Ella's POVAs the vehicle eased into the royal palace, I wasn't surprised to find mother and son standing by the receiving area with fake smiles on their faces. In that moment, I regretted not being the one driving the vehicle down there myself, for I would have ran them over in that instant on sight.My anger towards them and the entire family in general increased as the vehicle came to a stop, and I wished the ground could open and swallow them whole for all the atrocious deed they have done.It was a surprise, how cruel people got to live happily for so long while innocent people and the good ones —like my mother— died an early death, not getting to see her dear daughter grow into a wonderful woman. But people like Emily were still alive, teeming the work evil!"Don't worry, Ella, we are going to get them," Esther whispered with her hand lying comfortingly laying over mine.She must have sensed my unease growing, and being the sweet girl she has always been, she offered to help ou
Ella's POVMy heart was burning from the pain and anger. I could not believe what Michael had done to Ryker, chaining him like a an animal.His face was swollen and his right eye was purple not even opening at all.Only his left moved as he set them on me. I could see the panic in his eyes but I had practiced enough in the last couple of days. I was not going to let my emotions show.I had them tied up and locked behind my heart that nothing Michael could do that would have reaction.I mustered the courage to ask Michael."Why do you have him locked up with silver, are you scared he would break free at attacking you?" I asked casually as if the scene before me was not breaking me.Michael had his brows raised and his nose flared with irritation. It was clear that he expected the scene to break me.But he failed."I am not scared of anyone. I am the Alpha King! People fear me instead!" He retorted building up."Oh, yet, you had to find a way to force me into coming here so that the sea
Michael's POV"Fuck!" I growled as she dared walk out on me.I could not believe that this was the same Ella that couldn't even make a full setence with her eyes looking into someone's eyes.This was the same girl I found at the river bank, homeless and pregnant. The girl that was supposed to be easy to manipulate to do our biddings.She was the key to accomolishing our goal. I was so close and now she had changed drastically.She had changed so much nothing I did seem to get to her and to add insult to injury she didn't fear anymore.Same Ella, that cried and hid away when Selena was being hard on her. The same one that my mother took to college and now she was acting all posh and proper like she was born with a fucking diamond spoon between her teeth.My eyes were red as the reality of what was going on played itself in my head.Everything I had planned was failing abd I couldn't take it.Fuck."It sucks, to be you right now," Ryker mumbled with a soft chuckle lining his voice.My e
Ella's POVAunt Emily's question lingered into the air and I tried to stay poised but failed.I burst into uncontrollable laughter.The woman was so stupid coming up with a name that gave a perfect description of the kind of person that she was."Did you just call me insolent?" I asked through my puffs of laughter.Everyone else in the room froze, shocked by my reaction.In their sorry states, they thought they would be able to get to me if they used such words. But it only ended up making me laugh because I knew them both like the back of my hand."Aunt, please don't be pathetic! You of all people shouldn't speak of such words when you send your son to sleep with his cousins..." Then as quickly as the words left my mouth, I paused and widened my eyes."Wait a minute! Does he fuck you too?" I asked her.She became so red in the face, I predicted her next moves before she could even do it. She raised her hand and tried to slap me but my training in physical combat paid off.I stopped h
Ella's POVQuickly, my legs developed a mind of their own, and I began to run down the corridor, drawing towards the scream that had such a strong effect on me.My head was already whispering exactly what it was, but I refused to buy into it.I refused to be connected to a father who was nothing but fraud. A father who had sold me when I needed him to fight for me.I hoped it was something else.As much as I wished Esther no harm, I hoped it would even be her and not Andrew.I hated how my body burned when he was getting hurt. I hated our connection and the way it affected me.Why did I have a father who was nothing like one? Why didn't the goddess take him instead and return my mother to me...As I continued heading down the corridor, I crossed my fingers, hoping that it wasn't him.But who was I kidding?As I burst through the throne room, I saw the person. It was Andrew. He was kneeling on the floor, and Michael stood above him, pouring a hot liquid over his back.As the liquid touc
Ella’s POVAs the morning sun seeped into the room, my eyes flew open, and a cloud of irritation already sat over me as the thoughts of my situation rudely crashed into my subconscious.Remembering that I had to deal with Michael and Aunt Emily was on another level. But knowing that Michael would definitely try to use Andrew against me when I still hadn’t found a way to control the way my body felt around him.I hated that I cared that he was hurt. I hated that Michael was dragging him into this. I hated him.I got off the bed with a gruff and walked straight to the bathroom, ignoring Esther who glared at me from her corner. I could feel the questions already moving in her head, but I wasn’t in the mood to think of answers to questions I couldn’t answer.In the bathroom, I turned on the shower and without taking off my nightdress, I stood under it and let the cold liquid numb my brain. I had to think of a way to control my emotions around Andrew and also control my reception of his pa
Ella’s POVThe temperature increased significantly, as my words left my lips and landed into their ears. Michael looked like he was going to burst with anger while Aunt Emily shook.It felt good watching them shake so badly. This was just the beginning of their torture.“You think this is a joke, huh?” she growled, and I calmly took the glass of water in front of me to quench my thirst and increase the anger she felt.“Guards!” she yelled and about five hefty men came around her. She then pointed a finger at Andrew who was hanging for his life by the wall. “Teach that fool a good lesson! Give him thirty strokes!”My heart squeezed but I have anticipated this for so long that it did nothing to me. I continued eating my breakfast, ignoring the marching men as they went to Andrew’s side and began flogging him.I could feel Michael’s eyes on me as I ate, so I turned them to him and raised my brows. “Did you notice that the food is exceptionally delicious this morning?” I asked, staring in
Ella’s POVThe cottage where Selena and David had been thrown to was located on the edge of the royal property. It was so far back that I was starting to think we were on the wrong path till I saw the cottage myself.Even then, I still felt like it belonged to the wrong people. The David and Selena that I knew, wouldn’t have stayed in this hell hole no matter what.How did they fall so far below in such a short amount of time? As far as I knew they were partners in this horrible Game of Thrones they started with Michael and Aunt Emily… how come they got the bottom reward?And to think that they accepted it was just beyond me…“Hello?” Esther called out as we reached the front door of the cottage, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Is anyone home?” she repeated.I took the time to take in the environment. Even the cabin, Aunt Emily was usually sent to was better than this hole. It was much closer to the palace, and she had everything she needed, down to servant. But here…“Ella, you came
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