Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 273

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Chapter 273

Alpha Ethan’s Perspective

The shrill ringing of my phone shattered the quiet of the morning, dragging me from the depths of sleep. My eyes fluttered open, still heavy with drowsiness, as I reached out toward the bedside table. The relentless vibration didn’t stop, almost urgent in its persistence. When I finally grasped the device, Matthew’s name glowed boldly on the screen.

A deep sigh escaped me.

I had promised Matthew I’d return to the pack two days ago, but I hadn’t. Something inside me had anchored me here, refusing to leave. I wanted to stay close, to watch over Raven and the kids—even if it meant keeping my distance. The thought of being anywhere else felt unbearable.

I answered the call.

“Ethan, are you alright? Why haven’t you come back yet?” Matthew’s voice was laced with concern, rushing through the line.

I rubbed my temples, trying to shake off the lingering fatigue. “Is that how you speak to your Alpha?” I asked, attempting to mask my weariness with a hint of teasing.

There was a brief pause before Matthew replied, “Sorry, Alpha. I’m just worried. You said two days, and it’s already past that.”

“I know,” I exhaled slowly. “But I needed more time. I wanted to keep an eye on my kids.”

Another silence followed, and then Matthew’s voice softened with confusion. “Your kids? Which ones?”

I stared at the ceiling, my voice barely above a whisper. “The ones Raven had for me… my children.”

“Oh,” Matthew said thoughtfully. “Those kids…”

“Yeah, those.” I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me.

Clearing his throat, Matthew asked, “So… how’s everything going over there?”

I closed my eyes for a moment, the memory of Raven’s cold, distant expression flooding back. The way she looked at me without a trace of warmth—as if I were a stranger, someone she needed to keep far away.

“It’s not easy,” I admitted quietly. “Raven is as stubborn as ever. And now, with Alpha Derick having made her his Luna, it’s going to be even harder to win her back.”

The words left a bitter taste in my mouth. I hated saying them aloud. I hated picturing her beside another man, wearing his mark, raising my children within another pack.

I told Matthew everything that had happened the day before—the tense meeting, the sharp argument, Raven’s refusal to meet my gaze for more than a fleeting moment, her fierce defense of Derick despite the pain etched across her face.

I spoke of the faint spark I’d felt when our hands touched—a fragile heartbeat I hadn’t sensed in years.

“For five years,” I murmured, “my wolf has been silent. Dead. But when I touched Raven yesterday, I felt something—a spark I haven’t felt since…”

My voice cracked. “Since she rejected me.”

Matthew drew a sharp breath. “Ethan… what if she’s your second chance mate?”

I swallowed hard, the thought both terrifying and tempting. “No,” I said quickly. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“If she were, she would have told me. Raven doesn’t hide things like that. She never said a word. She didn’t even react when our hands touched.”

“But your wolf did,” Matthew insisted. “That has to mean something.”

I didn’t want to believe it. I refused to nurture hope for something that felt impossible. “No,” I whispered. “It can’t be.”

Then I shared another worry that had been gnawing at me.

“I’m thinking about taking the kids’ matter to the werewolf council.”

Matthew gasped. “What? Ethan, no. That’s too much, too soon. If you push it that far, you’ll only drive Raven further away—especially when she already hates you.”

“I know…” I rested my head against the cool headboard, staring at the blank ceiling. “But I can’t stand the thought of another man raising my children as if they were his own.”

“I get it,” Matthew said softly. “But you have to be careful. If Derick is being difficult, try talking to him first. If that doesn’t work, go to his parents. Only if they refuse should you consider the council.”