Avenging The Triplet Alphas
Chapter 17

Arielle's

POV

My eyes widened in shock as my jaw hung open for a few seconds before I snapped it shut. Will you go out on a date with me?

I couldn't believe Ethan had said that. He had been everything but romantic towards me during these past few months, we had a cordial relationship without any sign of s****l intimacy between us. But over the past few weeks, he's stared at me and held my hands for longer.

I thought nothing about it but I was pleased he was starting to see me in a different light other than a little wolf he ought to protect.

"Arielle, you have to say something." Ethan's voice interrupted my train of thought and forced me back to reality.

"I'll understand if you think this shouldn't happen or if you think it's forced but I just wanted to get it off my mind."

"No, it's not that, Ethan." I tried to explain. "You caught me off guard."

He merely nodded, waiting for me to speak further.

"No one has ever seen me as attractive before the Van Tyson triplets came into my life and while it was one of the best periods of my life, I never expected it to happen again so soon. Especially now that I am pregnant with another man's pup."

"I don't mind being there for the little wolf inside of you as I have been for you," Ethan whispered and I felt my wolf purr in delight. He was a sweet man to a fault.

I watched him out of the corner of my eyes as his gaze was now fixed on the moonlight casting a soft illuminating glow over us.

He was giving me time to think about my decision while waiting patiently for the outcome. I cradled my stomach and wondered if I was in the right frame of mind to commit myself to someone else and start all over again.

"I'm still broken, Ethan." I began, whispering.

He nodded, his eyes still fixed on the moon above us. "And so am I, Arielle."

"What I'm trying to say is, I may not be the perfect partner you deserve." I forced myself to blurt out, it was my biggest fear and it gnawed at me with each passing moment.

"Who says I need a perfect partner?" Ethan replied, chuckling this time. "Heck, I am far from perfect myself."

"We're going to get into a lot of trouble coming into this with hearts that aren't fully mended, you know?"

"I know it's not going to be a smooth ride, Arielle. I'm well aware of that. For the past week, I've thought about the pros and cons of getting intimate with you and the pros far outweigh the cons."

"Is this a ploy to get me to stay here with you?" I teased, trying to lighten up the tense atmosphere between us.

"Is it working?" Ethan turned towards me and reached out to me and grasped my hand in his, laughter dancing in his eyes.

He had one of the prettiest sets of eyes I had ever seen and it was dark as well, not in a sinister manner, it gave the impression that they held a mystery of stories that were untold and most likely would never see the light of day. It was the first thing I had noticed when we first met and often, I would find myself getting lost staring at his eyes and hoping he wouldn't notice but I knew he did and he never said a word.

As Diana locked eyes with him, a sense of wonder washed over her.

It felt as if time had momentarily stopped, and the world around them faded into a blur, leaving only their connection intact.

As I locked eyes with him, a sense of urgency serenaded me instantly.

Time, motion, and the world stopped altogether for the briefest of moments, everything else faded in a blur blending into the background.

The only thing that existed right now was their connection, an emblem of the affection they held toward each other. There wasn't any denying any longer, I was attracted to him and he was to me.

I decided to weigh my options and come to a conclusion as he had done. Being with someone who cared deeply for me was all I wanted and there was no better feeling or person I would want it to emanate from other than Ethan but there was also the possibility of being consigned to the same fate that left me broken in the first place.

What did I have to lose? Would I be willing to lose being cared for and loved by a wolf as noble as Ethan or risk my heart being shattered once more by the false hopes of true love?

"Yes, Ethan. It is." I whispered.

"So what do you say, Arielle?" He began once more, "We don't have to rush anything, you know? I want it done at both our paces."

"If you promise not to smother me with a pillow in my sleep, I'll go on a date with you, Ethan."

I felt elated as the words left my mouth. There was the possibility of this being the best thing that had ever happened to me in a long while and despite my initial reluctance, I was looking forward to this.

I laughed aloud in delight as Ethan pulled me into a hug, carefully enough not to crush me in his embrace.

"I'll rethink my refusal not to smother you in your sleep if you don't break my heart."

I pulled away and stared at him with a small smile on my face.

"I don't think I can. You've given me so much that I could've ever asked for."

His hand caressed my face and I shut my eyes taking in its warmth.

"Even if I tried, I can't bring myself to deny you anything, Arielle."

"What do you think Luciana would say?" I asked, suddenly worried. "Do you think she'll approve of this, of us?"

"She would be elated," Ethan promised. "I wouldn't have done this if it weren't for her."

I stared at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"During the past week I kept to myself, as I tried to sort out the emotional mess I found myself in, Luciana knew why I was in solitary confinement."

"How did she do it?" I asked.

"She was with me the first time I broke down and it didn't take much time for her to piece it together. She reminded me that the past would remain in the past, unable to hurt me and I had the power to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life." "She doesn't hold anything back, does she?" I bit back a smile, knowing how intense she could get.

"Not in the slightest." Ethan laughed and we both remained silent for a while.

"What's on your mind?" Ethan asked, his face nuzzling in the crook of my neck. "I can smell your worries and it's been getting stronger over time."

"I'm sorry, It's nothing I should bother you with. It's just one of my many episodes where I let the worst thoughts get the better of me."

He brought his head up to scrutinize my face, trying to figure out what was going wrong.

"What's happening, Arielle?" His tone was gentle, urging me to open up.

"I don't know if it's something I should bother you with, you know? It's my problem and I should be the one to fix it."

I felt bad immediately after the words left my mouth. If I was going to be with him, I would have to learn how to trust him.

"I'm sorry, Ethan. I didn't mean it that way. I just-"

"Just breathe, Arielle." Ethan urged me and I followed his lead, trying to stop myself from hyperventilating.

"They can't hurt you anymore," Ethan began. "They're in your past now and I'm here to protect you from whatever it is you're scared of."

"Is it that obvious?" I smiled sadly at him. "I thought I was good at masking my feelings."

"You want to talk about this?"

I shuddered slightly before nodding. "I can't seem to let it go, Ethan. I've tried numerous ways to forget they ever existed but it keeps coming back, maybe my pregnancy hormones are going out of control. I was fine half an hour ago and here I am now, crying about being heartbroken and the possibility of my child being taken away."

"Taken away?" Ethan was concerned this time, his grip tightened around his wrists.

"If they ever learn about the existence of my child, they'll come calling. They never leave one of their own behind, ever. And I don't want to lose my child."

"You and your child are safe here, I promise. No one is going to take you away from me and when it comes to protecting one of our own, my pack would rise to the occasion and defend you with the last drop of blood in us."