Ella POVAlexander knelt in front of me and took my hand in his. My breath caught in my chest as I stared at him in disbelief. We hadn’t talked about this beforehand—I wasn’t prepared. I could feel the eyes of the other diners on us, and I could already hear the whispers as they realized what was ha
It wasn’t just because our plans were going well—there was more to it than that. Alexander had a way of making me truly happy, in a way I couldn’t quite explain.“Wait until you see what I ordered for dessert,” Alexander said brightly.“Does it pair well with the wine?” I asked, taking another sip o
Ella POV Alexander's show of dominance melted away quickly after that. We enjoyed a romantic candlelit dinner, and he acted so warm and attentive that I could almost convince myself that what had happened with Lily was nothing more than a figment of my imagination.I sat in the passenger seat o
"That’s true," my father said. "But there’s very little known publicly about his pack. They’ve always had a friendly but distant relationship with us. Your mother’s right—this is uncharted territory.""We just have to proceed carefully, that’s all," my mother added. "I know he makes you happy, and t
Third-person POVDavid was back in the capital for the first time since the latest round of media criticism had hit him. He kept a hat pulled low to cover his hair and wore dark sunglasses, hoping to avoid recognition.But even if someone did notice him, he had legitimate enough reasons to be there.
“That was strange,” he commented, his tone casual but watchful.“She seemed young,” I replied, shrugging. “She’s probably just nervous.”James shrugged noncommittally, and we fell into a comfortable silence as we walked back toward Alexander's office. I took a sip of my tea. It was sweet as usual, b
Ella POVAt the sound of David's name, James stood from his seat. He moved in front of me, his arm stretched out protectively. He didn’t know David, but his sharp gaze locked onto the man who was rapidly closing the distance between us.David must have realized he’d been spotted because suddenly sto
I tried to turn, desperate to run in the opposite direction, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. The vertigo hit me like a wave, making it impossible to stay upright.With each step I attempted, nausea surged. The world tilted, and I felt my strength slipping away.I staggered, holding myself up against
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