we can have what we want”
Speaking the truth. At this point I don’t have the first clue what I want – other than for my pups to be safe and happy.
My wolf clearly wants Ethan, and might heart might also – but my head knows better. I learned never to make myself vulnerable to a man the hard way, and l’m determined never to makes that mistake again. I trusted Ethan once, and I paid dearly for that mistake – only a fool would make the same error again, no matter how convincing he is.
Ethan is still watching me with that knowing smile, and | wish I could wipe it right off his smug face. “Okay, if that’s what you need to tell yourself, I won’t argue.”
“What?” l snap, not believing my own ears.
“You believe whatever you like, Jane.” Ethan repeats, “I know we’re meant to be together. I’m not going to give up, but l’m not going to force you to accept it before you’re ready either.”
“I’m not ever going to accept it because it’s not true.” | scowl.
“If you say so.” He shrugs, pulling the room service menu out of my hands, “will it bother you if I eat without you? I’m starving.”
“Are you serious?” I demand, feeling my temper rising along with my indignation.
“Yes,” He answers, a mischievous glint in his eye, “you wore me out.”
“No” l grit out, “I mean this act you’re putting on, pretending like you’re okay with me rejecting you?”
“It’s not an act, Jane.” Ethan promises, offering me a lethal smile. “Because I know your rejection is only temporary. You want this, and when you’re ready to accept that, you will – and when you do I’l be here, waiting.”
The Luna And Her Quadruplet Pups Chapter 79
Ethan
The truth is that l am acting a little bit. I was telling the truth when I said that I would wait until Jane is ready, and I’m more certain than ever that she will get there one day in the not so distant future. Still, it does sting to have her turn away from me after everything we shared last night.
I went to sleep thinking that we made a huge leap forward. My heart was so full as I drifted off, but maybe my optimism was just the wine talking. By the time Jane woke this morning I realized things would not be resolved so easily, and I don’t know why l’m surprised. Nothing is ever easy with my girl, nor would I want it to be – but only a crazy man wouldn’t be disappointed to have to wait for such an incredible mate.
After breakfast I pack Jane into the car and drive back to the city, keeping one eye on her to make sure she isn’t about to be sick again. We pull up to the apartment building just before noon, and I’m mildly pleased to see the mob of reporters who have been camping” updated by jobnib.com” outside our front door the last few weeks has reduced to about half of its former I tuck Jane close as I push through the crowd, and I can’t help but notice she doesn’t pull away until we get off the elevator on the top floor. However my amusement fades when we’re greeted by our babysitter, Sadie, who looks ready to read us the riot act. “You know if you keep changing your plans to include overnights halfway through a job, I’m going to start charging you extra.”
“I’m so sorry, Sadie.” Jane professes, pulling double their agreed-upon price from her wallet. “It won’t happen again.”
“Mommy! Daddy!” The pups come running to greet us, tumbling into my open arms as Jane shows Sadie to the door.
“Ethan?” I hear her call my name, but I’m too busy saying hello to the precious bundles of love in front of me, all of whom are eager to share every detail of their night with us.
“An’ then Sadie made man’ cheese, and we watched a movie.” Riley explains.
“We even had brownies!” Ryder adds.
“Ethan!” Jane’s voice is so sharp that I forcibly drag my attention from the pups, turning around to face my mate. As soon as I do, I don’t need her to explain any further. The reason for her tense tone and anxious call is beyond obvious:
Eve is standing in the doorway with a wide smile on her long face.
“Jane, take the pups to their room.” I order, automatically entering Alpha mode. I’m not sure if Jane wanted to stay or not, but the power in my order was too strong for her to refuse. She quickly wrangles the pups down the hallway, leaving me to face our enemy alone. “What the hell are you doing here?” I demand.
“Ethan, come now – you don’t seem happy to see me at all.” Eve sneers, wearing a preposterous pout.
“How dare you show your face here after you killed my mother. I hiss, resisting the impulse to rip her head from her Scrawny shoulders.
“Ethan, I would never harm Petra.” Eve insists, actually bringing tears to her eyes. “She was a dear friend and my closest ally. I was heartbroken when I heard the news.”
“Just like you were heartbroken about Paisley?” I demand, “just like you were heartbroken about Jane?”
“She’s poisoning you against me. Eve argues, sniffling. “
After all those years I stood by your side, Jane is making you believe the worst of me.”
“You’ve done that all on your own, Eve” I can’t believe | fell for your tricks for so long, but now that I know the truth I’m not going to rest until you’re behind bars.”
“For what?” Eve questions me slyly, “all the evidence in Petra’s murder points to Jane. Don’t ask me why, I guess she finally decided to finish the job she started years ago. But either way they don’t have anything to charge me with”
“Are you forgetting everything you did to Paisley?” I inquire fiercely, seriously considering acting on my violent fantasies now that she’s reminding me of all her crimes. “I know you’re the one who poisoned her, and while I might not be able to prove that, I can prove that you neglected and endangered her.”
Eve throws her-head back and sighs dramatically.
Honestly all that fuss over a little accident and a few harsh words, it could have happened to anyone!” She insists.
I can sense Jane sneaking up behind me, though she’s quiet as a mouse. When I glance over my shoulder at her, she freezes with a guilty expression on her beautiful face. “Jane, call the investigators.” T instruct, needing her away from Eve and wanting backup as soon as possible.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you:” Eve cautions, seeming to temporarily drop her innocent act. “Who knows what other incriminating evidence I might have up my sleeve.
“Are you threatening my mate?” l growl, stepping towards the infuriating she-wolf.
“Ex-mate!” Jane calls, dialing her phone.
“Not now, Janey!” | scold, glaring at Eve. “You never answered me. What are you doing here? What more could you possibly want from my family?”
“l came to wish you my condolences.” Eve lies, doing her best to seem earnest, “1 don’t want anything from you, I only wanted to tell you l’m here for you, and to see if you needed anything.”
“She’s lying.” Jane interjects, covering the phone with her hand as the 91l operator asks what her emergency is.
Returning her attention to the call, she continues. “Yes, l’d like to report a crazed psychopath on the loose – at the Alpha’s penthouse. That’s right – please come quickly.”
Eve is rolling her eyes, “Haven’t you learned by now Jane, you can’t make me take the fall for your own crimes, justice is always on the side of the innocent.”
Putting down the phone, Jane prowls forward, her wolf glowing in her eyes. “You are the most twisted, sick, foul she-wolf I have ever encountered” She declares. “And the only reason you’re still standing now is because I refuse to play into your hands. Clearly you want one or both of us to attack you, but it’s not going to happen.” She hisses, “you’re not going to get to play the victim this time you hag.”
“Ethan, are you really going to let her talk to me that way?” Eve m***s pathetically.
“Yes.”I confirm, sliding my arm around Jane’s slender wa!st, “actually I find it rather delightful.”
“Aw:’ Jane smiles up at me, “Really?”
“0f course.’ I chuckle, resisting the urge to k!ss her pert little nose.
“Oh Goddess, don’t tell me you two are together now.”
Eve sneers, making a series of gagging noises.
“We’re not.” Jane snaps back, visibly bristling.
Chuckling deeply, I add, “yet.”
Eve leans forward, wrinkling her nose as she scents us. “I can already smell him on you.” She points out, “I knew it! | knew you didn’t just come back for that brat, Paisley.”
“Watch what you say about my daughter.” Jane snarls, all protective, maternal rage.
“Why? You didn’t care about her enough to keep her.”
Eve taunts, “not that I blame you -l’d be ashamed if I birthed a worthless runt too.”
For all Jane’s strong words about not playing into Eve’s hands, this comment clearly pushes her over the edge. She lunges forward with claws outstretched. I nab her around the middle before she can get very far, lifting her feet off the ground even as she kicks and claws at my hold, fighting tooth and nail to reach Eve. “Easy there, feisty p*nts.”
“Ethan, let me go!” Jane cries, squirming ferociously.
“The last thing we need when the police arrive is for you to be standing over her body.”l advise, tightening my grip on her the more desperate she becomes. Jane is as light as a feather, but a mother’s instincts are a powerful thing, and she’s strong beyond her usual ability right now.
“It would be worth it!” Jane insists, trying to pry my arms off of her.
Even as she says it, the elevator dings, and then a troop of police officers are moving towards the penthouse, scanning the area for threats. Thankfully the detective on my mother’s case isn’t here, so the lead officer looks to me for direction.
“Arrest her.” l order, nodding towards Eve and tucking Jane behind me just in case they get the wrong idea.
The men and women instantly obey, moving towards the she-wolf with cuffs drawn. “Eve Mechant, you’re under arrest” The nearest officer announces. “You have the right -“
“No -wait!” Eve cries, holding up her palms defensively.”
You can’t, l’m pregnant” She announces frantically, shooting me a pleading look, I’m pregnant.” She repeats, more somber now, “with your baby, Ethan.”
The Luna And Her Quadruplet Pups Chapter 80
Jane
Eve’s words slam into me like a falling anvil. All my fury from a moment ago is instantly smushed beneath the weight of her announcemēnt, and my threats become lodged in my throat. My mind whirls as I try to make sense of this new development, but try as I might, I can’t find any logic in it whatsoever.
“That’s impossible.” Ethan growls, his body absolutely rigid. “We’ve never even been together.”
Eve reels back as if she’s been slapped, “I know it didn’t mean anything to you, Ethan. But you can’t erase the past simply because it’s inconvenient:”
“She’s probably lying.” I suggest, a new realization clicking in my overwrought brain. “pregnant women can’t be imprisoned in this territory, and she knows it.”
“Test me.” Eve counters, notching her chin up in challenge. “l assure you l’m speaking the truth.”
“Get a doctor” Ethan orders one of the officers, before looking back to Eve. “You’re not leaving here until we figure this out. For your sake you better be telling the truth, otherwise you’re wasting all our time and we’ll be able to add a new charge to your warrant – for obstruction of justice.”
Eve is grinning so widely that my stomach flip flops anxiously. She doesn’t look the least bit nervous, which makes me think that she’s telling the truth about the baby, if not its paternity. My gaze zeros in on her belly. If she is breeding then she’s not very far along at all -the woman is so thin she looks like I could snap her like a twig, and that’s saying something because l’m nearly a foot shorter than she is and not nearly as strong.
Given the timeline, if she really is carrying a pup and it really is Ethan’s, that would mean they conceived after | arrived here. Wrapping my arms protectively around my body, I try not to spiral. I don’t know anything for sure yet, and the woman is a known pathological liar. Believing her is playing right into her hands. Still, I can’t seem to silence the little voice in the back of my head, the one that keeps saying, “what if?” over and over again.
I can feel Ethan’s gaze on me, dark and brooding. When I look up at him, he’s frowning deeply. “It isn’t true” He insists, clearly reading my mind. “If she’s pregnant, it isn’t mine. I’ve never so much as k!ssed her”
“I know. I assure him weakly, wishing I felt as confident as I sound.
A little while later the doctor arrives, and within fifteen minutes he’s making an announcement that resurrects my hangover in full force. “She’s pregnant.” He states firmly, about six weeks along.”
“We can’t arrest her, Alpha.” The lead policeman says apologetically, “it’s your law after all”
“1 know that.” Ethan responds, forcing his infuriated words out through clenched fangs. “But she still has to stand trial”‘ Eve has been grinning like the cat who ate the canary, but her smug expression dims when the Alpha closes in on her, “You won’t be pregnant forever Eve. I know you’re guilty, and as soon as you give birth, I will have you behind bars.”
“What about my pup?” She frets, “Will you take care of it? Surely you’re not going to abandon it.”
“It’s not mine, so I hold no obligation to it.” Ethan tells her, “Il find it a good home – no more, no less.”
“What would you like us to do in the meantime, sir?”
One of the investigators asks.
Take he.” Ethan orders, interrupting the burgeoning objections before they leave the officers’ tongues, “She can’t be imprisoned, but she can be committed and she’s clearly unstable.”
All the b***d drains from Eve’s face, “Committed? To the loony bin?” She shrieks.
“It’s a psychiatric hospital, Eve.” Ethan corrects her, You’ll fit in wonderfully there. I’ve never met anyone in more need of counseling than you.”
“You can’t do this!” Eve shouts in outrage, “You can’t bury this child by locking me away! I’ll have a paternity test done, Ethan! As soon as I’m far enough along you’ll see – the whole pack will see! Only a wolf without any honor would lock away the mother of his child.”
“Get her out of here.” Ethan growls, ignoring Eve completely.
She doesn’t go quietly. She cries and screams the whole way down the hall, and only once the elevator doors have closed and she’s being whisked down to the ground floor, do they fade.
Ethan turns to me, his dark brow furrowed with concern.
“Are you okay?” He asks.
I want to tell him l’m fine, but I can’t make the words come out. Shaking my head, I admit. “No” I try to estimate how much time has passed, wondering if Eve is already out the front door, fearing what she might say to the waiting reporters, and praying the police don’t allow her to stop. 1 think I need to go for a walk – clear my head.” l say, “can you watch the pups.
“Of course.” Ethan agrees, reaching towards me and frowning when l jolt out of his reach. “It isn’t true, Jane.”
“So you’ve said.” I answer in a clipped tone. “”Il be back soon.”
Half an hour later I’m seated in a cozy coffee shop, no calmer than I was when I left the house. Eric sits across from me, his worried eyes scanning my face. “You’re making me nervous, Jane.” He tells me. He hadn’t asked a single question when I asked him to drop everything to come meet me, but now that he’s here he seems to have run out of patience. “What’s going on?”
“Eve is pregnant.” l tell him forlornly. “She says it’s Ethans.”
Eric pulls me into his arms without another word, offering me the comfort I so dearly need without even being asked. I sink into his hold, feeling completely at ease in his warm embrace. “Do you want to talk about it?” He asks.
“1 don’t know.” I admit, “part of me wants to hash it all out, but the other part wants to bury it deep and pretend none of this is happening.”
“Don’t be offended’ Eric begins, almost guaranteeing that whatever is about to come out of his mouth next will upset me, “but, why do you care? You’ve been saying all along that you don’t want anything with Ethan. So what does it matter if she’s carrying his child?”
I can’t tell Eric that I slept with Ethan. That l’m in serious danger of falling back in love with him, or – as my worst fears sometimes imply – that I never fell out of love with him in the first place, which is why he’s still so capable of hurting me. I know admitting any of these things will both hurt my friend and open me up to more questions I’m not ready to face: like how I could still have feelings for someone who treated me so terribly, or how l could be so stupid to consider getting close to him again.
Instead, I reply. “He promised me they never had an affair, that it was just one of her lies. He made me believe it..
I’ll feel like an i***t if it turns out he was lying.”
“l hate to say it, but I think you have to assume he was lying.” Eric remarks simply. “Sure, Eve is a liar too, but if you think about the harm they’ve done to you – Ethan and Eve are about even.
“I don’t know that I agree with that.” I object, “I mean Ethan was thoughtless and cruel, but none of that would ever have happened if it wasn’t for Eve.”
“Except that Eve has done a handful of things that hurt you, but Ethan hurt you every single day for over a year. Yes, it was because of her, but if you look at the scoreboard, he’s been far more consistent betraying you – and his betrayal was worse because he was your chosen mate” Eric argues.
“1 know.’ I sigh, “and l agree, but he’s not the same man he used to be” I share, wondering if l’m speaking the truth or just repeating another deception, “being a father changed him for the better”
“And the fact that you believe that gives him all the more motive to tell you she’s making it all up. He thinks he’s starting to win you back, in his eyes admitting that he really did have an affair with Eve would ruin all that progress.” Eric presses, squeezing me tightly.
Pulling out of his arms, I return to my place at the coffee bar. “Honestly Eric, I don’t know what to think anymore. I wish I could hook everybody up to a lie detector test and figure out once and for all who’s lying and who’s telling the truth.”
“You don’t belong with these people, Jane.” Eric tells me gently, “you are sweet and honest and pure, and they’re like hungry jackals constantly bandying for power, playing head games and using people like pawns. You should be in the Dark Moon pack living your best life, not here being tormented by people you should have left in the past.”
“Maybe you’re right.”l gr0an, dragging my hand through my hair. The longer we stay here the worse things get.
Maybe it’s time we go home and put a stop to all this before it’s too late.”
Eric nods grimly, Just name that day. l’ll be there for you every step of the way”