As soon as I got into my chambers, there was a knock on my door. I tilted my head to the side, groaning. I couldn't even catch a break, could I? "Come in" I said. The door opened, revealing Alexandra. "Alex" I said, taking off my jacket "What is it?" "The council is already in session. They're waiting for you."I sighed deeply. The evening had been long enough, but duty called. There was no escaping it. "Give me a moment to change."Alexandra shook her head. "They’ve already been in there for an hour. No time. It’s important."I ran my hand through my hair, fighting back my frustration. "Of course it is." I said, straightening my shirt. When I looked decent enough, I nodded at Alexandra to lead the way. I just got back and I wasn’t in the mood for complaints from the council, but I knew their grumblings would be inevitable. I also had an idea why they called me for this emergency meeting. Honestly, I was expecting it. I knew them too well. The walk through the halls was quiet,
FERRIS' POVAs soon as I shut the door behind me, the concerns of the council came back to haunt me. I expected this—of course, I did. I knew they wouldn't accept Elise, not as she is now. Not a stranger to them, not a divorced Luna from another pack. I exhaled slowly, trying to calm the emotions I felt. The council’s words replayed in my mind, their cold logic, their dismissal of her without a second thought. But I couldnt send her away. I wouldn't . Elise… she meant too much to me.I paced across the room, thinking of ways I could resolve this. It wasn't over yet. The real fight was only beginning. The council’s rejection was expected, but now I have to deal with the opinions of my own pack, starting with my Beta.Alexandra.I heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching before there was a knock at my door. I took a breath, bracing myself for what I knew would be a difficult conversation. I knew who it was already."Come in," I said. Alexandra stepped inside. Her face was set in
ELISE'S POVI sat on the edge of the bed, brushing through my hair absentmindedly as I stared at the walls of my new room. It was still hard to believe that this was where I’d be staying for a while. It was so different from my old life. The people here seemed friendly but I had a feeling that a lot of them wouldn't like the fact that I was here. A knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts. I stood up, smoothing my dress nervously, and opened it. A maid stood in front of me with a unreadable. She had long, dark hair pulled tightly into a bun, and her brown eyes were full of annoyance. "Hello there," I greeted her "Can I help you?"She huffed slightly, not bothering to hide her annoyance. “I’m Jade. Apparently, I’m your assigned maid.”The way she said it—like it was the most degrading task she could have been given. The way she said "assigned" made it sound like a punishment.I could tell that she didn’t want to be here, and I couldn’t blame her. In a palace full of high-ranking
FERRIS' POVI hadn’t expected to see her, not tonight. My chest still heaved from what I’d done moments before. I remembered how I touched myself from imagining her—the way she moved, the way she might sound under my touch, how beautiful she was. And yet here she was, standing in my doorway like she had every right to be there, unaware of the storm she’d caused in me.I did my best to steady my heart beat and compose my self, putting on my cold, unbothered facial expression. She couldn’t know. Hell, I was having trouble processing it myself—how had I let my mind go that far? This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.“Ferris,” Elise said softly, standing just a step inside the doorway. Her voice shook a little, and I could see how nervous she was. I opened the door wider, letting her in. As soon as she came in, I closed the door behind her. “I didn’t mean to disturb you, but I—I wanted to talk to you about something.” she said. My breath caught in my throat as I let my eyes trail
ELISE'S POVI laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. My heart was still racing from the night’s events. Sleep was impossible. How could I possibly sleep after what happened with Ferris? His scent still lingered in my mind, fresh and intoxicating. The way his hands had gripped me so tightly, yet so tenderly, as if I might slip away at any moment. His touch still burned on my skin, and the kiss—oh, that kiss—it replayed in my mind over and over like a reel. I turned onto my side, hugging my pillow closer, but it did nothing to soothe me. I could still feel the warmth of his lips on mine, the firmness of his body pressing against me as we kissed passionately. How his fingers had grazed the small of my back, sending shivers all through me. How his lips had kissed my neck, making me shiver under his touch. I had wanted more. The moment he stopped, it had taken everything in me not to pull him back, to beg him to keep going.Why did he stop?I sighed heavily, rolling onto my back again, st
ELISE'S POVThe week had gone by quickly. The good thing about it was that fact that I was finally settling into a routine at the palace. It felt strange, being here, in a place that wasn’t my home but was starting to feel familiar. Jade was her usual grumpy self as she helped me prepare for the day. The maids and other workers in the palace acted the same towards me. They acted like they would rather die than be nice to me. Let's not get started on Alexandra. I could ignore the other maids. Out of sight out of mind, right? However, there was no way I could ignore Jade. She was assigned to be my personal maid which meant I saw her every day. Sometimes, even a few times a day. It had been a week of small smiles from my end and warm greetings, but she wasn’t warming up to me, no matter how hard I tried to be friendly. Every morning was the same: I’d say "Good morning, Jade," with what I hoped was a kind tone, and she’d respond with a cold nod or a dry "Good morning, Lady Elise."Toda
FERRIS' POVI rubbed my temple, trying to ignore the mounting frustration as Alpha Pretel Rodriguez—better known as Alpha Rod—stared back at me. His arms were crossed and his jaw was set in a stubborn expression. The old Alpha’s graying hair, thick beard, and stubborm face made him look as immovable as the mountains that held his iron ore. I’d come into this meeting hopeful, ready to strike a mutually beneficial deal, but Rod had been more difficult than I expected.Rod’s pack was known for its rich iron ore deposits, something I’d hoped to exchange for the gold my pack was blessed with. It should have been a straightforward trade, one that could solidify relations between our packs and give us both the resources we needed. But Rod had thrown everything off when he’d discovered a small vein of gold on his land."Why would I trade iron for something I’m already finding on my land?" Alpha Rod spoke. "I don’t need your gold, Ferris. We’ll mine what we have and expand our own coffers."
FERRIS' POVThe negotiations had gone better than I expected. Alpha Rod was stubborn at first but after what happened with Elise and his grandson, he was ready to make the deal. As I looked through the final document, my mind wandered, drifting to Elise. I hoped she was alright. I was supposed to check on her but Rod insisted that we talk about the contract immediately. Damn it, I should have been there for her earlier. The sight of her bleeding and injured stirred something inside me. I hated seeing her like that, hurt and fragile. She wasn’t fragile though—no, she was strong. Stronger than most realized, and I admired her for it. But still… I worried.I was about to excuse myself and go check on her when Alexandra’s voice crackled through my earpiece."Alpha Ferris, Alpha Rod is ready to sign," she said. With a heavy sigh, I nodded, pushing my thoughts of Elise to the back of my mind. "I’m coming."Alpha Rod sat across from me. "I’ll sign," he said "but not just for your terms.