Ella's POVI had two options. I could scream and the entire royal family would descend in the room. But knowing Willow, she was going to change the narrative.The story would become a different one and I couldn't be in the right since I was the one in her room. She might even go ahead and tell them that the baby belonged to Ryker.Things might take a very shaky turn at this point and I couldn't begin to deal with that. Not at this moment.The second option I had, which was the only one that could yield positive results was agreeing to her deeds... At least just for now.As soon as the mating ceremony was completed with Michael, I would request for a small cabin, far away from the royal house. This way, Selena and Willow would have no reason to come torment me.I just had to put up with them for a few more days."What are you waiting for, Ella? Come on, go to sleep... Take a nap!" A deep chuckle escaped her lips and she moved to the bed and sat down to comfortably watch me freeze over
Ryker’s POVElla’s cousin -Selena’s- words continuously echoed in my head and no matter how hard I tried to forget them; I couldn’t bring myself to do it.“The only place we haven’t searched is the land of the dead…” she had said, and it stuck in my head like a terrible circular song that refused to go away.‘Ella can’t be dead,’ my wolf hissed, expressing the same thoughts I was having in the depths of my stomach.She had to be alive somewhere. There had to be a place she could go to. Now that it was clear to me that she had a family in Crystal Pack, I was certain there would be a place she would go to seek refuge and I would find her, even if it became the last thing I did.I wouldn’t let a mere female waltz into my life and violate a contract she had signed with me. She was supposed to be my Luna and not someone’s whore. If at all anyone was supposed to be with her, it should have been me.My wolf shifted in my head at my thoughts, but I ignored it. I knew what he was going to say
Ella’s POVMy lungs tightened as fear soaked into them. There were a thousand ways this could go wrong, and I didn’t even want to begin to imagine what would happen if I dared venture into it. All I wanted at this point was to escape from here with my life and not add more people to the list of my problems.“Esther… what are you talking about?” I forced out a carefree scoff -that was supposed to pass for a chuckle and moved away from the door. “I am fine. I don’t know what you are talking about…”I heard her legs as they kissed the floor behind me. The door closed but I refused to turn even though her aura stood strongly behind me. It was best to ignore problems when they came and right now, pulling Esther into my problems was an issue I didn’t want to start.“I have seen the way Willow looks at you. I have seen the way the princess treats you… if you continue like this, they will kill you. Especially Willow. I know her. She is in a relationship with a very ruthless Alpha. People say
Ella’s POVThe days were finally starting to move fast. Selena and Willow kept making my life hell, but I refused to give them the satisfaction they craved. Through all the torture, I kept a smile on my face.My child was my strength and the very thought that Esther and her friends were working behind the scenes to make sure that my escape was successful, gave me all the courage I needed. I didn’t cry when they slapped me. I didn’t let the discomfort get past my skin because I knew that it would soon be over.“Ella?” Aunt Emily’s voice reached my ears while I was in Selena’s toilet -she had forced me to clean up the mess she made while she and Willow watched recorded dramas and documentaries on their phones.Aunt Emily’s footsteps were getting closer, so, I quickly dropped the toilet brush I was holding and pretended to have been washing my face by the sink.“Are you okay, my dear?” she exclaimed as our eyes met through the mirror, and from the corner of the door, I saw Willow and Sel
Ella's POV"What are you talking about, Aunt?" I blurted forcing a frown onto my face.For an older female, it was normal for her to discern between pregnancies. The signs she had mentioned were strange because I hadn't even noticed them myself.She was quiet, only staring at me as I grabbed the night dress from her and headed for the door. "Let's get going. There is no point staying here anyway," I grumbled.I would have to find a way to communicate with Esther somehow.Thankfully, Aunt Emily didn't comment on the signs of my pregnancy anymore. She quietly joined me at the door and we walked together to her cottage."There is only one room in here, so we would have to share it. I hope you don't mind?" She asked as she unlocked the door and invited me inside.I didn't actually care about spending the night with her. my only concern was how I was going to get Esther to speak to me and change the plans we already had.We thought we had more time to plan on the transportation and how we
Ella's POVI pushed away my thoughts and took the first step towards the horrible dress in Willow’s hands —the sooner I got into it, the earlier she left and the sooner I thought of a way to solve my problem.I took off the clothes I was putting on as fast as I could, and I was left in only my undergarment.Willow parted the dress ready and turned it in my direction. Without checking or inspecting, I placed my left leg into it and then the right leg. The moment the material touched my skin, it felt weirdly uncomfortable, and I could have refused it then and there but somehow, I embraced the idea of having the wedding the next day. It was better off."There… we are almost done." Willow sang with such enthusiasm my brows raised with suspicions. My heart started beating as she raised the dress higher till it covered my breasts.Aside from the discomfort of the material, everything else was fine. The dress already hugged my curves and if not that I hated the color, I would say it was ver
Ella’s POVThe goddess was surely smiling down at me that night. After managing to convince Aunt Emily to stay with me, Willow angrily left the cabin and when the nurse did arrive, she didn’t come alone.She came with Esther.My eyes lit up from my position on the makeshift bed, Aunt Emily had created for me to lie down on so she could begin cleaning the blood that was starting to clot on my back.“What exactly happened?” the nurse said as she came to kneel by the bundle of bedsheets I was lying on. She dropped a very large back beside her and then started pulling out her instruments.“I don’t even know how to explain but… it was an accident with her dress. The bleeding has mostly stopped…” Aunt Emily was saying but I was no longer paying attention to the conversation.I was busy staring at Esther and wishing I could speak to her in my mind. She was also looking in my direction but to prevent any suspicion, she tried her best to appear as if she was focused on the ongoing conversation
Michael’s POV“Man, you are crazy… how did you manage to convince the old fool to move the mating date?” Jason —my best friend, asked bursting into laughter.We were sprawled on my bed over a couple of bottles of wine to celebrate my reign. His question birthed a smirk on my face and I snouted.“Have you forgotten how I became the captain and not his stupid brother?” I asked him with a bottle already heading to my lips.Jason turned to look at me and as our eyes met, we burst into laughter together. This was our night to enjoy the major milestone I was about to cross over. The Crystal Pack royal family had taken everything from me, with their rose-coated scents and proudly held shoulders, I was going to destroy all of it.“By the time I am done dealing with them, the entire realm is going to know that nobody messes with Michael and gets away with it…” I growled.Jason raised his brows and his eyes narrowed as he stared at me. “Remind me never to cross you… geez, man… you sound like th
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