6. ETHAN

The morning sunlight filtered through the thick curtains of my home, casting soft rays of light across the polished mahogany dining table. The scent of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the aroma of a hearty breakfast prepared by my devoted housekeeper, Denny. Yet, despite the serene surroundings, a sense of unease lingered in the air, weighing heavy on my mind.

As I sat down to breakfast of buttered toast, my phone rang, shattering the calm. With a frown, I picked up the call, only to be greeted by the urgent voice of Robert, my trusted friend and business partner.

"What"s going on, Robert?" I demanded, my brow furrowed with concern.

"Ethan, we"ve got a problem," Robert replied. "One of our regulars at the casino has been arrested for fraud."

My heart sank. The casino was my pride and joy, a testament to years of hard work and dedication. The thought of it being tarnished by a scandal racked my gut with anger.

"But how does this concern me?" I asked. "Surely this is a matter for the authorities."

"There"s more to it than that," Robert explained, his tone grave. "The authorities are looking into our records, and they"re asking questions. They want to know if there"s any connection to the casino."

I clenched my jaw, my mind racing with possibilities. The last thing I needed was unwanted attention to my business dealings. My transactions had not always been 100% aboveboard. And now, with my latest land acquisitions, the last thing I needed was the authorities digging too deep. Who knew what they might uncover?

"Alright, I"ll be there soon," I said, cutting the call short. Rising from the table, I knew this was a problem I couldn"t afford to ignore. With a heavy heart, I made my way to the door, steeling myself for what lay ahead.

I stepped out of my Mercedes GLE with purpose, the sleek lines of the vehicle emphasizing my will to assert control over the situation. As I approached the casino, my heart quickened at the sight of FBI cars parked outside. This was no ordinary investigation.

Taking a moment to collect myself, I reminded myself of my innocence. I had nothing to hide, and I wouldn"t let the presence of law enforcement officers intimidate me. With a deep breath, I entered the casino, the quiet atmosphere a stark contrast to the bustling energy it usually held.

Walking into my office, I found a group of officers waiting for me. The lead officer, Kirk, stood up and extended his hand in greeting. Despite the tension in the room, I maintained a calm demeanor, offering him a polite smile.

"Hello, gentlemen. How can I assist you?" I said, my voice steady and composed. I felt a surge of pride in my ability to remain collected under pressure.

Kirk nodded appreciatively at my presence. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause," he began, his tone professional. "It"s crucial that we clear up any misunderstandings and continue with our investigation."

I listened intently, ready to cooperate fully and clear my name of any wrongdoing. Whatever was ahead, I would face them with confidence and integrity.

"Mr. Kirk, may I ask what this investigation pertains to?" I inquired.

Kirk glanced at his fellow officers before responding. "We"re looking into a case of suspected money laundering involving one of your regular customers, Mr. David Thompson," he explained. "It appears that Mr. Thompson has been frequenting your casino and making unusually large cash transactions, which has raised some red flags."

I furrowed my brow, processing the information. David Thompson was indeed a familiar face at the casino, but I had never suspected him of any illicit activities. "I see," I replied carefully. "While I"m surprised to hear about these allegations, I assure you that I"ll do everything in my power to assist with your investigation."

Kirk nodded, seeming satisfied with my response. "We appreciate your cooperation, Mr. Grayson. Now, if you could provide us with some records of Mr. Thompson"s transactions and any other relevant information, it would be immensely helpful."

As I gathered the requested documents, I felt relief. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I was confident that the evidence would vindicate both myself and the casino from any wrongdoing. With transparency and cooperation, I would wade through this and emerge unscathed.

"Of course," I replied, handing over the requested documents to Kirk and his team. "Here are the records you need. I"m also available for any further questions or assistance you might require."

Kirk nodded as he reviewed the documents. "Thank you, Mr. Grayson. We"ll look into these and keep you updated."

Once alone, I took a moment to gather my thoughts. Someone had clearly misinterpreted Mr. Thompson"s activities, leading to this unwarranted investigation. But I was confident the records would be set straight, and justice would prevail.

I made a mental note to stay vigilant and cooperate fully with the authorities. I had nothing to hide, and I was confident that the truth would exonerate me and the casino from any false accusations. I headed back to my office, where I found Rob waiting.

"Phew! That was a close one," I exclaimed, sinking into the plush leather chair behind my desk.

Robert"s face brightened with relief, his grin stretching from ear to ear. But when his gaze landed on me, the joy melted away into confusion. I could see the question forming in his eyes: Why wasn"t I celebrating like he was?

"Hey boss, what"s the problem?" he asked, his tone light and teasing.

I rolled my eyes at his playful jab. "Nothing, Rob," I replied. "Just glad that mess got sorted."

He arched an eyebrow, sensing my disquiet. "You sure about that?" he pressed, his voice softening with concern. "You don"t look like someone who just dodged a bullet."

A hollow chuckle escaped my lips. "Believe me, I wish I could say it"s smooth sailing from here, but..." I trailed off, the memory of the morning"s encounter still fresh in my mind.

As hard as I tried to focus on the tasks at hand, Aria"s face kept intruding upon my thoughts.

Especially after what happened at the bayou.

I leaned back in my chair, trying to put the morning into words for Robert. "You know, Rob, after what happened with Aria on the rooftop, I was pretty... frustrated."

Robert raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Oh? What happened?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "She wasn"t very receptive to my advances," I admitted, feeling a flush creeping up my neck at the memory. "Left me feeling like a damn fool up there."

He chuckled sympathetically. "Ouch. That"s rough, man."

"But what I found really surprising," I continued, "is that the anger and resentment I expected to feel after that confrontation with her at the bayou for undermining my authority as an incoming Alpha didn"t come."

Rob"s eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I would"ve thought you"d be seething."

"Exactly," I agreed, nodding thoughtfully. "But instead of that anger, what I feel is an undeniable pull to her."

His eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "No way. You"re attracted to her?"

I shrugged, feeling a bit sheepish. "I can"t explain it, Rob. It"s like there"s this magnetic force drawing me to her, despite everything."

He let out a low whistle. "Well, I"ll be damned."

"On top of that," I added, "I never knew her wolf had matured like that."

Robert leaned forward, intrigued. "Her wolf? What do you mean?"

I vividly recalled the majestic sight of Aria"s wolf form. "She was a massive white wolf with a red stripe reaching all the way to her tail. It was... impressive."

As I sat in my office, the thought of calling Aria kept nagging at me like an itch I couldn"t scratch. It wasn"t that I was worried about her. It was more like... curiosity. I was just curious about how she was doing after our little run-in at the bayou.

But every time I reached for my phone, some invisible force held me back. It was like a voice in my head, reminding me that Alphas don"t waste their time worrying about others. They focus on their strength, their pack, and their goals. Calling Aria would be a sign of weakness, and weakness had no place in an Alpha. I needed to be ready when the call came.

Yet, despite my best efforts to push the thought aside, I couldn"t shake the feeling that I needed to hear her voice and know she was okay. It was infuriating.

I prided myself on my self-control, and my ability to suppress emotions and desires that didn"t serve my goals. But with Aria, it was like all my carefully constructed walls were crumbling.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair in frustration. Maybe I was overthinking things. Maybe I should just pick up the phone and call her, consequences be damned. But the thought of admitting even the slightest bit of vulnerability made my skin crawl.

In the end, I shoved my phone back into my pocket with a scowl. Calling Aria was out of the question. I had bigger things to worry about — like crushing any opposition that stood in my way and proving to my pack that I was worthy of being their Alpha.

Aria was just a distraction, and I refused to let her derail my plans. But I couldn"t shake the nagging feeling that there was more to this than just business. Aria"s face kept intruding into my thoughts, her fiery spirit refusing to be ignored. It was infuriating and addicting. I didn't want it to end.

As I sat at my desk, desperate for a distraction to push thoughts of Aria aside, Elinor"s name popped up on my phone. She could only be calling about one thing.

We were siblings, but we didn"t always see eye to eye, especially when it came to Aria.

There was a time when Elinor and I were like peas in a pod. But things changed when Aria joined the pack. It was like Elinor had found her long-lost sister, leaving me somewhat sidelined.

As I answered the call, my smile faltered at the sound of Elinor"s icy voice. "What exactly were you thinking, using your wolf in front of humans and attacking Aria in the process?" she demanded.

I let out a heavy sigh before responding, trying to keep my frustration in check. "I see your friend has already filled you in," I muttered.

"Ethan, how many times have I warned you not to mess with her?" Elinor continued, her tone exasperated.

Here we go again, I thought, rolling my eyes at Elinor"s high-handedness. She couldn"t see past her prejudices to understand my perspective.

"Elinor, it"s not like I planned to attack Aria," I explained, trying to keep my voice calm despite the rising frustration. "Things just got out of hand."

"That"s not an excuse, Ethan," she shot back. "You know how delicate the situation is. We can"t afford any slip ups, especially with humans involved."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on. "I know, I know," I muttered. "But you don"t understand what it"s like. The connection I feel with Aria, it"s... complicated."

Elinor"s voice softened slightly. "I get it, Ethan. But you have to remember your responsibilities. You"re the soon-to-be Alpha, and that means setting an example for the pack and putting its interests above your desires."

I sighed. "I know," I repeated, the guilt gnawing at me. "I"ll try to do better, sister. I promise."

I would say anything to get her off the phone, but a part of me wanted to be sincere.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Elinor spoke again, her tone gentler this time. "Good. Because I don"t want to see either of you getting hurt."

I nodded, even though she couldn"t see me. "I understand. Thanks, Elinor."

With that, we said our goodbyes, and I was left alone with my thoughts, grappling with conflicting emotions.

I couldn"t shake the feeling of responsibility bearing down on me. It was a reminder that as the soon-to-be Alpha, I had to tread carefully and make decisions that not only benefited me but also the pack.

Amid all the duties and expectations, there was Aria. She was a constant whirlwind in my thoughts, stirring emotions I wasn"t always ready to confront. Despite our differences and the tension that often hung between us, I couldn"t deny the draw to her. While I wished I could avoid hurting Aria, the plan had already been set in motion.