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
Michael’s POVI was packed at a good distance from the royal house but in a position that I could see every vehicle coming or leaving the mansion. Time was going by fast and with each second that passed my heart took a crazy rhythm.It was as if my head was playing a game with the seconds and each movement was either a positive response or a negative one. Ella was either alive or she wasn’t.It was already hot in the afternoon, and I couldn’t even think about the state of my stomach aside that cursed woman. In the last couple of hours, she had infested my head. Every calculation, every plan I did were about her.It was annoying especially since I hadn’t even benefited from her. She didn’t even let me fuck her when she was alive, yet she continued to stress my mental health even in death.My stomach started to sing, groaning as my intestines curled over one another in hunger. I was in such a hurry to get over the whole situation I had not even thought to have having something to eat.It
Michael’s POVI could not believe my eyes. Ella was alive and well.My body went into shock, and it took a lot of me to move from there. My heart was ramming so hard in my chest, it started feeling like it would break apart.How I slipped out of the compound and made my way back to my car was still very blurry to me, because my head continued spinning. I could only get a hold of myself when I sat down and held tight to the steering wheel of my vehicle.I was sweating all over like someone who had seen a ghost. And if I was being sincere, I had seen a ghost because Ella was dead. She should have stayed dead.“Damn it!” I hissed, hitting my arm on the steering over and over as I returned home.We had to do something, and it had to be fast before Andrew suspected that I had found something and didn’t get back to him.As soon as I got to the Crystal Pack palace, I swerved my vehicle to the back, away from Andrew’s eyes then I slipped in, heading straight to David’s chambers.“What inso
Ella's POV"What could have caused that?" I asked after Ryker left.Anna shook her head and went to sit on one of the sofas. "We are in the middle of the forest. Normally, animals stray to this point. Don't worry about it," Esther replied.My eyes strained on her as I tried to see the sense in what she said but I found none.Yes, we were in the middle of the forest but stray animals were rare to come by come by here. I grew up here, I should know. 'Berries don't pop around everywhere...' My wolf whispered and I nodded in agreement but I decided to let it go.I had been in a strange mood all day to the point I had angrily walked out of Ryker for no reason. I grew jealous because he spent time with Willow like I was anything to him. What was I even thinking?My wolf groaned, refusing my thoughts and reminding me of the bond I shared with Ryker but I shook my head. What was the point of having a bond if we couldn't share it?What was the point of having a heart that beat continuously
Ryker’s POV“I want a group of at least a dozen men guarding that house every day,” I said to Patrick, and he noted it down in his notepad before raising his eyes to meet mine.“Consider it done. But may I ask why?”I shook my head as I remembered the incident once again. It made no sense. There was no explanation to give to it that could justify it. “It's crazy to even speak of. Just do as I say,” I replied instead.I got off the chair and started walking to the door when my phone rang. I pulled it out and slapped it to my ears without checking who the caller was.“Yes, Ryker speaking,” I said in a low growl.“My love, I am sorry. I am so sorry I spoke out of turn and acted like an animal. Can you please come home? I want to make it to you. I will agree to anything. Even if it’s a child you want,” Willow’s voice filled my ears and I had to take the phone off my ear to confirm if it was truly her number.Even after hearing her voice, I couldn’t believe what she was saying.“You want
Ryker’s POVHow I was able to drive out of the royal house and find my way to the burning mansion in the middle of the forest in less than thirty minutes was a fit I could never explain. All that was going on in my head was what had happened to Ella.“Patrick!” I roared as soon as I caught sight of him between the fog the steam from the water vehicles had created.He turned his head back with a frown but as soon as he saw me, he finished giving out instructions to the men he was talking to and started coming towards me. “Alpha,” he said with a bow.“What happened here? Where is she?” My heart was beating, and my wolf was on edge, but I refused to let myself be driven down by fear.Patrick shook his head and raised his hand to me. My brows furrowed and it first appeared blank until I narrowed my eyes and saw the necklace, he was holding out to me.It was the gift I had gotten for Ella.“We found this in the ruins. It seems it was a fire from the kitchen, we can’t really say at the mome
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