Amanda stared at me with wide, surprised eyes as she sat in the makeup chair. It was my wedding day, and yet she was the one being pampered and made beautiful.Maybe it was the stress of the morning or the embarrassment from my foolish phone call to Alexander, but I felt myself losing control of my
"We were told that the plan had changed," the hairdresser responded weakly."You might as well finish it now that you’ve started. I'll be back in 10 minutes," Isaid before walking out the door.I needed a moment to regain my composure. If I wasn't careful, I would reveal too much. My anger at Amanda
I was completely silent as my hair and makeup were worked on.I was replaying my murder in my head over and over again. The thought of walking down the aisle with David again made me feel sick to my stomach.I didn’t try to hide the miserable expression on my face; I was sure it would be attributed
I kept my head held high and proud as I stepped out onto the walkway. I could hear people’s exclamations of surprise and gasps as they saw me, but I kept my gaze forward, looking at David as I walked steadily down the aisle.Amanda was standing to the side of the altar in a place of honor, wearing a
The wedding ceremony went just as planned. I felt cold as David slipped the ring onto my finger and made his vows, but I smiled with tears in my eyes.David’s possesive words during the ceremony unsettled me, but I couldn’t dwell on it. He hadn’t been so forward in the original timeline.He must
"I’m glad things worked out the way they did," I said. "This dress is the perfect choice for me.""I agree," my mother said happily.I continued to chat with my mother as I ate my food, but soon dinner was over. People were beginning to drink, dance, and socialize.David went off to talk to a couple
Elizabeth and I talked for a while, and I found that we really hit it off far more than I ever could have expected. It was nice to have a normal conversation with someone, especially after everything I had been through in the last few weeks.She was intelligent, brave, and confident—everything I hop
“It’s stunning,” I said as I looked at the image of a large wolf standing silhouetted against a full moon.“Yes, it’s nice,” David agreed, trying to hide his disappointment.“Is this hand-carved?” I asked, reaching my fingers out and delicately running them over the lines of the image. “It must have
Ella POVThe night we had been working towards for so long was finally here. It didn’t seem real, but it was finally happening.It was election night.All day Alexander and I had been answering questions from reporters and making phonecalls to voters, hoping to get as many people as possible to show
He glanced at me, a knowing look passing between us. We would face whatever came next together.After dinner, Sabrina and Alexander took Lexie up to get ready for bed. She wanted a bedtime story from Alexander and he seemed happy to do it.Once we were alone in the living room, my mother pulled me t
Ella POVAlexander and I spent the day in my family’s packlands with Lexie, a rare moment of peace before the election.The official statement revealing Lexie’s identity had been carefully crafted—Alexander had asked for privacy for her sake.The response had been mixed, but most people saw it as a
“It does,” Elizabeth said. “But people also fear what they don’t understand. Alexander has spent years in the shadows. Half of what he’s done is still a secret. People don’t know that he’s…” she hesitated, looking away for a moment. “Now, they’re being asked to trust him with the kingdom.” She sighe
Ella POVI sat across from Elizabeth at a quiet restaurant, a half-empty glass of wine in front of me. The air between us was lighter than it had been in months, but there was still an unspoken tension—a lingering wound that was still healing.Elizabeth had taken the revelations about Alexander, Dav
Ella POVThe news of Ironfang’s arrest tore through the kingdom like wildfire. Fear gripped the people as they learned the horrifying truth—powerful figures within their own government had been working with the North.For years, the enemy had been closer than anyone had realized, pulling strings in
Alexander POVI stood before the King, my body still weak from the poison, but my mind sharp and steady. Ella stood at my side, her presence grounding me, a silent promise that we would face whatever came next together.I could feel the weight of her gaze on me, the quiet strength she offered just b
Ella POVIt took several days before Alexander could stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time.Those days felt like an eternity to me, sitting at his bedside, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest, hoping for any sign of improvement. The doctors assured me that the worst had passed, b
The King’s orders were not something you ignored. And though I had no desire to leave Alexander’s side, I couldn’t risk further angering the King—especially when I had no idea what he would do with the information I had.Still, my resolve weakened as she glanced at Alexander one last time. “He’ll be