Betrayed By My Mate Saved By His Rival

---- Chapter 18 Ethan's POV I stood up from the sofa and wiped the tears from my face. "You're right," I said, looking at my mother. "I was a fool. " "Good, you know it," her tone softened slightly. "Now, listen to my plan..." "No." I cut her off. "I will handle the pack, but not your way." "What do you mean?" "T will hold a press conference. Not to clear Lilith's name, " Tsaid, walking to the door, "but to announce every one of her crimes." "Ethan!" my mother ran after me. "You can't do that! It will completely destroy our reputation!" "Reputation?" I sneered.

"What good is a reputation built on the bodies of pup?" "Your father made a similar choice once..." I spun around. "What?" ---- My mother realized her mistake and clamped her mouth shut. "What about my father?" I cornered her. "Tell me!" "Nothing..." she backed away. "I just..." "Tell me!" I roared, my Alpha command shaking the room. Forced to speak, she said, "Your father also had a mistress when he was young. He did foolish things for her..." "So you think I should make the same mistakes?" "Tt's aman's nature..." "Enough!" I turned to leave.

"I will not become the man my father was." At the door, I stopped. Without turning back, I said: "And from now on, stay out of my business." I stormed out of the estate and mind-linked my Beta. "Build a fully-enclosed, solid silver cell in the manor's basement." "Alpha?" his confused voice came back. "What for?" ---- "To lock someone up," I said coldly. "As fast as you can." "Understood. But who is it for?" "Lilith." Two hours later, my Beta reported the cell was complete. "Bring her," I ordered. Soon, guards dragged a struggling Lilith to the estate.

When she saw me, a smile actually crossed her face. "Ethan!" She shook off the guards and ran to me. "I knew you'd come to your senses!" She opened her arms, ready to embrace me like she always did. "We can start over!" she beamed. "Leo needs a father, and I need you..." I stood perfectly still, letting her get closer. The instant her fingers brushed the lapel of my suit, my hand shot out. I clamped it around her throat and lifted her clean off the floor. "Ugh... Ethan..." Her smile froze. "What... what are you doing..." ---- My fingers tightened. Her face started to turn red. "Ethan...

let... go..." she choked, struggling. "I... can't breath "Feel that?" I whispered, my voice a venomous hiss against her ear. "That's a whisper of the agony our son felt when you let him die for your ambition." "No... it wasn't..." she started to cry. "I... I love you..." "Love?" I sneered. "You only love power and position." I let her drop. She crumpled to the floor in a heap, choking and gasping. "Take her to her new home," I told the guards.

"No!" Lilith crawled to my feet and hugged my leg." Ethan, listen to me!" "About what?" "T'm pregnant!" she gasped, a wild, triumphant light in her eyes. "It's yours, Ethan. A true heir. Our pup!" I looked down at her. "What?" "Even if Leo wasn't yours, this one is!" she said desperately. "It's our pup!" ---- My expression didn't flicker. My eyes were arctic voids. I looked down at the life she offered as a bargaining chip. "and?" "So you can't hurt me!" She thought she'd found her lifeline. "For the baby's sake..." "For the baby's sake?" I crouched down to her level.

"Like how you killed Marcus for Leo's sake?" "That... that's different..." "'How is it different?" my voice was a demonic whisper. " Betrayal is betrayal. Deceit is deceit." "T didn't betray you!" she argued through her tears. " Everything I did was for our future!" "Our future?" I stood up, looking down on her. "There was never an 'us'.""