Michael’s POVThe look of shock and defeat in Andrew’s eyes fueled my insides as I sat on the throne and spread my arms comfortably like the king I was born to be.For a second, I couldn’t believe it. It was like living a dream that you had fantasized about for so long. Ever since the Crystal Pack rejected my father and left my mother to live with crumbs as if she was way beneath any of them, I made a promise that the throne was going to be mine.I fought hard. I planned harder and today; it was finally happening. I couldn’t wait to see the look on my mother’s face when she saw me on the throne of her father's.My fingers sizzled with excitement as I moved my eyes slowly around the room, watching the guards as they diligently dragged their supposed Alpha. The silly man who had sent my mother into exile.He was lucky I wasn’t given him the same punishment.“Michael!” David’s gruff voice cut through my moment of victory, and I turned my eyes lazily to him. His eyes flashed as he realiz
Michael’s POVI got up from the throne and walked to where my mother was with a grin on my face. I could feel their pale stares and shocked assembles staring down at me in disbelief, and it fueled my victorious walk.“How?” David whispered, the shock dripping out of him in buckets.I got to my mother and passed a hand across her shoulders. “Emily, here is my mother. Why is that so hard to believe?”“But Aunt Emily…” Selena started and then stopped to turn to her father. “You said you made sure that she wouldn’t have any children of her own… How is this possible?”David’s eyes expanded, and he started shaking his head. “No, this can’t be possible.” He got to his feet and walked to the council members who were present. “This is a trick to steal the throne from the ruling family. And you know what happens when a bastard sits on the crystal pack throne! Stop this madness you are about to do at once!”“David, you don’t have to fear. Michael is my son,” my mother said from beside me, and
Ella’s POVWeeks passed since the Crystal Pack royal family returned to their pack in shame. I knew they were not done. I knew that deep down they were planning an attack or a sort of revenge but so far, we haven’t heard any news from them since.It was almost like they had sealed the palace from other people. No news left the four walls of the palace and as time went by, I stopped worrying about them.I started preparing and the first thing I had to do was to go see Ryker.I changed from my silk wear into a pair of jeans and a shirt, then letting my hair fall freely down my shoulders, I walked out of my room and went to his study. I knocked on the door, acknowledging the guards at the door, before inviting myself inside.“Hey,” I said as I got in. Ryker was on his desk going through the files. I hadn’t seen him in days. I knew that he was worried about Willow and didn’t entirely know what to do with me. But as our eyes met, I could see through the wall of seriousness he had built.
Ella’s POV“Are you sure about this dress?” I asked as Esther swayed it before me. She nodded her head and flashed me a smile. Then she placed it on the bed and walked to the dresser where the line of beauty products sat. “I am not sure about the dress,” she said, and I frowned. “But I would be once it’s on you. Come on, get up. We don’t want to keep the Alpha waiting…” she urged.I moved from my position at the bathroom door and joined her at the vanity table. She prepped my skin, my hair, and my face. Dusting and blotting products till I was certain I looked like a clown.“don’t worry, as soon as you see yourself, you are going to be blown away!” she giggled but I could only glare at her.She got a sick idea to cover the dressing mirror for the duration of her work. I had no choice but to imagine the products she was placing on my face, turning me into a clown with the barely there dress she had on the bed. I was surely going to fit the role.“I am done with your face, now. let’s m
Ryker’s POVThe moment my eyes set on her, I knew I was doomed to love her forever.The red dress she chose to wear was painfully attractive. It hugged every perfect place on her body, causing mine to be painfully aware of her. I tried to concentrate on the food, I tried to focus on any other thing around us but I couldn’t.‘Mine’, my wolf groaned over and over again. I tried ignoring but it was hopeless.When she asked that we move to the fountain, it was a huge relief. But standing in front of the fountain did nothing to distract my eyes from the beautiful woman before me. If anything, it made it worse. I couldn’t deny it anymore.I was attracted to Ella in everywhere, but I had been suppressing it for Willow’s sake. But tonight, I couldn’t hold back anymore. My eyes settled on her lips, and I knew that if I didn’t taste them tonight, I might not see the next day.“May I kiss you, Ella?” I blurted out before the more rational part of my brain could stop me.She raised those green ey
Ella’s POVI couldn’t help the smile on my face even as Anna and Esther continued talking about the latest gossip in the Pack. I was lost in a world that only Ryker had taken me, twice now.The first time was in that mansion at the border when he was too intoxicated but this time, he knew just what he was doing, and it felt just as great. A shiver went through me and the pressure between my legs increased. Ryker was doing something to me, and he wasn’t even here.My lips went into my mouth, and I tried to stay in control, but it felt like his fingers were still moving over me. I couldn’t push the feeling away.“Ella.”“Earth to Ella!” Esther snapped and I blinked out of my dreamland.“Huh?”“Are you even listening to us?” Anna asked and I nodded, as I hopelessly tried to remember the last thing, they spoke of but all I could remember were Ryker touches on my body.My cheeks turned hot, and I had to shake my head to get a hold of myself. “I am sorry, I got lost somewhere, what were yo
Ella’s POVMy heart was thumbing hard in my chest as I took the first step out of the room. I held the coat tight around my body, and I walked with my head held high, but inside of me, I couldn’t find anything to hold on to as my hormones went all over the place.“Luna,” the guards at the entrance to his study greeted me, the chorused sound pulling me out of my thoughts.I managed to pull up a tightlipped smile for them and then nodded in acknowledgement. They stepped out of the way, and I walked in. A wave of memory flashed through me, and I remembered the first time I had dared to break all protocols back when he brought me here…It was because I wanted to negotiate for my baby, but I couldn’t even do it as Willow had chosen that moment to come back alive.A shard of pain sat through my heart as I recalled the moment once again. Maybe if I had gone ahead and told Ryker the truth, things might have not turned out like this. It would have been different.I stopped walking for a second
Ryker’s POVI jerked towards him and pushed past the door. It wasn’t exactly like I cared about what he said. It was just the perfect excuse to run away from the question Ella was asking.I didn’t have an answer for her because my heart couldn’t bring itself to even think of what I wanted.Willow was an essential part of my life. She had fucked up, but I couldn’t just cancel her out. Yet the emotions I felt towards Ella were too strong for me to keep overlooking. I wanted her and I wished she could take me without demanding more.But who was I kidding…“Ryker?” Willow’s voice tore through my thoughts, and I raised my head to see her approaching me from the entrance.A frown covered my face as my eyes settled on her. It was as if all her sins came into my mind in that second and I felt irritated once more.“What are you doing here? Are you finally ready to get the test you ran from?” I growled.She took a step forward and dropped to the ground on her knees. “Ryker I am so sorry… baby.
Ella’s POVThe long wait was finally over. Esther was out of danger.“Words cannot express how grateful I am that you fought so hard for me,” she whispered with my hands held tightly in hers.Her sister, Freya, was sitting by her side while Anna and Selena stood behind us. We were all excited about the outcome of her treatment and more than anything, it assured me that my father’s treatment was also going to be successful. After all, it all followed the same pattern, all that was left was for me to convince Selena so that I could hand everything to her. Then they could use my blood.“I couldn’t have been alive today,” she added, pulling me out of my thoughts.“You are welcome, Esther. You know I love you and I will do anything to keep you safe,” I whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead. Then I started walking away, I aimed to reach Selena and pull her away for a quick conversation on the matter. The earlier she accepted to take the crown, the better it was going to be.But Esther’
Ella’s POVDavid didn’t make it.His death wasn’t something that directly affected me but the pain in Selena’s eyes made me sad. She had truly been reformed. She saw the world in a different light, and her biggest wish, had been for her father to see this light too but now it was too late for him.After the burial ceremony was completed, I sat by her side, hoping to comfort her as much as possible. Aside from my father, who was still on the sick bed, she was the only family I had left. I couldn’t leave her.We stayed this way, letting Ryker and Anna take care of the rest of the affairs.I didn’t even want to begin thinking about Esther. Aunt Emily had refused to give out the antidote till her death, but Esther was still fighting. I told Myles to find any of her family members, maybe if we could drain her blood too, she might stand a chance.And as for my father, I was planning something, but it wasn’t the right time to speak of it yet.“You should go save him,” Selena mumbled, and my
Ryker’s POV“I will come back for you! You think this is the end, you are wrong!” Emily yelled as they dragged her out of the throne room to the chamber where she would be killed.Her voice continued to resonate, even while they exited the room, but my attention had returned to Ella. I was so proud of her and how much she had grown.When she called for this meeting, I thought she was going to let her emotions mess with her again, but she didn’t. She acted like a true leader and made the right choices.My eyes remained on her as she held on to a crying Selena while Michael was escorted out of the palace. The plan was to go after the men who must have been done prepping Emily for her final sentencing. Dealing with a criminal like her, one could never be so sure that she could find a way to survive.But as we all made our way to the door, David started coughing painfully loud. Selena broke away from Ella’s hold and ran to his side in panic.“Someone, get the healers and doctors,” Ella al
Ella’s POVAs the words left my mouth, I turned around and began heading out. I finally understood everything and there was no time to waste anymore.“Stupid girl! I will still get you!” Aunt Emily screamed in her cell, but I didn’t bother sparing her even a single glance as I walked out.It was clear that she had been the mastermind all along and for the first time, I saw what Ryker was trying to say. They weren’t all killers. Some of them were accomplices at some point, but mostly they were all being manipulated all along. Now I understood why she had truly tolerated Selena’s bad attitude those times, it was because she wanted everyone to hate Selena, so that when the time came for her to be exposed, no one would stand by her, and Aunt Emily would ultimately get the throne. But I came and she had to come up with another plan.But all of that was over now. I was going to put everyone in their respective places.My hands fisted as I continued to march in the direction of the throne r
Michael’s POV“Mother, why did you try such a silly move? and much more in front of everyone! What were you thinking?” I growled in my cell.We were all bundled into the dungeon like common criminals. My cell was joined to the right side with my mother’s while Selena and David were in a single cell at my left. But I wasn’t interested in them but my mother. She sat calmly in her cell, hugging herself while I was losing my mind.She had just ruined every chance we had.“I mean, even if there was any chance that we could get back that throne, you just destroyed it by showing everyone that you are a murderer! Why would you attempt to kill her in front of everyone?”“Shut up!” she yelled, turning her reddened eyes to me for the first time since we had been thrown in here. “I have heard enough of your rants! If you weren’t so useless, we would be in this situation in the first place. You fool!”My heart thinned as if life was being sucked out of me. “Mother!” Her tone was not something I th
Ella’s POVMy eyes moved to my hands and then back to the healer. “I have more than enough blood. What is the problem now?”The man turned pale and dropped his head to the ground. My eyes narrowed, as confusion and irritation merged into me creating an emotion I couldn’t even define.Seconds passed and the man still couldn’t give me an explanation as the silence went on I started losing my mind. My father was dying in there and he was here unable to even make up his mind.Suddenly, I moved past him and went into the room. The healers and doctors still working, paused as they saw me walking up to them. When I reached them, I pulled the sleeves of my dress and stretched my arm to them.“Here, take the blood and heal him,” I hissed.The men exchanged confused looks before Ryker and the healer rushed in after me. “Ella, they can’t use your blood to change the whole of his blood. The process could kill you and—”“Then I’d prefer it kills me, rather than staying alive without both of my par
Ella’s POVRyker’s words were heavy on my chest as I moved out of the office with Myles following behind me. Maybe he was right. Maybe I was becoming like the monsters I wanted to rid the world of, maybe I was becoming something worse, I couldn’t tell.But what I could tell, was the fact that they had brought it upon me and themselves.Rather than return to my seat, I walked to the front of the table and spread my arms, gaining the attention of the audience and the soldiers holding them in place.“The defense was nulled. We shall proceed with the punishment for their crimes.” The room fell silent as everyone held their breaths, waiting for me to relay what was to befall the royal family —my supposed family.My eyes moved to them. Emily fiercely glared at me like it was going to change anything. Then there was Michael, who looked more lost than before. David was lifeless as usual, and Selena was crying. Her face was red as she held onto her father’s wheelchair. My heart cracked when it
Ryker’s POV“Willow is right. There is something wrong with her…” Anna whispered beside me. “This isn’t our Ella…”My heart tightened. Anna was right. The pain had consumed Ella. This wasn’t her.“What are we going to do now? She will kill an innocent man who has done nothing but love his daughter.”My thoughts moved around in my head for a few seconds before it came crashing back. I never liked women. I didn’t even think they could be sensible ones out there aside from Willow who I thought was above mistakes. But Ella and her friends had shown me that there was more to being a woman and there were smart ones out there. I realized that the one I thought was perfect, wasn’t at all. Willow was a pretender.But in all of that, I learned one thing.“No one is beyond redemption,” I said with conviction. “We will get our Ella back. She is in there somewhere. We will find her.” “But how?” Anna asked her hands pointing in the direction had gone to. “How do you convince someone who is already
Ryker’s POV“Why would she want to stay back? Why? Has she lost her mind?” Anna screeched when I told them the news. “Michael is crazy. Don’t even get me started on David. That man is sick, and he would do anything. Even with the Alpha’s ability activated in her wolf, they can still hurt her!”I sat on the edge of my seat with my hands joined together. I also didn’t feel good about leaving her behind, but I didn’t want it to seem like I was being clingy. Ella wanted to take care of her people, and she had every right. All I could do was support her as much as I could.“Calm yourself, Anna. I am sure that she will call if she needs anything,” I assured her.Anna’s eyes flared wide and she shook her head, coming closer to me. “You don’t know Ella. She has become very stubborn. She will never call for help because she doesn’t want anyone else to die. She would rather do it all on her own.”I shrugged. The solution to that was very simple. “Well, Esther can tell us. She will call. I am ce