Deacon’s POV“Prince Deacon! I, Alpha Bryson, together with General Glenda, greet you! We’re sent here to aid you, feeling honored to be at your disposal,” Bryson said as soon as he came in and kneeled at his one knee, which Glenda followed.I stared at him before I returned his gesture with a curt nod.Upon seeing my response, his face became bitter, but he dared not say anything as he stood back up with Glenda in an attention stance—standing straight, with hands on their sides.As they waited for my words, my eyes shifted to Elena, who was surprisingly not turning around to greet her husband. Instead, she remained standing with her back behind them, and her eyes still focused on the battle map on the table.My eyes narrowed in confusion as I observed her facial expression, which was void of emotion.Did they have a fight? Was that why she was here?It’s clear that they were in some tension, but I could not pinpoint what exactly it was.Knowing only time could tell, I turned back aro
Elena’s POVAt first, I was trembling with mixed emotions of anger, pain, and disgust as I watched Bryson and Glenda support each other, especially when I heard Glenda’s intentional remark, which was clearly intended to put me on edge.And I’d be honest, I almost lost my calm after seeing her shamelessness and audacity to ask me such a question.Thankfully, Prince Deacon came to my side. And like these recent days, his touch seemingly had a magic effect on me that always brought me warmth and comfort and kept me on my toes.Straightening my back, I gazed back at Glenda and let out an unbothered smile.“Well, I find it unnecessary to publicly announce such trivial matters, especially when it is I who…” I gave Bryson a quick glance before I smirked, “rejected him.”Turning my gaze back at Glenda, my smirk widened as I pointed out, “Now, there’s no need for me to be so cruel and further implicate damage to your Alpha’s pride by broadcasting it to the entire kingdom, is there?”Satisfacti
Elena’s POVMy gaze froze as my eyes started to grow red, but as I felt my heart clenching with pain and grief, I saw the slight grin that was about to form on Glenda’s lips.Not wanting her to feel any sense of satisfaction, I clenched my fist tightly and helped myself stay calm despite the overwhelming ounce of fury and grievance resurfacing in my heart. Thankfully, Prince Deacon gave me a glance of worry, which kept me straight upon seeing the comfort in his eyes.I could feel the heavy weight as everyone’s gaze fell on me, waiting for my explanation. Taking a deep breath, I held my head high, calmed myself, and kept my breathing steady.Once the storm in me dispersed, I uttered in an unwavering voice, “The rogues that my father and brothers fought here… They didn’t just claim territories. They went back and… massacred my entire family, my pack… everyone.”Though I had to take a pause now and then as flashes of their dead bodies flashed in my mind, I ensured that my voice would rem
Elena’s POVGlenda froze as her words were caught in her throat upon feeling Prince Deacon’s powerful aura that demanded submission. Like the rest of us, there was no doubt that she felt that chilling sensation that crept to our spine, and hers would have been far worse as it was directed to her. Eventually, she could only look away, silent for once, probably realizing that its futile for her to argue further.“Listen here, and listen well, Glenda. No matter how many merits you gained through war, there’s no amount of merit in this kingdom you could ever earn to have the privilege to disrespect me nor the King!” Prince Deacon uttered in a chilling voice as his eyes turned a glint of reddish-gold that’s a mark of Lycan wolves.“The King… I never…” she stuttered, as confused as I was.Indeed, Glenda was reckless and boldly retorted to Prince Deacon, but I never heard her badmouth the King—that would be like her asking for a death sentence.Abruptly, Prince Deacon grabbed my wrist and p
Elena’s POVThough Bryson and Glenda had their arms linked together, Bryson managed to delay his step for half a second, just enough time for him to cast one last glance back at me.Something in my heart flickered as I saw regret in his eyes before he vanished from my sight.Don’t be stupid, Elena!I wanted to smack and scold myself for feeling a fierce pain jolting in my heart whenever I encounter Bryson.He betrayed me, and I had already rejected him, and together with that was my vow to bury every last bit of my feelings for him. I freed him and myself the second I divorced him, which was why it frustrate me inside whenever I felt pain in my heart whenever I see him.“Of course, whether you want it or not, he became a part of us, and once upon a time, we loved him,” Ava reasoned.I blocked her out without wanting to hear Ava’s logical and truthful explanation.When the doors closed, Deacon approached me, his eyes searching my face with surprising tenderness.Though Bryson and Glend
Deacon’s POVElena and I stayed in that position for a while. I let her cry every single tear she had been withholding back for as long as she had tried to, even at the expense of drenching my shirt.My heart clenched as I heard her cry as if I was as heartbroken as she was. If only I could share half of her pain, I’d do so in a heartbeat. No… I’d even take all of it for her.Once she felt better and loosened her hold on me, I stood up and took off my shirt, not minding that I was now shirtless. After all, it was normal for male werewolves to be shirtless, especially during training.Having six brothers with her as she grew up, I’m sure she’s very used to it already.I opened one of the boxes on the corner of the tent and dug deep for the finest wines in there, along with two wine glasses. Sitting on her opposite side, I filled the glasses and handed one to her.“Thank you… I sure needed this,” she forced a smile after letting out a small joke that was obviously a half-truth.As she s
Elena’s POVBefore I knew it, I already lost count of the glasses I drank. Luckily, Prince Deacon only gave me a wine, and the fact that I wasn’t drunk after all that made me realize that it only had a low alcohol level.Narrowing my eyes, I looked at him to scold him, but then I was gritted by his dimmed eyes filled with fury and his fingers with stains of blood on them.“What happened?” Panic coursed through my body. Hurriedly, I leaned forward and grabbed his hand, examining his fingers.But when I lifted up his hand, I found that the side of the armrest of the chair he was sitting on was chipped.I was so drawn into expressing my pain and burden to him that I didn’t think of how it might have affected him. He must have been angry upon hearing about all the mishaps I’ve experienced, considering how righteous he was.Feeling guilty, I grabbed my handkerchief and wiped off the blood from his fingers to find that it had already healed. Indeed, he’s a Lycan, healing way faster than wer
Glenda’s POV“This is absurd. We brought these warriors, and now I’m supposed to step back and let Elena lead them. After everything we did to get in her as fast as possible?” I complained to Bryson as soon as we got out of the main tent and got further enough to know the Prince wouldn’t hear me.How come that unworthy, overprivileged, weak she-wolf like Elena would command my troops and me? I couldn’t accept it!If it weren’t for her father and her brothers, no one would even look at her, let alone know her name!“Bryson, say something!” I demanded as I shook his arm when I noticed that he wasn’t paying attention to my words.When he finally looked up, I added, “This can’t be happening! We’ve been through so much in the South, it’s unacceptable for them to just brush us off to the side!”“Calm down, Babe,” he uttered in a calm and sweet voice as he swung his arm around my shoulder and landed a kiss on my temple. “It’s the Prince’s command. We can’t do anything about it. This is the N
Elena’s POVQueen Liz and I laughed at Zara’s sudden outburst.“Seemed like I wasn’t the only one triggered by the Duchess’ words,” Queen Liz said, making all of us laugh.Suddenly, despite the scorching heat outside and the torment the Duchess tried to throw at my way, being in here made things feel a bit lighter.“This juice is a lifesaver. I thought my skin would melt on that walk back,” I exaggeratedly said as I gulped another glass in one go.Leaning back to her seat with her head back and arms spread, Zara complained, “Oh, tell me about it, Princess. I can barely feel my legs!”“But seriously, the same woman now dreads your next visit. Elena, you’ve just made life here in this dull palace a whole level more exciting,” Queen Liz uttered before taking a sip of her drink.She didn’t even look fazed by all that was happening to it. It seemed like drama was a normal thing in the palace, and it had now become more like an entertainment than an actual problem, from how often it happene
Elena’s POVMy smile got even brighter as I stared at her innocent eyes and lovely smile. She has that bright sunshine around her like I used to have before. Looking at her was like seeing a walking beam of joy.“What do you mean by fate? It’s not sure yet?” she asked so innocently, making me laugh a little. Shrugging, I smiled gently and teased a little. “It means I’ll definitely be your sister if your cousin doesn’t change his mind.”She giggled at my words before letting out a joking scoff. “He’d be a fool if he did that. Everyone talks about how amazing you are! You’re the most admired general now.”I patted her head and shook my head. She’s so adorable. “What a sweet tongue you have.”Tapping her nose, I added, “I only did what must be done. And don’t tell that to your cousin, he’d be jealous. He’s the best of all.”She pursed her lips and touched her chin while thinking for a bit before shrugging as she gave in. “Well, you’re right, but still, you’re the best female general.”H
Elena’s POVMy eyes shifted to the door just as the Duchess’ eyes did. And there, a girl peeked from the door with a huge smile on her face.Her eyes wandered around first before she stepped fully inside, showcasing her beautiful cocktail dress, styled with glitter on the hem.“Mom, I hear Princess Elena is here!” She came in and jumped in joy as she confronted her mother.She’s about 5 feet tall, and I’d say around fifteen years old from her appearance and demeanour. Her eyes were glistening with curiosity, and she was all giddy, making little jumps in place.Duchess Diana wasn’t even given enough time to reply with all her energy as she turned around and looked until her eyes met mine.She froze for a little while, staring at me like she was starstruck.“Princess Katherine.” I bowed a little and greeted her with respect. Despite our same title and age difference, she’s still a full-fledged princess and deserves respect. Besides, she’s also Deacon’s cousin, so… Might as well.“You ar
Elena’s POVI wanted to laugh at the Duchess’ remark. I didn’t ask her for forgiveness, and yet she felt like I had committed a grave sin that needed forgiveness, and wanted to act like the better person.Going with the flow, she sat, I played with it and bowed my head a little out of respect while keeping my dignity. “Thank you, Duchess Diana.” Looking back up at her, I smile and kindly add, “But about my marriage with Deacon… It’s something the two of us will decide. I am willing to marry him, and should he continue with it… I guess no one else has the right to determine my worth.”“Ha!” Hearing my words, Duchess Diana’s patience snapped. She slammed her hand on her chair as she stood up, looking at me with narrowed eyes.Dripping with disdain, she smirked devilishly and commented sarcastically, “What a humble servant at best, playing a goody-two-shoes act. Mark my words, you insolent woman, once whatever potion you gave my son wears off, he’ll abandon you like he did to others befo
Elena’s POV“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duchess Diana,” I formally greeted and lowered my head in traditional respect.I heard her scoff as her nails made sounds as she tapped them on the gold armrest of her chair. “Raise your head. I want to see the face that bewitched my son.”I forced a smile and internally stopped myself from showing the annoyance that was slowly building up within me from the real meanings under her words that I vividly understood.She leaned her back to the chair and raised her chin with her thumb and index finger while she narrowed her eyes and looked at me from head to toe like she was examining an object she wanted to buy from an auction.“Hmph. Seductive, yes…” Standing up, she slowly approached me and walked around me. With a sharp tongue, she leaned forward and hissed beside my ear, “But seductive doesn’t mean worthy.”I kept my composure and met her eyes without fear. “That wasn’t my intention, Duchess. I didn’t seduce your son, nor do I have any plans
Elena’s POV“I’m so glad to see you again, Elena. I heard about you and Deacon…” Queen Liz greeted me with a huge smile on her face as she led me to the balcony of her room.“Yes, it just… It happened.” I smiled brightly as I walked gracefully to the balcony and leaned my arms on the fence while looking out at the magnificent view outside.Since Deagon and I started this, we might as well make it as real as possible.Shrugging my shoulders, I added, “Deacon and I went to war together… We fought side by side and faced obstacles far beyond what one could imagine… It’s almost like a sweet-blooded fairytale if that makes sense.”The queen and I both laugh at our statement. “And that’s the weirdest yet loveliest description of love I ever heard.”I laughed even harder at the Queen’s statement. “Well, that’s it. Our camaraderie developed into something deeper, so when we came back and he proposed… I had nothing more to say but yes.”We chit-chat a little and shared a few laughs before she w
Deacon’s POVI couldn’t believe that my mom would be moving so fast that she had already summoned Elena. Now, I couldn’t be more thankful to myself that I had warned her early about my mom, but I’m pretty sure that she was still surprised by it, especially with how early she had to face her.Shaking my head, I stood up.“Where are you going, Prince Deacon?” Tyson asked, looking clueless as he stepped aside from the door and followed me with questions in his eyes.“You… You’re not planning to go to the Duchess and stop her, aren’t you? Because I think that will only make her even more irritated and have her hate Princess Elena even more,” he cautiously said as he tried to give me some advice.Halting, I looked at him and gave him a smirk. “She’s my mother. I know her much more than you do.”Tapping his shoulder, I added, “Don’t worry, it’s not her I’m going to.”Furrowing his brows, he followed me, asking, “Who then? The king, I don’t think he’d help, though.”Smirking wider, I answere
Elena’s POVI was relaxing in the comfort of my bed after having a long conversation with Jayden and Zara, feeling completely exhausted.They were very worried about me, which was why I had to make them understand that this decision of mine was for the best.Hence, after everything was settled, including the manners concerning the marriage, I couldn’t help but feel relieved.But all that relief vanished when Jayden knocked on my door a few hours later to say that a messenger from the palace came and handed over a letter“What is it about?” I asked, following him downstairs to receive the letter.The messenger said he didn’t know what it was about either and simply handed the letter to me.Sitting down, I unsealed the envelope to get the letter and unfolded it, but the content of it brought me to utter shock.Countless questions ran through my mind.“What is it?” Jayden asked in worry upon seeing my reaction, but I felt so speechless that I only handed the letter over to him instead of
Deacon’s POVI stared at my mom, waiting for what more she had to say because her laugh was the last thing I expected from her.But when that laugh turned into sarcasm and into mockery, that’s when I shook my head.What else did I expect from her?She continued, “That’s what it is, isn’t it? You admire her swordsmanship, her rough ways? But can’t you see? A woman like that is exactly the opposite of what should fit as your wife! How can you bring disgrace to our name?”By now, she was beyond hysterical. She waved her hand and called for a servant, who served her another cup. Just that this time, instead of tea, she was served with a glass of wine in which she finished in one gulp, making the servant turn back around to refill her glass before she could even go further.Heaving a sigh, I tried to reason with her. “Mom, if you think I care about such things you and so many people label as disgraceful, then you’ve truly forgotten who I am.”With my legs open, I leaned my elbows on my kne