Chapter 14
Emma’s POV
The morning sun streamed through the bay windows of my apartment, but it did nothing to warm the chill that had settled in my bones. My hands shook as I set down my third cup of coffee, the ceramic clinking against the granite countertop. Sleep had become my enemy lately, filled with dreams of exposed lies and shattered futures.
In my nightmares, Ethan discovered the truth – that I wasn’t the mysterious woman from that night at Mountain View Resort. That everything I’d built over the past six years was founded on a carefully constructed lie. I caught my reflection in the window – designer clothes, perfectly styled hair, the picture of a successful woman. But my eyes held a haunted look I couldn’t quite hide.
My phone buzzed, Ethan’s name lighting up the screen. My heart stuttered as I answered, “Good morning.”
‘Emma.” His voice held that deep warmth that usually made my wolf purr, but now just intensified my guilt. “Are we still on for dinner tonight?”
“Of course,” I managed, forcing brightness into my tone. “I’ve been looking forward to it all week.”
There was a pause, longer than usual. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” he said finally. His deep voice held a note of thoughtfulness that made my pulse quicken.
My fingers tightened on the phone until my knuckies went white. Every time he used that tone, my carefully constructed world threatened to unravel. “What is it?”
“About tonight’s dinner…” Another pause that made my heart hammer against my ribs. ‘Would you mind if we moved it to Shadow Lake Lodge instead? Something about the mountain air helps me think clearly.”
The mention of the lodge, so close to Mountain View Resort, sent a cold shiver down my spine. I forced my breathing to remain steady, though my free hand had started to tremble. “Actually, I was thinking we could try that new place in town? The Italian restaurant everyone’s talking about?”
“The lodge holds special memories for me,” he said softly. “Something about the mountains, the scent of pine and moonlight…”
“I really can’t tonight,” I cut in, my voice higher than usual. The coffee I’d drunk earlier churned in my stomach. “Early meeting tomorrow. But I’ll make it up to you? Maybe we could do dinner at your place instead?”
Each word felt like another strand in the web of lies I’d woven. My wolf whined uneasily, sensing the wrongness of deceiving an alpha. But I’d learned to ignore that instinct years ago, hadn’t I?
“Sure,” he agreed easily, completely unaware of how his simple suggestion had nearly sent me into a panic. “My place it is.”
After hanging up, I sagged against the counter, legs weak with relief. Six years of careful deception, and still the mere mention of the mountains was enough to make me feel like I was drowning. I caught my reflection in the window – perfect makeup, carefully styled hair, the image of confidence. Only my eyes gave away the truth, wild with barely contained fear.
After hanging up, I pressed my forehead against the cool window glass. Six years ago, the plan had seemed perfect. Bella would drug Aria, weakening her connection to her wolf. I would lure her to the resort with a fake emergency text. And then… then we’d destroy her reputation forever.
What we hadn’t counted on was Ethan showing up drunk and grief–stricken from a pack tragedy. Or him being drawn to Aria’s unique scentless nature. Or the fact that their encounter would haunt him for years, driving him to search for a mystery woman who’d stolen his heart.
A woman he thought was me.
I paced my living room, heels clicking against hardwood floors. The silver wolf pendant – the one I’d claimed was proof of that night – felt like it was burning a hole in my jewelry box. Every time Ethan looked at me with those intense green eyes, searching for something he couldn’t quite find, the weight of my deception grew heavier.
Decision made, I grabbed my car keys. I needed to know exactly how much Aria remembered from that night. The drugs Bella had used were powerful – they should have completely clouded her memory. But if even a fragment remained…
The morning sun glinted off my car’s polished hood as I pulled into the Werewolf Alliance training facility parking lot. My fingers drummed against the steering wheel, anxiety twisting in my stomach. Six years of carefully constructed lies, and now everything balanced on whether Åria remembered that night at Mountain View Resort.
I checked my reflection in the rearview mirror, meticulously adjusting my hair and makeup. The face that stared back at me looked confident, polished – every inch the future Luna of Shadow Fang. Only my eyes betrayed the fear beneath, wild with barely contained panic.
The silver wolf pendant around my neck – Ethan’s pendant, the one I’d claimed as proof of that night – felt like it was burning against my skin. A constant reminder of my deception, Every morning I put it on like armor, using it to reinforce the lie I’d built my life around. But lately, with Aria’s return, it felt more like a noose slowly tightening.
The training facility loomed before me, its modern architecture a stark contrast to the traditional pack houses I’d grown up with. Somewhere inside those walls, Aria was rebuilding her life–the life Bella and I had systematically destroyed. The drugs we’d used should have erased her memory of that night completely, but I needed to be sure. One spark of recognition between her and Ethan would be enough to bring my whole world crashing down.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter, remembering how she’d looked in the hotel parking lot six years ago – broken, confused, betrayed. The girl who had once been my best friend, who had trusted me completely. Now she was back, with a child whose eyes were an all–too–familiar shade of forest green.
Taking a deep breath, I checked my lipstick one final time. The expensive silk of my blouse whispered against my skin as I gathered my courage. I’d destroyed Aria once before. If necessary, I could do it again.
Better her life than mine.
