“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow, his expression challenging. “You think I’m trying to flatter you? What reason would I have for that?” I opened my mouth to respond but hesitated. What reason would Alexander have for trying to flatter me, unless… My cheeks warmed at the thought, and his smirk grew, that
Ella POV Message notification from Alexander Black. The words flashed across the top of my phone screen as I checked the time, but I forced myself to ignore them. Keeping busy was my best defense against wandering thoughts, and I was certainly making sure to stay occupied. I spent the previous
Alexander POV Ella always managed to surprise me in ways I didn’t expect. When we met at the gym, it wasn’t necessarily her strength or speed that caught me off guard—I’d expected her to have some athleticism. What surprised me was her enthusiasm. For someone who claimed she didn’t exercise regu
Ella POV Occupational therapy wasn’t exactly what I expected—though, in hindsight, that was probably my fault for doing no research before agreeing to it. The prospect of regaining my wolf had been so exciting that I didn’t even think to question how the process would work. Most of the appointme
"It's not that I don't trust your judgment," I said hesitantly. "I'm just... uneasy about all of this." “We can meet in person,” Alexander offered. “It might be easier to discuss our plans that way.” “I’d love to,” I replied, “but I promised my father I’d help him with some pack matters today.”
Ella POV The silence that followed was so pronounced it felt heavy. Alexander didn’t respond, and the seconds dragged on long enough that I glanced at my phone to make sure the call hadn’t dropped. "Alexander?" I said softly. "Did I say something wrong?" "No, not at all," he answered quickly,
"Really?" "Yes," I assured him with a smile. "Who knows, maybe I'll even learn a little more about you—break through that impenetrable shell of yours." Alexander chuckled, a rich sound that made the corners of my mouth twitch upward. "I'd be impressed if you did," he admitted. "But perhaps I sho
Ella POV “This venue is well-suited for a large wedding,” the tall, dark-haired woman with glasses explained, gesturing around the space. “The bridal suite has room for the bride, of course, as well as the bridesmaids. We also have a groom’s suite complete with a wet bar. We have plenty of beaut
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