Ella’s POVMy heart stopped drumming and I turned to look at Michael. As if he had sensed my eyes on him, he tightened his hold on my hand like a silence assurance for me to stay calm.“Alpha, we can wait we are not in a hurry,” he said, trying to convince him but he shook his head as he walked down to us.His frame seemed larger and even more intimidating than I remembered. When he got in front of us, I could no longer look him in the eye. He stopped right in front of us, and I suddenly felt smaller than my usual size.From the corner of my eyes, I saw his hand move away from his side and he brought it to our joined hands. Ever so gently, he pulled my hands out of Michael’s hold and started pulling me away from him.“You are in love… I see no reason to wait,” he said, without turning to face Michael. I was too ashamed to speak or look at him. I just let him lead me away from Michael till we got to the entrance. He handed me over to a guard and I felt my heart drop to my stomach.A t
Ella’s POVA sharp knock on the door saved me from answering the question and the growing storm in my heart reduced to a wavering breeze as Aunt Emily let out a sigh and got on her feet.“The dressmaker is here,” she said and went to the door.As she left, I released my breath and tried to calm my heart. I quickly grabbed the glass of milk and gulped it down like it was a cold refreshing glass of water.“Oh, my dear, I didn’t know you were a designer…” I heard Aunt Emily say as she returned from the door and the whizz of a very familiar scent filled the room, causing the hair at the back of my neck to stand erect in alarm.“Yes Aunt, I studied Fashion design and creation here at Crystal College. I was one of their star students,” the voice echoed, and my intestines curled.My wolf jumped to the surface, and I felt panic surge through me as I raised my head and my eyes met with the speaker.“Everyone called me, Willow the Great.” She appeared behind Aunt Emily, and blood drained from m
Ella’s POVThe air in the cabin dropped to a very cold temperature and breathing became difficult. I was suddenly uncomfortable with Selena and Willow in the same space with me.My thighs felt glued to the sofa as I began to sweat despite the temperature being low. My heart was beating at a strange pace and even my wolf became restless.‘This is not good at all,’ Nala whispered in my head as the two women stared at me with mischief dancing in their eyes as soon as Aunt Emily left.‘You need to leave here, now!’ My wolf added with urgency, but it was too late. Selena was already strutting to the door.When she got to it, she turned to stare at me with mischief glowing from her eyes and something else I hadn’t noticed before now. Anger.She looked like a flame of rage was burning within her as she started back at me. Then as if they were communicating to themselves, she moved her eyes from me and stared in Willow’s direction. They exchanged glances and then I heard the clicking sound of
Ella’s POVMy already shattering heart fell to the pit of my stomach. Tears burst through the seals of my lids and my chest felt inundated with pain and denial.Michael had said he was my second chance mate… He said he loved me…“Aww, you don’t have to cry,” Selena whispered, “Bad things happen to bad people…”I could barely register what she was saying as my entire body was refusing to take the information I had just heard. It was like Deja vu. It felt like I was cursed. Why did all the bad things have to happen to me?First, it was Ryker. I thought everything in my life was finally going to be better after finding him, but it was all a façade. He had given his heart to someone else and then Michael…“He said he loved me…” I whispered to myself, and I heard the burst of laughter that left Willow and Selena’s lips as my words.I raised my eyes to look at them and they suddenly seemed like new additions to the small house we were in. My breathing was almost coming out at gasps and all
Ella's POVWillow immediately took her leg off my arm and we all turned to the door —me with hope but the others looked with disdain."Get to your feet and place your hands behind you." Selena ordered through clenched teeth.Knowing what she was capable of, I didn't dare argue, I placed my bleeding hand behind me just as she had instructed and pretended like all was fine.Willow immediately went on her knees and started picking up the broken shards of glass, like if had been her duty all along."I was— oh," Aunt Emily paused as she finally stepped into the room and her eyes fell on the three of us. "Willow dear, what are you doing? What's— oh..."She got closer and she saw the damage herself. "Ola! Sandy!" She instantly bellowed and two maids appeared behind the door with trays in their hands."Yes, ma'am," they chorused with their heads bowed."Drop the trays over there and get something to clean this mess immediately," she instructed the maids, and then she turned to us, "Willow de
Ella's POV The awful evening finally came to an end and I was permitted to return to my room.As I walked out of Aunt Emily's cabin, I felt their eyes on me, and my soul was filled with fear. There was nothing my wolf could do to calm me.I kept fighting the urge to run right there and then. But I had to control myself because if I ran to my room it would birth questions and Willow and her accomplice, Selena wouldn't like that.So with my thumping heart, I continued walking, making sure to keep to the light and where I could see the guards hanging around. At least they wouldn't hurt me in front of people or so I thought until I heard the loud horn of a vehicle coming behind me.I moved out of the way just in time for the pink SUV to swerve past me in a very rough way. It was just mere inches before they scratched me.As their vehicle passed, I remained on the road with a hand on my racing heart.'All of these is your fault. You should have listened to me!' Nala growled.'You should h
Hello dear readers, Thank you all so much for reading, voting and subscribing for this book. I hope you are all enjoying it as much as I enjoy writing it. Please feel free to comment on what you think about the story, to help me make it even better. Xoxo❤️❤️ ......... Michael's POV 'Pathetic little fool,' my wolf growled as I marched out of Ella's room. I had managed to calm her and she fell asleep in my arms. Hopefully, when she woke up, she would erase every doubt she had about me and we would go forward with the mating as planned. I have worked too hard for anyone to mess this up for me at this point. My hands clenched and unclenched as I marched down the corridor and headed to Selena's room. She had a lot of explaining to do. I would not sit still and watch her mess up all of my hard work for me. I had to talk some sense into her. As if her door knew that I was coming, it burst open as soon as I got a couple of feet close to it and Willow stepped out with the sound of t
Ella's POVI was woken up by the sharp knock on my door in the middle of the night.I sat up quickly with my heart ramming in my chest and I was still trying to make out what was going on when my door burst open and Willow's silhouette stood there.Her long flowy nightdress swept across the room as she walked in and turned on the lights. The blinding brightness it created hit my eyes like the edge of a knife and I had to protect them with my arm."Hello, Ella, I am thirsty. I need a very cold glass of water, get up and go get it for me." She ordered in a soft innocent voice.My brain was still fuzzy and my heart was still fighting the alarm her presence had caused, but I dragged myself out of the bed and took the jug in her hands."Hurry!" She hissed and I nodded, moving as fast as my tired and aching body could allow.Tears were already forming on my face but I sniffled them away."I have to be strong," I mumbled to myself as I walked in the direction of the kitchen.Everyone was asl
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