**Alpha's POV:**"Alpha, Cassandra Cooney has just arrived," my Beta communicated to me through the mind link.Several nights had passed since Helena improved, and my deadline to discover if Cassandra was truly my fated mate was running out. I needed to spend this night with her. Her pack would come to fetch her in two days, and I needed to decide if she would become one of the women in my harem or perhaps, my Luna."Let her in!" I ordered harshly to the soldiers standing near the corridor.Cassandra entered wearing a pink satin nightgown, adorned with various embroidery. The fabric was so thin and tiny that I could easily tear it off with my teeth."Alpha..." she murmured, lifting her eyes toward me and smiling. Cassandra approached, touching my arms and caressing them while pressing her waist against mine. Our lips were inches apart. I was about to kiss her when..."She is not our mate! This girl is lying to us!" Ragnar growled, irritated.I opened my eyes again and realized that he
### Eleanor's POV"It worked just as I imagined!" Amber burst into my room, practically skipping with joy."Amber... what did you do..." I murmured, rubbing my eyes and sitting up in bed.I hadn’t known she was still in the palace. It was late at night, and I wondered why she had spent so much time in that horrible place. Still groggy from sleep and trying to grasp what was happening, I saw Amber turn on the light and pull the sheet off. The sudden brightness hurt my eyes, and I blinked several times, feeling a sharp headache."Wake up, Eleanor! I have great news for you," she said, smiling confidently."What? What happened?" I mumbled, holding a pillow in front of me to shield my eyes from the glaring light."I finally got rid of Cassandra Cooney. You don't need to worry anymore. They won't be an obstacle. The Alpha King finally discovered everything," Amber said anxiously, waving her hands."Discovered everything?" I raised my eyebrows suspiciously, swallowing nervously."He finally
**Alice's POV**"You miserable piece of shit, I'm going to end your life!" Tyler shouted, yanking my hair so hard I felt my scalp burn as he pressed my face against the cold floor.He violently threw me against the wall, my back slamming hard into the rough concrete. I groaned in pain, feeling my skin scrape and blood spread across the floor. My vision was blurred from the beating."How dare you lie to me? Who sent you? Who's the bitch trying to deceive me?" Tyler snarled, his anger darkening his eyes, revealing his inner wolf on the verge of breaking free. Fur began sprouting from his skin, his sharp claws cutting into me as I desperately shielded my face to avoid losing an eye."Tell me! Who sent you?" He growled again, impatiently lifting me by the collar and choking me so tightly I could barely breathe."I... I don't know... I was just a slave in the Alpha King's palace... you bought me... I don't know anything else," I stuttered nervously, tears streaming down my face."Liar!" He
**Eleanor's POV**I knew I should stay quiet as Amber had asked, but I couldn’t sleep that night."Alice... Alice..." I murmured, tossing and turning in bed.The image of that young woman suffering haunted my mind. Her wide, terrified eyes, the trembling in her hands as Tyler dragged her down the hallway—all of it tormented me.I sat up in bed, feeling my heart race. The room was silent, but my mind was in turmoil. It wasn’t fair. I couldn’t ignore the guilt gnawing at me. Alice was out there, facing unimaginable dangers because of me.I got up and went to the window, looking out into the darkness. Snow fell softly, covering the world in a cold, white layer. But the peace the scene should have brought didn’t reach me. Instead, I felt more isolated and helpless than ever."I can’t just stay here and do nothing," I whispered to myself, clenching my fists. "She’s risking her life for me. I have to do something."I paced back and forth in the room, the restlessness growing inside me. With
### POV Eleanor"Eleanor... mistress, I'm sorry..." Alice crawled over to me, grabbing my feet and preventing me from moving. "He was going to kill me. I was afraid of dying. His brother, Bruce, convinced me..." She sobbed through her tears."Alice... I came here just to save you, and now I find out that you betrayed me to save your own skin!" I murmured, still incredulous at the situation. Amber was right. I shouldn't have snuck out, shouldn't have let my feelings take over.She wiped her tears and bowed in the freezing snow at my feet, seeking redemption."I didn't think you would come to get me. I never imagined this would work, so I told him everything. But I wouldn't have told him if I knew you had a plan to save me," Alice murmured anxiously, her lips trembling and her body shaking from the cold."Shut up, you fool!" Tyler approached and kicked her in the stomach, causing her to fall to the ground and spit blood.He pulled her hair back, forcing her to look at him. Alice was jus
### Eleanor's POV"Beta..." I murmured breathlessly, my lips freezing from the intense snow.The frost was increasing, and the strong winds indicated that a storm was approaching. The ice near the lake was brittle and steep. Nearby, there was a small cave where animals had taken shelter during this harsh winter."You son of a bitch! You're going to pay dearly for this!" Tyler growled in his wolf form, getting up again and trying to wipe the snow from his eyes.The ice was at such a low temperature that it burned. When I left home, it was –4 degrees, and I had to wear wool coats and sheepskin to keep warm. I knew it was dangerous to go out in the frost while pregnant, but I was reckless. Tyler leaped at the Beta, sinking his enormous claws into the wolf's shoulder, causing him to agonize in pain. The Beta took the opportunity to bite Tyler's left shoulder violently, leaving the mark of his teeth in an exposed wound that burned upon contact with the icy snow.The air was full of tension
Eleanor's POVI woke up the next day, and as I looked toward the entrance of the cave, I saw the sun rising. Thank God, the storm hadn't lasted for days, otherwise, Alice would be dead. I rubbed my eyes and noticed that the Beta was not in his place. I walked to the entrance of the cave and saw him near the trees, wrapping his shoulder with a piece of cloth and applying a sticky paste to his wound."Good morning," I murmured, and he automatically turned to see me better."Finally, you're awake. I thought you were going to sleep all morning and had given up on finding your friend!" he grumbled, and I rolled my eyes, annoyed."What is that you're using on your wound?" I asked, noticing that he was finishing bandaging the area."Tree sap. This time of year, it's excellent for helping wolves recover. Didn't your parents ever teach you that? It's the basics that every wolf should learn when they are young. You know, never transform near humans, tree sap helps heal wounds, if you're lost,
**POV King Alpha**"The Beta said they should arrive around lunchtime!" nervously reported the guard, observing my heightened nerves and my wolf constantly agitated, knocking things over."It's been too long since they left. Why are they taking so long?" I questioned indignantly, my breath heavy and fur bristling as tension filled the room. "Look! There they are!" I growled, looking out the window of my office and seeing the Beta entering accompanied by Eleanor.A girl ran towards her, embracing her. "Eleanor, where were you? How could you sneak out in the middle of the night?" the girl asked indignantly, noticing Eleanor's bruises.When I asked the Beta to keep an eye on her, I never imagined she would be so reckless. My irritated wolf observed the scene as the Beta realized I was watching them."Upstairs! Now!" I ordered through the mental link. He left without saying goodbye, leaving the two girls alone as the guards escorted Eleanor back to her room.After a few minutes, my Beta f
**POV Eleanor**“I love you, Alpha Gideon...” I murmured nervously, those last words, and I could see the surprise in his eyes...It was brave of me to come here to set things right and stop this sudden wedding, but after hearing the words of the Moon Goddess, I couldn't just ignore it and allow him to marry another.“You only gave him a child, and that makes you think you’re special. I’m also young and healthy and can give many children to the Alpha King; he doesn’t need you and your bastard!” Lauren dared to speak again, her teeth clenched, trying to prevent our reconciliation.“No, you’re wrong. I didn’t just give the Alpha one child; I gave him two!” I responded firmly, and he looked at me, startled and frowning, not understanding what was happening. “You have a daughter, Alpha... I’m sorry for hiding this from you, but you have a daughter named Zoe. She is beautiful and healthy and blessed by the Moon Goddess, just like Noah!” I said, trying to control my tears.“Eleanor...” He w
**Alpha King's POV**It was almost eight in the morning. The maids were decorating the main courtyard while the doctor wrapped a tight bandage around my abdomen to ensure I wouldn’t start bleeding again from moving around."I'm sorry, Alpha. I'll prescribe some pain medication, but I fear it won't be enough. Unfortunately, you'll have to remain standing throughout the entire ceremony so that people won't suspect the assassination attempt," the doctor said anxiously, finishing the bandage near my chest.I just nodded while finishing putting on the black suit. When I reached for the jacket, a searing pain shot through my body, and I bit my lips, trying not to let out a groan. The bandage was so tight it intensified the pain, but I couldn't remove it as it prevented me from bleeding to death."Alpha, the bride has just arrived!" My beta informed me through the mental link.I positioned myself near the wooden altar in the central courtyard, where the maids had just finished decorating. It
**POV Eleanor**I woke up, still seeing everything around me blurry. I looked around and noticed there was a crib next to me. Noah seemed to be sleeping peacefully, and I wondered how I had ended up in this place."Awww," I groaned in pain as I tried to sit up on the bed. Ruby hadn't been able to heal me completely, and all I remembered was being chased by the guards before losing consciousness. I still didn't know how I had managed to get here. It seemed like a house hidden in the middle of the forest. I looked out the window, and there was no one in sight. Maybe I had managed to escape and made it here, but I couldn't remember.The pain in my body was intense, especially where Ruby had tried to heal my wounds. I tried to stand up, but my legs gave out, and I leaned against the wall to avoid falling. I looked around, trying to identify anything familiar.The room was simple but cozy. There was a small wooden table with some herbs and bottles, probably natural remedies. A lamp emitted
**POV King Alpha**I woke up in the palace infirmary, the pain still intense in my abdomen. My beta, Josh, was by my side, a worried expression on his face."Alpha, what happened?" he asked, helping me sit up."Eleanor... she..." I began, but the pain was too much to complete the sentence.Josh looked at me, eyes filled with understanding and sadness. "She took her revenge, didn't she?"I nodded, unable to say more. The reality of what had happened, the depth of Eleanor's hatred, everything was clear to me now. I had lost not only her trust but also any chance of redemption."I can't believe she dared to try to kill you. Luckily, she didn't hit any vital organs, and although the wound was deep, it didn't damage any of your tissues. The hardest part was stopping the bleeding and containing the hemorrhage!" my beta said worriedly, noting some information on a clipboard.I took a deep breath, trying to get up, and realized my arm was connected to a large blood bag. I tried to stand, but
**POV Alpha King**"Are you sure about what you're telling me?" I asked, raising my voice in disbelief. Even though this was the fourth time he repeated the same information, I couldn't believe Eleanor would be so stupid."Yes, Alpha," he replied, trembling with fear, worried I might blame him for not keeping an eye on her."You're telling me that, in less than a day in captivity, Eleanor tried to kill herself in the cell?" I muttered again, nervous, running my hands through my hair impatiently."Yes, Alpha. The doctor suspects that Eleanor has developed postpartum depression and that she was taking controlled medications. They found a large amount of drugs in her blood test, mostly antidepressants and long-term sleeping pills," the guard informed, handing the test results to me."It can't be... how did Eleanor develop this mental illness? She was so healthy!" I responded, throwing the papers into the fire, not wanting to see them again."The doctor said it's common for some mothers t
**POV Eleanor**"Don't give the prisoner any water or food. The Alpha has decreed that she can only eat once a day!" the guard ordered the others as they locked me in the cell.I curled up in that dry, filthy place. They had shackled me just like last time. It was foolish of me to come here without a plan in mind, but when the Moon Goddess revealed to me that Noah was in danger, I couldn't bear to stay away."Stupid, I was so stupid!" I murmured to myself, seeing the blood trickle down my skin. "I need to find a way out of here!"I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate, and that's when a brilliant idea came to my mind.---A few hours later, I was lying on the floor, covered in blood in that dark cell. My face was pale with deep dark circles, as I saw the blood stain my dress and continue to flow."Oh my God, call a doctor! This girl is crazy!" I heard the guard yell as soon as he saw the amount of blood spread across the floor.They desperately opened the door and began to bandage my
**POV Alpha King**I paced back and forth in my office, my hands sweating. I looked at the picture frame in front of me, with one of the photos of Eleanor when she arrived at the palace. She was smiling beautifully, and the sun lit up her green eyes, making them shine in the photo."Why? Why did this have to happen!" I shouted furiously, throwing the picture frame against the wall.The object shattered instantly, and the glass broke into thousands of pieces on the floor. Eleanor's photo was completely crumpled. Unsatisfied, I approached and started tearing it into several pieces, throwing them into the fireplace."Alpha... is everything alright?" my beta entered my office, staring at the mess I had made, and then quietly closed the door."Eleanor is different!" I muttered, sitting in the armchair and staring at the fire. "She has harbored so much hatred for me, and for a while, I understood why I sent her to the Vale of the Rejected. But I remember that, before leaving the pack, she w
**POV Eleanor**I was thrown to the ground again as the guard dragged me by my hair towards the hallway. I took a deep breath, trying to get air back into my lungs when I heard a voice that made my entire body tremble with fear."Let her go, now!" The deep voice echoed in my ears, and I refused to lift my head to look at him again after so long. Every fiber of my being shook upon hearing that voice."Eleanor... is that you?" he asked, but I didn't respond. The silence between us was heavy, laden with years of pain and suffering. I knew he didn't deserve an answer, not after everything he had done."You... finally returned home," he said, his face serious.I slowly lifted my head, my eyes meeting his. The shock of seeing the Alpha King again after all this time was almost unbearable. His presence was overwhelming, a constant reminder of the terror he had inflicted on my life.The guards let go of me, and I stumbled, trying to keep my balance. My body hurt in so many different ways, but
**POV Eleanor**I got up early and packed a small change of clothes in my bag. Alice and Lillian were still sleeping, so I placed my letter on the dresser where they would see it when they woke up.I approached Zoe's crib, where she was sleeping peacefully. At six months old, she was already crawling around the house, with beautiful blue eyes like her brother's and she was extremely loving. I caressed her face and she smiled beautifully, even in her sleep."Forgive me for this, dear. I will miss you," I murmured, kissing her forehead. "Please be a good girl and grow up far from all this. Aunt Lillian and Aunt Alice will take good care of you!" I placed my mother's necklace next to the crib.I took a deep breath and silently left the house, walking to the terminal and taking the first train that would take me back to the pack's home. A chill in my stomach and the tremor in my entire body reflected the fear of returning to that place, but it was the only way to save my children."Miss,