Stress

Alice - POV

"King Darcus, I'll tell you about Jailbreak later, but I'm here for my mate," Jeffrey said, his eyes locked on me, filling me with fear. James stepped forward, blocking my view, his shoulders squared.

"You have no mate. The woman you're staring at is my wife and mate," James said, his tone measured but warning of anger. I couldn't see Jeffrey's frame because of James's tall stature, but I could sense his anger towards James.

"It can't be possible. How can Alice get a second mate so quickly?" Jeffrey mocked James. "This is Queen Ella's ploy to separate me from my mate, who is pregnant with my child." He roared, and the murmurs in the Ballroom grew louder.

"So, you're saying that the mate bond ritual that all dragon aristocrats witness at the altar is a lie?" Ella walked forward, her gaze threatening.

"You're delusional and can't accept that your ex-mate has moved on with another man," Ella said loudly. The crowd went silent, and I stood beside James instead of hiding b