Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 177

Chapter 177

Alpha Ethan’s POV

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I sat in my study, holding a glass of whiskey in my hand. The drink shone like amber under the soft light of the chandelier.

I took a slow sip. It burned my throat, but it did nothing to warm the cold feeling in my chest. My mind was not here in this

room. It was with her.

Raven.

Even her name felt like a curse and a blessing at the same time.

closed my eyes and leaned back in the big leather chair. My head ached. She wants to leave so badly, my wolf said in a

sad, angry voice. Why wouldn’t she? You only caused her pain.

His words hurt.

They always did, because he was right. I let out a long breath I didn’t even know I was holding. My jaw tightened until it

hurt. “I know,” I whispered. No one was in the room, so I didn’t care who heard me.

Can’t I fix it? The question came out like a broken prayer.

Not all things can be fixed, my wolf said after a pause that felt like judgment.

My hand squeezed the glass so hard I thought it might break. The whiskey inside shook as anger and guilt fought inside me. I hated this feeling, this helplessness. I was an Alpha. People feared me, respected me, and obeyed me. But with her… I was just a man who broke the one thing he loved most.

The sound of the door opening pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked up fast, thinking it was a guard or Matthew with

some pack reports. But no. It was Elisa.

My sister.

She came in without knocking. Her dark hair hung over her shoulders like a curtain. She looked different tonight, softer in the eyes, but her lips were pressed tight. She closed the door and walked slowly toward me. Her heels clicked on the shiny floor

“Elisa,” I said, my voice rough. “What are you doing here?”

She didn’t answer right away. She sat down across from me, crossed her legs, and stared at me like she could see right through me. It made me feel uneasy. Elisa never looked at me like that, not with pity, not with disappointment. But

tonight, I saw both

“I came to tell you something” she said at last. Her voice was calm, but it was heavy.

I raised an eyebrow, hiding the storm inside me “Go ahead”

She took a breath, then said it like a bamb: “My mate and I will be leaving the day after tomorrow.”

For a moment, i just stared at her. The meaning sank in slowly. She was leaving? My sister, the only family I had left, the

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13:26 Sat, 30 Aug

Chapter 177

only one who told me the truth, the only one who cared enough to stay she was leaving too.

I didn’t move. I didn’t speak. I just sat there like I was made of stone. But inside, something broke a little more.

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Elisa tilted her head, her eyes soft like she saw the break in me. “Ethan…” she said gently, then her voice turned firm. “I also went to talk to Raven.”

At that name, my heart jumped painfully. I gripped the glass harder. “And?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure I wanted the

answer.

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Her eyes didn’t look away. “Her mind is made up. She’s going to reject you and move on with her life.”

The words cut like knives, each one deeper than the last. I stared at her, looking for something maybe a sign this was a joke, maybe a little doubt but there was none.

“I expected that,” I said finally. My voice was flat, empty. But inside, it felt like someone tore my chest open and poured salt into the wounds.

“Then why don’t you accept the rejection?” Elisa asked, her voice sharp now. “Why hold on to something that’s only destroying both of you? Maybe just maybe you’ll get a second chance. Maybe you’ll both be free from this… this prison you made.”

I let out a hollow laugh and set the glass down hard on the desk. “Getting a second chance isn’t the problem, Elisa,” I said low. “The problem is my heart still can’t let her go. I know I messed up. Damn it, I know. But I still love her.”

Silence filled the room like a heavy blanket. Elisa’s eyes softened, but there was no pity, only sadness, the same as mine.

“Maybe it’s just the mate bond,” she said after a while, her voice quieter. “Once she rejects you and you find another mate, you won’t even remember her.”

1 wished I could believe that. I wished it was that easy. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t. I leaned back and dragged a hand over my face as a bitter laugh escaped me. “It will be hard,” I admitted, my throat tight. “But… you’re right. Keeping her here won’t bring her back. It won’t make her love me/Maybe…” My voice broke, and I hated it. “Maybe it’s time to let her

go.”

Elisa’s eyes widened, then I saw relief on her face, “So… you’ll accept the rejection?”

I swallowed hard, my jaw so tight it hurt. The words tasted like blood, but I forced them out. “I will.”

She stood and came around the desk, hugging me so tight it almost broke me. I froze, then hugged her back, holding her like she was the only thing keeping me from falling apart.

“I hope you change,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “Because I don’t remember having a monster for a brother.”

The words hit me harder than any punch.

I didn’t reply, I couldn’t.

Because deep down, I wasn’t sure if I could change.

When she pulled away, there were tears in her eyes, but she gave me a small smile and squeezed my hand before leaving

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