Alexander POVI stepped into the hallway, leaving the door open behind me, waiting for Ella to follow. She hesitated for a moment, giving me a strange, quizzical look.I chose not to ask about it. We were in her pack’s territory, in her father’s house—there was no room for mistakes now. Our performa
“You don’t need to worry about that,” I replied, forcing the words out with a firmness I didn’t fully feel. “It’s never going to happen because there’s no such thing as love.”A tense silence fell between us. I knew August was speaking from a place of concern, reminding me to keep my guard up and no
Ella POVThere were easily two dozen in the massive bouquet. When he reached us, he held them out to me.I took the flowers, feeling a surge of surprise. “These are beautiful,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.“Your favorite flowers, according to my sources,” he said, winking.“Sources?” I a
Ella POVAfter a few minutes, the driver pulled onto a narrow road that looked more like a service entrance. It took me a moment to realize we were entering through a private gate. The driver flashed some kind of ID to security, and we were waved in without hesitation."I didn’t know there was anoth
Ella POVAlexander used his grip on my cheek to guide me gently into a more comfortable position, allowing him better access. The press of his lips was soft yet firm, and my heart began to race, the effect of the kiss more powerful than I could have anticipated.This didn’t feel like the fake kiss w
Alexander seemed to read the hesitation on my face. "There's no obligation," he said gently. "I can have someone drive you home if that's what you'd prefer."I hesitated again, not wanting to offend him. But the truth was, I did need some space. My parents would undoubtedly want to talk about everyt
Third Person POVDavid couldn’t accept that Ella had moved on so quickly.The two of them had been together for many years. He was the only boyfriend that she had ever had. They had planned a life together.There was no way she had started dating anyone else so quickly, especially not that bastard A
Ella POV“Oh,” I said softly. An uneasy feeling passed over me. Whatever she wanted to talk to me about, I knew that it probably wasn’t good.I knew that Alexander had a reputation as a womanizer. He had dated a lot of women over the past few years, but only ever for a few months at a time. I had he
A young, bubbly woman greeted us with an enthusiastic smile. “Hello, Alpha Black. Hello, soon-to-be Mrs. Black,” she said with a giggle. “We’re so pleased to have you here today. We’ve arranged a private tasting as requested, with some snacks available as well.”“Perfect,” Alexander replied with a p
Ella POVI slipped into a flattering dress and shawl, carefully styled my hair, and applied my makeup with a steady hand, though my thoughts were anything but calm with my dream still lingering.By the time I made it downstairs, Alexander was already there, standing near the front door. He was deep
Ella POV“You did the right thing by calling me,” Alexander said, his voice steady, reassuring. “I’ll look into the number. We’ve already got heavy security for the wedding, so I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. This doesn’t really qualify as a threat—more of a warning.”“It’s just... it
As Alexander’s voice grew more tense, my unease deepened. “A meeting?” I repeated, the faint background chatter growing louder in my mind. I knew that second voice, but I couldn’t place it. Something about it made me uneasy.“Yes,” he said firmly, a trace of irritation slipping through his usually c
Ella POVI answered the phone as I walked through the upper levels of the shopping center. Alexander's warm voice greeted me, and my mind drifted for a moment to the first day we officially met. It had been in his office building, on the day this very shopping center opened.Back then, Alexander had
Ella POV“It’s a beautiful gown,” Antonio Kingsman said, scrolling through the pictures on my phone. “But is it stunning enough for a bride being married at a castle?”“What do you mean?” I asked, a flicker of defensiveness creeping into my tone. “Are you saying the dress isn’t glamorous enough?”“I
Alexander POVWedding planning was far more complicated than I’d ever imagined. How anyone managed to do this on their own was beyond me.Ella had mentioned, after I asked, that David had been no help at all with planning her first wedding. I wasn’t surprised to hear it, but I was annoyed nonetheles
The Briar Rose Pack was well-respected and prominent, and there was no reason for the Alpha King to disapprove of Damian’s interest in Elizabeth. But politics had a way of complicating even the simplest matters of the heart, and Elizabeth’s world was nothing if not political.Love, unfortunately, wa
Ella POV“The castle,” Elizabeth said for at least the third time in the last five minutes, her voice full of awe. “I can’t believe I’m actually going to get to visit.”“I can’t believe you haven’t already,” I admitted, glancing at her with a smirk. Elizabeth, the only daughter of the Alpha King, ha