Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 293

A bubble bursts. The rose-colored glasses fall off. Reality creeps in, and Ethel's face falls. 'Whose is that?' his eyes scream.

Shen notices. Oh god, she notices, and she turns her whole body away from him, holding Fei protectively. I've heard of lions killing young from past mates. I don't know if that's how werewolves work, but that's how Shen's looking at him.

He puts his hands up in defense, but the damage is done.

"Please get away from me," Shen says.

"It's yours?" He gawks before quickly trying to fix it. "I mean, if that's your kid, it's..." He pauses. "Well, is it your kid?"

"Just leave me alone."

"I'm just asking because I can't smell you," he says. "You're Dawn."

Axel and Onai exchange wary looks. Even the adults seem worried.

"Luna. Please." Shen looks at me. "I don't know who this random guy is, but..."

If her previous statement cut him like a knife, this one slaps him across the face. He pulls his hand back, distancing himself from her as much as possible. "Okay..." He looks up to search her eyes, but she's not facing him. "I'll leave, if..." He doesn't move. "If that's what you want...?"

She doesn't answer.

He keeps trying and trying and trying, but to no avail.

I put my hand over my mouth, thinking, 'Not Ethel.' He's waited so long for this. I want to glare at Shen, but I can't. Once I see her eyes, I realize she's hurting too.

The second Ethel steps away from her, her face falls. She looks like she wants to grab him, or at least try to, but she doesn't. She puts her free hand on her knee, tightening her grip. Ethel walks to the front door. Fei looks accomplished. Shen looks miserable.

Before Ethel can even grab the knob, the front door opens. Carson barrels in. "Mia."

Shen jumps fifty feet in the air.

Her blue eyes dart between me and Ethel. When she sees Ethel's signature, horrified, absolutely-not-reassuring look, her jaw drops. She freezes, holding Fei tighter.

As usual, Carson doesn't notice the obvious problem in the room. Why would he? His brother's relaxed, his mate's lounging on a couch. Why would he need to sweep his eyes over the room? Why would he bother to acknowledge the random girl beside me?

His amber eyes hone in, and I'm all he's worried about. As he rushes to my side, Aiden calmly walks in, closing the door behind him.

Carson pulls at my arms and legs, examining me closely.

Aiden stops in front of Ethel, eyeing him suspiciously.

"What happened?" Carson asks me.

"What's wrong with you?" Aiden asks Ethel.

We both say, "Nothing," at the same time, but neither brother believes us.

Carson furrows his brow at me as I swat his hands away. He grabs mine, pulling them against his face. "If you're fine, then why's Janice..." His eyes land on Shen.