EVELYNI would never forget that day—the day of my trial, when my life fell apart. The man I loved sat on the throne, declaring my doom. Pain shot through me like lightning as I was forced to kneel, bowing my head before him. His familiar dark eyes stared into my soul with contempt and hatred.Tears welled up in my eyes.“Evelyn Caddel, as the Alpha King of Hescor, I hereby pronounce you and your family guilty of treason. Your noble titles shall be revoked, your lands confiscated, and your honor erased. You shall endure the harshest punishments under the law of Hescor.”Then, he reached out, cupping my chin, and lowered his voice into a chilling whisper. “I told you—you’d regret choosing the wrong man, Evelyn.”***"It's a lovely day," Elsa said, spreading her arms out and facing the sun streaming in through the window. "A shame we have to spend in the palace."I laughed at that, pulling the cart down the hallway."There are worse things.""Like what?"Humiliation. Hopelessness. Tortur
EVELYNNo one in the entire courtyard dared speak on the subject, but no one could ever forget Jack or the fierce, brutal struggle between the two princes.The violence, heartbreak, and bloodshed.No one wanted to relive it.After a long, tense silence, Anastasia finally spoke.“You must be exhausted. I’ve prepared a welcoming banquet for you this evening. Perhaps you should get some rest after your long journey.”The Alpha King did not respond, but I saw his boots move forward as he presumably walked toward the palace.As his footsteps grew distant, I raised my eyes.He continued up the steps of the marble staircase leading to the palace. As he ascended, he waved a hand and called Mr. Barrett over. The head servant moved swiftly, and after a quiet exchange, Cole turned toward us, his gaze meeting mine.My heart raced.Mr. Barrett glanced at me as well and then nodded.Cole tensed his jaw, then walked into the palace, followed by the Beta and the King’s Guard. After they disappeared th
EVELYNI stopped. I knew I should have simply walked out the room. Normally, I tolerated remarks like that without pause, but today… I just couldn’t accept it. Agitation flooded through me.I walked straight toward Melanie, and her rosy cheeks went pale as she gulped in surprise. Panic painted her expression as I stopped in front of her and stared into her eyes coldly.“What—what are you—” she began to say, but I cut her off before she could finish her statement.“Mr. Barrett is outside of this room,” I said harshly. “What do you think he would do if he heard you all gossiping about the King and his private affairs? Do you think he would be pleased to hear your insults?”All around me, the others stiffened at once.As Melanie’s lower lip quivered, I leaned in closer and spoke just low enough for her to hear.“You should mind your tongue if you don’t want to lose it,” I threatened.The maid grew even paler, surprised by my growl. Her eyes glanced at the door, as if checking to see if Mr
EVELYNMy heart flinched when Aiden called me “Eve”, my old nickname. My expression softened for a brief second and I nearly gave in to a smile.But I couldn’t allow him to speak to me like that, especially not here in the Alpha King’s domain. It was too risky, too familiar.Even if I wanted to be, I wasn’t that girl anymore.“I’m a maid of the royal palace,” I reminded him, carefully slipping from his gaze as I spoke. “And it’s only proper for a maid to greet the King’s Guard with respect.”Aiden’s brow furrowed.“You shouldn’t call me by a nickname.” I glanced around. “Especially not here. Speaking to a lowly maid like that would threaten and demean your reputation, Sir.”He ran a hand through his thick copper hair and then uttered a small sigh. “I don’t care about my reputation.”I wasn’t sure if his words were true. I straightened my posture and made my expression as neutral as possible.“I must leave,” I managed. “The King isn’t fond of waiting in his chamber alone. It was a pleas
I have no idea how long he had been here. I quickly pulled away from Aiden and bowed to the Alpha King. “Your Majesty.”Beside me, Aiden straightened, stamped his chest, and bowed his head as well.Cole’s dark eyes flickered between us before he stepped closer. A shiver ran through me, and for a moment, I felt like prey cornered by a dangerous predator.“Did you not hear my question?” he asked, his deep voice colder than before.I kept my head lowered and conjured an answer. “I accidentally tripped and nearly fell over. Sir Moran helped steady me before I could collapse.”He studied me before he spoke. “Where is Mr. Barrett? Didn’t I instruct him to escort you to my chamber?”“Mr. Barrett had an emergency to handle, Your Majesty. I told him I could manage on my own. It isn’t his fault.”Cole snorted and rolled his eyes. “It seems you weren’t, in fact, able to manage yourself.”Without another word, he took my arm and pulled me toward him, then led me toward his chamber.I struggled to
EVELYNAs much as I wanted to remove these memories out of my mind, I could recall them vividly, every detail clear.Not long after Cole and I discovered the mate bond between us, King Theodore died in the forest, attacked by two bears while hunting alone. The bears tore the great King to pieces. Then, the day after the sorrowful funeral, my father told me that he would betroth me to the crown prince, Jack Elrod, who would soon assume the throne.I never understood why. Father wasn’t someone who craved power, but he insisted that I should marry the soon-to-be King to show our loyalty. Even the fact that Cole and I were fated mates didn’t change his mind. On the contrary, after he learned of it, he decided that I should never meet Cole again before the engagement party.I protested. I cried, kicked, and refused to eat, like I had always done when things were going against my will. It didn’t work that time. I was grounded.But I still held hope. Maybe I shouldn’t have, so the rest of wh
EVELYNThe King left the chamber for his study, and I was free from the ordeal.Instead of going to the kitchen as requested, I went straight to my bedroom, moving quickly to avoid alerting Mrs. Porter. If the head maid discovered I was planning to hide in my room rather than move on to my next task, I would be dead meat.As I approached my bedroom, I noticed a figure lingering in the corridor. It was Elsa. The young maid stared at the floor, looking dejected.I stopped and considered my next move for a moment, unsure of what to do.After the encounter in the maid’s quarters, I had no idea why she was here. Our budding friendship was likely over. Like every friend I had tried to make in the palace, Elsa probably loathed me now.Elsa heard my footsteps and looked up, her expression unreadable as she met my gaze. Once I stood before her, her soft pink lips drew into a thin line.“We need to talk, Evelyn,” she said bluntly.Against my better judgment, I decided to let her into my room.I
EVELYNThe welcome banquet was very large, far grander than I could have imagined.The hall was filled to the brim with the Alpha King’s honored guests. As my eyes swept over the room, I struggled to count the number of attendees. I guessed this affair was as big as the banquet when Cole Elrod was crowned King, though I hadn’t been present for that event.The last banquet I’d attended was my engagement party, which Cole had ruined completely.All around me, trays were being passed around the room. The banquet had not yet formally begun. Guests were being served hors d’oeuvres and refreshments until the Alpha King’s arrival. Cole seemed to be taking his time, so everyone waited patiently.While I carried a tray filled with glasses of wine past the main banquet table, I noticed a few special guests: Lord Marcel Fox and his two daughters, Skyla and Ophelia.They were seated next to Mistress Anastasia. The two young women chatted eagerly with the Dowager Queen, who responded with a smile.