Page 19 of Ruined Wolf

I stared at him. “What do you mean, it wasn’t at the apartment? How do you...” My eyes widened. “Declan.” I practically growled his name, and Ethan gave me a cold smile.

“He was going to throw you out anyway. I just got him to move it up to the day of the funeral so we could search the apartment while he emptied it.”

I frowned. “But I didn’t take the book to the funeral. It was with our stuff when I went back to the apartment. Why didn’t you take it then?”

Ethan’s face darkened. “An idiotic oversight by a beta. He thought he was looking for paperwork, so he discounted the book without looking inside. I was not happy when he told me he’d seen it and didn’t bring it to me.”

“What’s so important that you actually came to search our home, Ethan? What are you trying to hide?”

He stood up and leaned closer. “You can play the innocent all you like, Nova. You were his mate, you stuck by him all the time he was ill, and you were with him at the end. He knew he was dying. Do you really expect me to believe he didn’t tell you anything?”

“I guess he didn’t trust me as much as you think,” I retorted, pushing away the pain that burned deep inside at the truth of the words. Jaxon hadn’t trusted me enough to tell me what he was doing, not even when he was dying, and that hurt like hell.

Ethan’s alpha power radiated from him in a way that was nearly painful as he tried to compel me to submit. I nearly did out of habit, but then my mind suddenly flashed back to that afternoon on Maverick’s boat, when he’d told me never to submit to anyone again if it was not my choice. I met Ethan’s gaze head-on and fought him. He was strong, but I realised I was stronger, and so did he.

Anger flashed in his eyes as I stood up, facing him. “Get out.”

“Don’t give me commands, Omega. I am still the alpha of this pack.” He glared at me but didn’t press it.

“Not for long,” I said with a degree of snark in my voice. I felt pride in my wolf as I stood up to him, and I smiled her smile.

Ethan stared at me a moment longer, then his angry expression faded, and he gave me a cold smile. He stepped around the desk and his hand shot out, too quick for me to step back, before wrapping around my throat. My hands closed on his wrist, but he was too strong. He squeezed, and I struggled to no avail.

“No, not for long. One day soon, Maverick will become alpha. Sadly, you won’t be around to see that happen, Omega. I can promise you that, and I will personally enjoy ripping you apart and devouring your body piece by piece. Don’t worry, I’ll leave your pretty face intact and have someone deliver it to your mates.”

He released me, and I gasped for breath.

“Another time, Nova. Another time.”

“You won’t kill me,” I choked out. “Maverick would find out, and you wouldn’t want him finding out what you are.”

Ethan turned and gave me a cold smile. “You think I won’t? There are plenty of bodies in my past. I know what I want, and sometimes people have to be removed for me to get it. Whether that means taking you out, or even Maverick, it doesn’t bother me. Just hope I pick something quick for you, Nova. It could always be long and drawn out.”

He walked out of the shop, leaving me to rub at the skin on my throat, my chest still burning. My stomach turned with his threat to both me and Maverick. He’d calculated wrong, though, if he thought he could bully me anymore. I had grown up with bullies, and I was done letting people push me around.

Ethan was up to something, and I was going to find out what. Jaxon clearly had dirt on him, and proof too. I wish he’d told me what was going on. I could have helped somehow or just... I let out a growl of frustration. Okay, going back over that pain and trying to recall that part of my life wasn’t going to help now. I had partitioned that time off nicely, and every time the grief tried to come back, I forced it down into its little box. I had to think about this logically.

Jaxon had something on Ethan, which meant Ethan was up to something he didn’t want anyone finding out about, especially Maverick. Jaxon had proof, paperwork, that Ethan was trying to retrieve, and his comments to me on the night of the claiming indicated it was some kind of business deal. But if Jaxon had proof, then why hadn’t he already told Maverick?

“Because Maverick wasn’t involved with pack politics back then,” I said out loud to myself. “Jaxon was supposed to be alpha, so this was on him. He didn’t want to involve his brothers. Maverick was off sailing, Lucas rarely got involved, and Asher... maybe he thought Asher was too young or... or maybe he thought he’d be putting him in danger.”

Ethan had threatened me and tried to kill me to protect his secret. Maybe that was why Jaxon had kept everything tight to his chest. He knew Ethan was dangerous, and he left the island without telling anyone.

“But why? If he had something on Ethan, why not tell someone? And why leave suddenly? And how on earth does the gold tie into all of this?” I shook my head. “No, Nova, focus on the paperwork. It’s real, it exists somewhere. It’s proof of something shady, though maybe it’s not enough proof. Maybe Jaxon needed something more, and that’s why he came to the city, but he didn’t bring the paperwork with him because Ethan’s beta didn’t find it in the apartment, which must mean he left it here.”

I thought about the cabin, about Lucas’s, Asher’s, and Maverick’s rooms—mainly Maverick’s. The three of us had been spending a lot of time in there, and Maverick had commented about needing a bigger space and moving into a bigger bedroom, but he’d never done anything about it. There was only one other bedroom in the cabin, and it was kept locked—Jaxon’s room. They’d left it as it was when he’d taken off, and even the cleaner wasn’t allowed inside.

I had a strong suspicion that Jaxon had left the paperwork behind on the island, hidden somewhere, and I would bet anything it would be in that room. Somehow, I had to get inside and search it. I had to get the keys from Maverick too, and I’d have to face the personal space of the man I’d loved. A man, it seemed, who had more secrets than me. Did I even know Jaxon at all? I was starting to think I hadn’t, and the fear of that hurt me more than I could have imagined.

CHAPTER EIGHT

NOVA

My nerves were on edge as we had dinner that evening. Lucas wasn’t around, which wasn’t uncommon, and tonight I was glad. I imagined trying to sneak past Lucas would be a hell of a lot more challenging than handling Maverick. There was the added tension of having Asher at the table. He and Maverick chatted about the island and Asher’s current work projects, but I stayed quiet. Asher couldn’t speak to me without a definite strain in his voice, and eye contact was practically non-existent. It hurt like crazy, and I found it was easier to just sit and listen to the two of them. He clearly found it easier to talk to Maverick than to me, and I didn’t want to force him into anything.

It was hard though. I missed him so much, despite the fact he was still living in the same house. I missed his easy-going nature, his jokes, and his gentle touch. I knew Maverick loved me and Lucas felt something, though I couldn’t decide what yet, but Asher had cared for me. He’d made looking after me a priority beyond protecting me and wanting the blood of my enemies. He’d made me feel cherished for the first time since Jaxon had died, and I missed that. I missed him.

I couldn’t deny I still felt a pull towards him beyond that. I’d thought about what happened in the kitchen all the time. It was difficult to make a cup of coffee without remembering it and reacting to it. My body craved his touch, and I found it difficult not to just reach out and touch his hand or arm. He’d made it clear how he felt, though, so I was trying to respect his wishes.

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