Jane

Ethan winces, then kisses me again, long and deep. When he pulls away, I feel tears in my eyes. I already know he hasn’t been swayed by my pleading. “I know it hurts right now, Jane.” He acknowledges, looking truly aggrieved. “It hurts me too. But one day you’ll see that I’m right.” His thumb brushes a stray tear from my cheek. “You were so much better off without me. You built a fragrance empire and raised three amazing pups all by yourself. But a few months with me and you were on my floor, begging to be a slave again.”

“That wasn’t because I was with you, it was because I wasn’t!”I argue fiercely.

“It was because of what I did to you!” Ethan explodes, his wolf glowing in his eyes. “I took a strong, independent woman with the world at her feet, and turned her into a hopeless, broken shell of a person without dignity or a single shred of self worth.

“You took a woman who had been going through the motions for years, how to actually live again.” I correct him. “Which is why I was so devastated when I lost you. You taught me how to trust again

“And then I smashed it into pieces!” Ethan reminds me, clamping his eyes shut and pursing his lips. “Listen Jane, I know this isn’t what you want and believe me when I say that I wish things could be different,” He sighs. “But they can’t. I promised myself I would never put you at risk again, and being with me has done nothing but break your heart and crush your soul time and again I have to take responsibility for that, and that means protecting you from myself even and especially when you dont want me to.”

My tears are falling freely now, and I’m clinging to Ethan as he rubs my back. “You’re wrong. I’m not going to give up, I’m not going to let you get away with this I hiccup, “And you can’t marry Nina.” I assert inanely. “You’re my mate. She can’t have you.

Ethan purrs, and I want to lash out at him for comforting me. “I don’t want to fight, Janey. The Writing is on the wall.” He nuzzles my neck. “Let’s just be together this one last time. Let me hold you, let me kiss you and watch over you while you rest” He suggests, stealing another deep kiss from my tear-stained lips. “And when you wake up we’ll start fresh. This is a new beginning for both of us it doesn’t have to be sad”

“But it is sad.”I insist sullenly. “And there’s nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise. This isn’t right”

“shhh,” Ethan croons, stroking my hair. “it will all seem better in the morning.”

“That’s stupid” I sniffle. “It’s already morning.

He chuckles, pressing his lips to my temple in quick succession. “You know what I mean.”

reasoned with right now, I might

he has a point a limited amount of time that he’ll allow me to be

you?” I inquire, turning my

Ethan encourages, gazing down at me

wondering how he managed to stay in Such amazing shape while he was paralyzed. “Now I never

a dilemma. I suppose I’ll just have to kiss you until you’re too exhausted

the smile that stretches across

are no more tears or feelings left in my overwrought body. I slip from

here. He’s been planning for months while I’ve been in the dark. Now I have to find a way to beat him at his own game, and I don’t have much time at all. My only advantage is that Ethan wasn’t prepared for me to learn the truth that and he clearly has a weak spot where

in the on-site childcare center, they’re just waking from their own naps. I eagerly pull

we missed you!” Riley

Daddy?” Paisley

being really hard headed”I confess, trading out

to let him get away with it, okay? I search their young faces for understanding I’m going to need your help, my loves. We have to

me curiously, a mischievous light in

Ryder adds in an excited

confirm, grinning at the

never lets us play tricks or hatch dibolical plans!” Riley exclaims

that my daughter’s definition of diabolical is more akin to general shenanigans than any kind of menace. Still, Riley is easily the most devious of my pups, and I want to both

of his ways?” Paisley asks, furrowing her

took him down the wrong

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