Michael’s POVDavid was not in the room, so it was clear that he had gone to bring his daughter… my key to winning this battle.Selena and Willow had obviously decided to opt out of the ceremony. There was no sign of them in the hall, which was better because, if they were here, I was going to be constantly watchful to be sure, they weren’t going to start something crazy that could jeopardize my plan.I let out a sigh of relief and focused on the event unfolding. This was my moment and I decided to soak it all in. No one was going to be able to reverse this when it was over, and Andrew would curse the day he had approved of this union without thinking back to what he had done to my father.I adjusted my suit one more time as my shoulders rose with anticipation. My shoes tapped impatiently on the tiled floor as we all waited for Ella to arrive. She was starting to take a lot of time and anxiety grew within me.What if she changed her mind once again? I thought but quickly shook my head
Ella’s POVMy heart was beating so fast I feared it would jump out of my chest. My hands were shaking as I got to the bathroom. David had been o cranky I was almost certain that he would make Aunt Emily go into the bathroom with me.But thankfully, that didn’t happen.I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, taking a few seconds to remember Esther’s instructions. The easy part was getting to the bathroom and now I had to find a way to get through the window.My eyes flashed open, and they fixed on the window up ahead. It was a little higher than a height I would have comfortably preferred, but my life and my baby’s life were on the line, comfort wasn’t something I should be searching for.Quickly, I went over the marble top where the sink was and I stretched over to the window, it was already opened from the outside. All I had to do was to detach it from the frame.Ever so slowly, to prevent noise, I held the already detached frame and gently placed it on the sink. Then I finished the
Ella’s POVThe old vehicle continued shaking as it moved along the path, and I could no longer tell if it was just the vehicle or maybe the road was bad too. The constant rough movements increased my nerves and I had to constantly touch my chest to be sure my heart was still in place.Esther was impossibly calm still. I couldn’t see her face in the dimmed light of the booth, but I could make out her still frame and I was almost certain that she was sleeping. I tried closing my eyes too hoping to take my mind off the dangerous journey were undertaking but it only increased the panic within me.It only made matters worse as my senses started picking up on the condition of the space, we were in. It was so small that it was barely enough for me to stretch and then I had to share it with Esther. There was barely any light except on occasions when the vehicle jumped on a rocky path, then the booth flip would open slightly before closing back with a loud groan.Where I sat was moist and I di
Ella’s POVMy legs froze as I recognized the driver of the vehicle that could either be my saving grace or my doom.Patrick was Ryker’s right-hand man; going into the car with him would only mean one thing -he was going to take me back to the very place I had originally run from.“There is no time to think this through Ella, let's go!” Esther called, pulling me along with her.In the next seconds that followed, we were seated in the car and Patrick was driving us as far away from the forest as possible.“Let’s see how fast you can run, fool!” Esther called behind us. The guards that had been after us were left at such a distance that even coming after us was already a failure on their part.We had escaped Michael and the Crystal Pack problems, but where would Patrick lead us, if not more problems?The ride was quiet as we all focused on the road ahead. Patrick had his full attention on the steering wheel of the vehicle while Esther occasionally checked behind us to be certain that we
Ella’s POVAfter giving me the condition, Patrick left the room, leaving me with Esther.I was quiet and my silence was due to a lot of things. First what Patrick had said left me clueless. If I decided to leave, it would mean that I would depend a hundred percent on Esther. Because she would have to take me somewhere that she knew a place where I could take care of my baby without fear of being found, by Willow, Selena, Ryker, or even Michael. But how could I put such responsibility on her when I didn’t even trust her enough? “So,” Esther spoke up, breaking the silence between us. I raised my head and looked at her. “What are we going to do now?” she asked, and my heart cracked with shame.After what I had said to her, she still wanted to stay by my side. My heart felt bitter, and I couldn’t look her in the eye anymore.“Esther, before we go into that… there is something I want to say…” I whispered.From the corner of my eyes, I saw her get up from the couch she had been occupyin
Michael’s POVThe entire royal family was thrown into chaos. Everyone was running somewhere searching for Ella. Alpha Andrew was vibrating with so much rage the entire hall became as hot as lava.I, on the other hand was more lost than ever. I couldn’t speak. I just continued staring at the window frame that was placed on the counter. It made no sense to me.If she had been kidnapped, she would have screamed. There was no way they would have broken the window and gotten to her in the space of a second. It must have taken at least five minutes, yet she hadn’t been in there longer than five minutes.As Alpha Andrew continued hurling orders in the background, my body suddenly found the strength to move, and I headed to the window frame. That one piece of item had drawn me into it so much that, I was certain the clue we were all searching for was buried into it somewhere.I moved closer and played my fingers on the edges, checking and studying for cuts and forced entry attempts but I foun
Michael’s POV“Leave us!” Alpha Andrew added, “Everyone outside, except the royal family and Michael…”Murmurs filled the hall, but no one dared disregard the words of the alpha. Soon all the council elders and guards filed out of the hall leaving just the people he had requested.I was still on the ground, not for respect or anything but for good measure and fake loyalties. Now that Ella was gone, the best thing I could move to the next stage by making use of the opportunity. I was going to break the brother’s bond.It wasn’t even strong to begin with. Anyone who cared to look closely enough could see that there were a lot of empty spaces between them. David was power hungry just like me, but he lacked my brains and my looks.Andrew was too good to be a king and he got easily manipulated and this was how he got mixed in my father’s murder. Technically he wasn’t to be blamed but I blamed him still. He was the alpha, he was the leader, and he should have known when to give up. The thr
Ryker's POVPatrick had been gone for a few days and there was still no news about him. I was getting a very bad feeling about everything but I refused to think about it.I was certain that Ella was alive and that was all that mattered. Nothing else did.I finished my meetings for the day and I was supposed to have dinner but for some reason, the food didn't have any taste in my mouth. I took just a few bites and dumped the plate.I got up and started marching out of the dining room. I had no idea where I was going but I let my legs lead.My mind felt like a time bomb had been implanted into it. It was silent yet waiting for the news that could make it explode.My legs continued moving till I stopped right in front of Ella's room. Despite myself, I got in and my heart shifted in my chest.I moved to her wardrobe and pulled out the first dress that my hand touched. It was a simple blue dress with straps at the ends that flowed freely downward.It was beautiful but its beauty could not