Ryker’s POV“Baby, you look so handsome tonight,” Willow mumbled for the umpteenth time as the car took us to the royal hall where the ceremony was to take place.Her fingers curled over my chest, and I had to peel her fingers off so she wouldn’t take my buttons out of my shirt.“Babe, it’s your friend’s ceremony, you don’t want me looking like a clown without front buttons, do you?” I asked with furrowed brows. I was actually getting irritated, but I controlled my emotions.“Oh, we could just stay back in her room and forget about the after party… the ceremony wouldn’t take so much time. They won’t even notice our presence or absence. We don’t need to stick around…” she whined.My brows raised higher, almost touching my hairline as I looked at her.“Are you ovulating?” I asked as even my wolf waited for this answer because she had been acting clingy since she came back from visiting her friend when we arrived.Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she raised herself from my che
Ryker’s POVWhen we got to our room, I was irritated. Willow tried all she could to cheer me up and bring me to the mood, but my wolf turned its back on her. My mind was still trying to figure out a way to meet with Alpha Andrew. The ceremony was supposed to be the perfect place, but Willow had ruined my chances, now I had no idea how to meet the man since we could be required to leave at any moment.Willow's wet kisses continued moving over my face creating a pattern that only she enjoyed. I could only stare, but my mind was far from getting moved by what she was doing.“Babe,” she sighed, moving her legs so that she was now sitting on top of me. “Baby, what is wrong?”“You should have let me speak to Alpha Andrew when I had the chance,” I growled softly, turning my eyes to the side table where my phone sat.I started developing a plan. Maybe if I called Patrick, he would be able to form a sort of proposition. This way, I could get an audience and it would appear like I was only go
Ryker’s POVI remained in the bushes longer than I had planned. Michael walked past me, and Emily closed the door behind him. The lights in her house went off but I still couldn’t leave I tried to think of a connection between them, but I couldn’t think of one.And for him to come visit her when it was so late, there had to be something fishy happening.A good thirty minutes passed before I finally got out of the bushes and slipped out of the path. Using the same method as I had done before, I walked quietly sticking to the shadows and the buildings as cover.I got back to the garden between the guest house and the main mansion. I let out a deep sigh and returned to my room.“Babe, where did you go?” Willow asked with her hand on her chest like it was hurting. “I was already panicking. I thought something had happened to you. And you didn’t even take your phone with you…’“I went out for fresh air, you shouldn’t have gotten worried,” I whispered, making my way to the bed.As I lay dow
Ryker’s POVI sat outside waiting for the doctor to finish checking on Willow. She was losing her mind and it was evident that our time to leave had come but how could I leave when the actual reason why I came here hadn’t been done yet?My head was resting on my joined hands as I tried to think of a way to reach Alpha Andrew. I couldn’t return without having a response to Ella. She would feel betrayed or that I didn’t value this mission —which wasn’t true. I wanted to help her. The mission was as good as mine as it was hers. I just had to—“Alpha Ryker,” someone called in a low voice, but I heard them.My head snapped up in the direction of the voice and my head came face to face with the maid from the dinner party.She quickly came forward and slipped a note to me, then without waiting for my reply, she scurried away from the direction she had appeared.A cloud of confusion sat on my face as I weighed the paper in my hands. My eyes dropped to it, and I was just about to open it to sk
Ella’s POVI was slowly starting to lose my mind. Ryker had been gone for days now and there was still no sign from him. He hadn’t called and he didn’t even drop a message. Where could he have gone? Did something happen to him perhaps?My wolf was almost pushing me to call him, but I had to constantly control myself to be more patient and not ruin everything with my anxiety. He was surely going to call as soon as he got the chance. If he didn’t call, then he would come here.But then again, my head started going wild. We didn’t know how corrupt the entire Crystal Pack was. What if they had bribed their way into the council and every guard as well? What if they somehow found out about the fact that Ryker was helping me, and they tried to kill him? What if he was dead? Or maybe they had already killed him like they have done to many others before, and I wasn’t even aware of this?My eyes went to my phone on the bedside table, I stared down at it, contemplating on whether to call or not
Michael’s POV“Willow is such an actress!” I exclaimed as we gathered in David’s chamber celebrating our victory. "She fooled everyone, even I almost believed her"“But is she really alcohol intolerant?” I said giving it a moment of doubt. Selena downed the content of her glass before smiling widely. “Oh yes, she is but she was being extra at the role. I was almost getting worried when Ryker started acting difficult but, in the end, we won,” she said from her position with a smile plastered on her face. “I see, but she was perfect nevertheless,” I said, enjoying my wine.We had come really close to getting ourselves some trouble when Ryker arrived with a determination to speak to Andrew but we were smarter than he was. Before it could get out of hand, we sent him back to where he came using his very own lover —or parasite, which ever we wanted to call it. “This doesn’t mean we should kept out guard down… more like Ryker might come up someday. We need to keep working together to e
Michael’s POVLong after Andrew left my room, I couldn’t sleep. I kept having thoughts of how terrible this situation could become for me if Ella returned. Surely that pathetic fool would refuse to be with me. She was just going to ruin my plans. It was now clear why she ran. She must have figured out somehow that I was playing her. She must have realized it and then she ran. Fortunately, David thought of killing her. But now that Andrew had mentioned that there was a possibility, she might have been alive, it was the worst of news. The last thing on my mind was she coming up. Something had to be done soon. I had to deal with it before it went out of hand. I considered telling David about it. But he was always too irrational. He would insist to go with me and that would blow my cover with Andrew. Which I could not possibly afford. I had to do this on my own as silently as possible.And the starting point had to be Willow, the parasite. I had to find her by morning. I grabbed my phon
Ryker’s POV“I think I am strong enough to face anyone now,” Ella hissed from the corner fuming. No, she wasn't ready to face anyone. She was just saying all this out of anger. Ever since I told her about the situation, she had refused to wait. She turned defensive for no reason and it was starting to mess with my head. She stop couldn't making a fit about it, and I was starting to wonder if I said anything wrong. Everything I was doing was for her good. I was trying to protect her and get her to the point where no one would want to deny her of her right, yet she was fighting me for it.“Ella, I told you, it is not for you or me, or anyone to say what condition your health is. It is the healer that can speak on the matter—”“I don’t care about what the healer says! This is my life. My opinion should be the most important here,” she cried out and I felt a nerve within me shift.“But I listen to you, don’t I?” I asked and it seemed as if I only angered her more. “Do you? Did you liste
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