Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 205

Chapter 205

Chapter 205

Alpha Ethan’s POV

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It had been two weeks since I came to California to look for Reven, and yet, I hadn’t found even a shadow of her.

Two weeks of endless searching, of restless nights, of questioning strangers, of scanning every unfamiliar face in hope of seeing the one face that had haunted me since the day she left.

I had searched the malls, the restaurants, the narrow streets, even the hidden corners of the city, telling myself she might have found work, maybe hiding in plain sight. But nothing. Every day was like chasing smoke; she was everywhere in my mind but nowhere in reality.

The day I arrived, I swore I had seen her at the mall. A woman with the same shape of face, the same hair, and the same way she carried herself. My heart had nearly leapt out of my chest. I remembered following her through the crowd, weaving past families, couples, and tourists. She turned for just a second, and I froze.

It was Reven. It had to be.

But before I could reach her, she disappeared like the ground had swallowed her whole. One blink, and she

was gone.

I remember standing there, stunned, breathless, trying to convince myself I wasn’t imagining it.

But no matter how long I searched, no matter how many hours I spent retracing my steps, she was gone. Like a ghost.

That was the cruelest part of it, knowing she was somewhere near but slipping through my fingers like mist.

And now, after two weeks of empty streets, cold nights, and unanswered prayers, I was boarding a plane back home.

The sound of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts as I sat in the quiet hotel room. I reached for it, and Ava’s name flashed across the screen. For a moment, guilt pricked my chest like thorns. She didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve the lies I was about to speak.

I forced myself to answer.

“Hi, honey,” her voice came first, warm and sweet, like sunlight breaking through clouds.

“Hey,” I replied, my tone steady though inside I was unraveling.

“Why aren’t you back yet?” she asked, the faintest worry in her voice.

I swallowed hard, staring at the ceiling. “I had a lot of things to do. But I’ll come back today.”

There was a pause, and then her voice brightened with excitement. “I can’t wait to see you.”

Her joy should have filled me with relief, but instead it pierced me with guilt. She was waiting for me, loving

Chapter 205

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me, and trusting me. And yet here I was, lying to her face, telling her I was here on business when in truth I was chasing the ghost of a woman I told her I no longer cared about.

“See you soon,” I managed, and the call ended.

For a while I sat there, staring at my reflection in the hotel mirror. My body was strong, my alpha aura intact, but my legs… they betrayed me.

Not being able to use them fully was hurting me more than I wanted to admit. Sometimes, when the pain surged in my bones, I wondered if it was punishment. If my sins–the lies, the betrayals, the coldness I had inflicted on Raven–had chained me like this.

I was supposed to heal. The doctors said it. My wolf should have restored me long ago. But still, I remained half–broken, dragging my body through this torment as though fate refused to forgive me.

I took a deep breath and went to take a bath. The water washed over me, but it didn’t wash away the heaviness pressing against my chest. By the time I stepped out and put my clothes on, my assistant had already packed my suitcase. He rolled it beside me as I wheeled out of the room, checked out of the hotel, and slid into the waiting car.

The driver said nothing, only nodded as he drove me to the airport.

I sat there in silence, staring out the window, watching the city blur past me. California had been cruel to me. It dangled hope in front of my eyes, only to snatch it away.

But still… I couldn’t let go of the image of Raven at that mall. The way her head had turned. The way her figure had disappeared in a split second. My wolf still growled in frustration, refusing to believe it was just imagination.

The truth was simple: I had failed.

When the plane took off, I opened a newspaper, not to read but to keep myself awake. Sleep brought dreams, and dreams brought Raven. I couldn’t bear to see her face again in the fog of my mind, calling out to me only to vanish.

Hours passed. My body ached from the long flight, but my mind never rested. The moment we landed, I gathered my strength, wheeled myself off the plane, and followed the stream of passengers toward the arrival gate.

And that was when I saw her.

Not Raven.

Ava.

She stood at a distance, her figure radiant even in the crowded terminal. In her hands, she held a bouquet of flowers, and tucked inside was a small card that read, Welcome back, love,

Her eyes searched the crowd, and when they landed on me, they lit up with warmth and devotion. She smiled the way she always did–like I was her world, her home, her everything.

14:35 Mon, Sep 22

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