11
In the the recycle bin, there were clearly several messages from Pack partners, sent precisely when he hadn’t had time to check his communication stone last night.
And only one she–wolf had touched his stone last night, and that was Isabelle.
He was furious; Isabelle, knowing nothing, had taken it upon herself to delete his work messages. Losing this order would cost his Pack at least 10% of its resources!
Moreover, Zoe hadn’t even notified him about today’s crucial meeting. In the past, even if a mind–link had been sent, Zoe would prepare everything in the morning.
If it weren’t for her throwing a tantrum this time, how could they have so easily lost a partner?
He dialed Zoe’s number, wanting to question her, but no one answered.
No matter how many times he called, it was the same electronic tone.
His heart suddenly flustered. He thought of something, clicked into the the recycle bin again, and clearly found the message Zoe had sent him, dated last night.
He clicked restore, and the message popped out, and his chest tightened as he read it.
[Eight years of secret love, four years of absurdity. Everything ends here. Alpha Ethan, from now on, I am no longer your Beta, nor do I love you anymore. Let us go our separate ways; in this life, we need not meet again.]
For some reason, seeing this message, he should have felt relieved that Zoe finally no longer loved him. His wolf, however, howled in anguish at the thought of losing her.
Just as he said, she would no longer be fixated on him.
But when he truly faced the news of Zoe’s departure, his heart surprisingly felt a suffocating sensation, as if he had lost something
important.
He couldn’t help but recall his past with Zoe.
Four years ago, during a full moon frenzy, an accident led them to roll into bed. At that time, his heart was entirely filled with Isabelle, he just wanted to pay off his sister’s good friend, never having thought of starting anything with her.
But her eyes were very bright, yet also very cautious, like a small pup, making him unable to bear to refuse, so he could only tacitly allow all of it to happen.
They were wild in various places, leaving traces of their scent everywhere.
For four years, Zoe was his best Beta and his best mate, never actively asking for anything, only silently enduring his demands. Even without a bond, following him, she was content.
Ethan had thought countless times in his heart that Zoe was truly a foolish she–wolf; just a little bit of kindness, and she gave him all. He told her not to fantasize about a future with him; he would only belong to Isabelle.
Now he had successfully gotten rid of this little tag–along, so why wasn’t he as happy as he had imagined? His wolf snarled at his own stupidity.
He couldn’t take his eyes off that message, and finally, he stopped bothering with it.
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“Zoe left, so be it; maybe we were just meant to go our separate ways.”
His wolf refused to accept that fate, a primal rage simmering within him..
He put down his communication stone, no longer looking at it, and peacefully continued to sleep while holding Isabelle.
To suppress that uncomfortable feeling in his heart, he postponed work for several more days to accompany Isabelle out.
Whether it was jewelry or haute couture dresses that the other women fancied, he bought them all. But the more this happened, the more uneasy he felt, and a persistent irritation always clung to his brow.
Isabelle didn’t notice this at all, completely immersing herself in the fun.
While waiting for her, Ethan couldn’t help but take out his communication stone, looking through the chatting history with Zoe. Their last chat was still from a day ago; ever since Isabelle returned, he hadn’t contacted her again.
A surge of impulse rose in his heart, and his fingers slowly typed and sent a mind–link.
[You can come back to be my Beta anytime]
He failed to send the message.
This was the first time Zoe had blocked him in all these years.
Ethan’s hand trembled slightly as he stared intently at the screen until Isabelle returned. His wolf howled internally at the rejection, the sting of it burning through his soul.
“Ethan, sorry to keep you waiting. How about we go see the Northern Lights tomorrow?” she said, changing into a beautiful dress and clinging to his arm coquettishly.
He turned off his communication stone, not showing any signs of abnormality, yet he had no desire to appreciate her beauty.
“I should go
back to the Pack grounds tomorrow. I haven’t been there in so long, and a lot of work has piled up. How about I finish dealing with it and then accompany you to have fun?”
As the Pack’s Alpha, he already had many major decisions and important Pack Council meetings waiting for him; it was already a stretch to take these few days off.
For the sake of accompanying Isabelle, his Pack had been operating at a loss during this period.
Isabella’s brows furrowed, obviously a little displeased, and she could only pout.
“Alright, but I’m going with you, I’ll help you, Ethan.”
Isabelle smiled, making his heart sweeten a little, and he no longer thought about Zoe…or so he tried to convince himself.
