Free Web NovelChapter 259: Chapter 259
Nathan’s POV
The scorn in my voice was deliberate. Rowland took another long swig, wine spilling slightly down his neck. He wiped it away carelessly, radiating reckless confidence.
“Absolutely.”
I let out a low, dry, cracked laugh. The sound echoed like an old piano struck in an empty room.
He didn’t flinch. His eyes stayed bright and hungry.
“How about this?” he said suddenly. “Let’s make a bet.”
I straightened despite the alcohol weighing on me. “A bet?” I echoed.
He swirled his glass, his eyes glinting with mischief. “We both get drunk. We both call her. And we see who she comes for.”
My breath hitche just for a fraction of a second, but Rowland caught it. His smile widened.
“You’re her husband, after all,” he said softly. “So tell me, Uncle Nathan... do you dare?”
His voice dropped, smooth and coaxing, like a demon whispering at the edge of a cliff.
I knew it was childish, pointless, a trap even. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
But my heart burned hot with jealousy, fear, and something dangerously close to hope.
I hated Rowland’s games.
And yet, a part of me wondered.
Would Aria come? Would she answer my call?
“Fine,” I said.
The word tasted like blood and pride.
My wolf rose fully now, pacing inside me, eyes fixed on a single question that no amount of alcohol could drown.
I tightened my grip around the glass until the stem creaked softly, the wine inside sloshing like dark blood. My thoughts tangled as I poured myself another drink. Alcohol dulled my head, but not my wolf.
My wolf stayed painfully awake.
Across from me, Rowland looked infuriatingly clear-eyed. His cheeks were flushed, the faint bite of wine on his breath sharp enough to reach me. He lifted his head and called out smoothly, just drunk enough to sell the act.
“Waiter.”
A young woman hurried over. “Yes, sir?”
Rowland leaned back slightly, pressing a hand to his temple. “I’m dizzy. Please call her for me. Tell her I’m drunk at the Starlight Bar.”
My chest tightened.
“I drove here,” I said hoarsely, sliding my phone across the table. “So call her for me too.”
The waiter blinked, momentarily overwhelmed, both phones now in her hands. Her gaze flicked between us. One of us slumped forward like a wounded alpha forced to kneel, the other lounging lazily, looking utterly intoxicated.
I caught her scent spike with curiosity and admiration.
Then she glanced at the screens. Upon realizing it was the same number.
Her eyes widened..
She bit her lips, before tapping the screens. I forced myself upright then, my vision swimming as my eyes locked onto her hands.
The first call connected. It was Rowland’s.
The light in my chest died.
His grin stretched slow and triumphant, his teeth flashing like a predator who’d drawn first blood.
“Hello, is this Luna Aria?” the waiter asked politely.
“And you are?” Aria replied, her voice cool and distant.
Rowland’s eyes burned.
“There are two gentlemen here who’ve had a bit too much to drink,” the waiter explained carefully. “One owns this phone, and the other is Alpha Nathan. They asked me to call you. Presumably to pick them up.”
There was silence.
My wolf held its breath.
“Address.” Aria finally said.
I exhaled in relief. “Starlight Bar.”
“Thank you,” Aria said, still polite. Then the line went dead.
Rowland reclaimed his phone, smugness rolling off him like heat. “See?” he said lightly. “I told you Aria would choose me.”
I scoffed, though my hand trembled. “Maybe it’s just because your call went through first.”
We both knew that was a lie I told myself.
Even if my call had connected first... there was no certainty she’d have answered.
I lowered my gaze, my lashes casting shadows over my eyes. My throat burned.
Unwanted memories clawed their way up. Memories of Aria leaving earlier, surrounded by people, Rowland walking beside her like he belonged there. Like they were one big family. Me standing still, watching the distance stretch wider with every step she took away.
The taste in my mouth turned bitter.
Rowland leaned back, basking in victory. “Since she’s coming,” he said lazily, “let’s see who she chooses in person.”
My pulse thudded in my ears.
“Which one of us will she take away?”
My lashes fluttered.
Even drunk, even numb, I knew the odds were stacked against me.
My wolf curled inward, wounded. A twist of nausea and defeat churned in my stomach, sharp enough to hurt. Losing her once had nearly broken me.
Losing her again, in front of him, might finish the job.
I clenched my fists beneath the table, nails biting into my palms.
“Fine,” I said.
The word came out rough, heavy with pride and despair.
If she was going to choose, I would face it.
Like a wolf who refuses to look away from the hunter’s blade.
