Chapter 397
(Ethan’s POV)
Time ticked by, and it was soon the appointed time, but Olivia Winters‘ figure was nowhere to be seen. I picked up my phone, wanting to call her to ask where she was, but worried that it would make me seem impatient and displease her.
My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin, sensing my mate’s absence. The familiar ache of longing consumed me as I stared at the restaurant entrance.
I put the phone back and continued to wait patiently, my amber eyes fixed on the doorway. Every shadow that passed made my heart leap with hope, only to crash when it wasn’t her.
The white moonflowers I’d carefully arranged seemed to mock me with their beauty. Their sweet scent filled the air, but without Olivia here, they felt meaningless. Maxwell Chen kept replacing my tea, the delicate porcelain cups growing cold one after another. But Olivia never showed up.
At eleven o’clock, Maxwell cleared his throat softly. “Alpha King, it’s quite late. Perhaps Luna Winters has been delayed by urgent matters.”
His diplomatic words carried an underlying message – that Olivia was deliberately playing with me. But I remained silent, staring at my phone screen.
The last message I’d sent through our reopened mate bond glowed back at me: “Understood, seven o’clock tonight, I’ll be waiting for you at Amber Crest Restaurant. Until then.”
Memories flooded my mind like silver daggers. All the times Olivia had waited for me in the past, longing for my love and commitment.
I recalled my repeated disappointments and broken promises, especially those involving our daughter, Lily. How many times had she sat alone, hoping I would choose her over Victoria?
How many birthdays had she celebrated without me? How many nights had she cried herself to sleep while I was with another she–wolf?
Now, those past actions were boomeranging back, causing my wolf immense pain. The irony wasn’t lost on me now experiencing the agony of abandonment.
–
the Alpha King who had made others wait was
Even knowing that Olivia would not come, I didn’t leave early, staying until midnight. My wolf whined with each passing hour, the Alpha’s usual commanding presence diminished by hope and regret.
The restaurant staff moved quietly around me, their eyes filled with pity for their powerful Alpha reduced to a lovesick fool.
Finally, I silently got up and left the carefully arranged restaurant, the moonflowers wilting in the absence of my true mate.
In my Midnight Maybach, I struggled to compose a message to Olivia through our mate bond. My thoughts swirled with overwhelming emotions, making it difficult to find the right words.
My fingers trembled as I typed and deleted message after message. Nothing seemed adequate to express the depth of my regret and longing.
Eventually, I sent a sincere promise: “Liv, I am willing to wait for you, always wait for you, until you are willing to look back at me and give me a chance to make up for what I’ve done.”
The message disappeared into the void of our bond. I discovered their connection was blocked again, my wolf howling with the severed link Desperate for any sign of her, I accidentally opened my social media. Lucas Blackwood’s post appeared at the top of my feed: “My whole world.”
The photo showed a restaurant with a view of the city. Upon closer inspection, I spotted reflections in the window, revealing Lucas and Olivia dining together.
The timestamp read 8:30 PM – exactly when she should have been with me. In the reflection, Lucas was tenderly tucking a strand of hair behind Olivia’s ear, their eyes meeting intimately.
The blatant display of affection from the rival Alpha confirmed Olivia’s stance. She had chosen to be with him instead of giving me a chance.
My wolf retreated deeper into my consciousness with immense heartache. The pain was unlike anything I’d ever experienced, worse than any physical wound. (Olivia’s POV)
Back at Maple Grove, Mom couldn’t sleep. I noticed her restlessness as she tossed and turned in the guest bedroom.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked softly, sitting on the edge of her bed.
She looked up at me with guilty eyes. “Olivia, I used your phone to send Ethan a message earlier. I told him you had an emergency and couldn’t make it tonight.” My eyebrows raised in surprise. “You did what?”
“I felt uneasy knowing the Alpha King was still waiting,” she confessed. “But I also didn’t want him interfering with your dinner with Lucas.”
