LOGINWANNI POVI woke up with a bright smile on my face.The morning rays of sun seeping through the curtains was already bright and hot. Lucas was fast asleep beside me and I did not care. I let him sleep.My plan had worked. Hanni had seen me in Alfred’s study. The look on her face even she walked in was beautiful. Broken. Just like I wanted.I got up and went to shower and then I slowly dressed up. Today was going to be a good day.I found Lucas in the dining hall, eating breakfast. He looked up when I sat down opposite him. “You are smiling,” he said with his brow raised.“Yes.”“Why?”I took a piece of bread and shrugged lightly. “No reason.”He stared at me for a moment and said thoughtfully, “Something happened last night. You came back to our room late and you were looking…..pleased.”I ate my bread and took a sip of my soup. “Maybe I was.”“Wanni.” He asked sternly. “What did you do?”I leaned closer and whispered, “I fixed our problem.”“What problem?”“Hanni saw Alfred euth ano
HANNI POVI did not sleep that night.I sat in the garden until the sky had darkened and Simone stayed with me the whole time. She did not say much, she just sat beside me and held my hand.When the sun came up again, I felt empty. Like someone had forcefully taken everything inside me and left nothing behind. “Hanni,” Simone said softly. “You should get some rest.”“I can’t.”“At least eat something.”I shook my head. I did not feel like. Food was the last thing I wanted.Simone sighed and asked gently, “what are you going to do?”I looked up at the palace. I know somewhere inside, Alfred was still sleeping. Or maybe he was awake now. Maybe he was looking for me.“I do not know,” I said.“Do you want me to talk to him?”“No.” I replied firmly as I stood up shakily. My legs were weak, but I forced myself to stand straight. “I need to see him myself.”Simone stood up too. “I will come with you.”“I want to go alone. Please.” I said softly and looked at her.She hesitated for a bit, th
HANNI POVThe feast hall was filled with music and wolves laughed freely. I sat beside Alfred at the high table, but my mind was far away. Something felt wrong. I could not explain it. It was just a feeling.Alfred had been drinking a lot. More than usual and his eyes were getting glassy and hooded. “Maybe slow down a bit,” I said softly.He managed to smile slowly at me and purred, “Relax, my love. Tonight we celebrate. Tomorrow the guests will leave, there will be peace at last.”Then he drank some more.Across the hall, from the corner of my eyes, I saw Wanni watching us. Smiling. That smile made my skin crawl.Then Alfred stood up suddenly and swayed.“Hanni…” he said slowly. “I feel strange.”I grabbed his arm and asked fearfully. “What is wrong?”“I think I had too much to drink. The room is spinning.” Then he blinked his eyes continuously as he tried desperately to steady himself. “I need to rest.”Marcus hurried to our side and whispered, “I will take him to his study, Hanni.
WANNI POVThe gardens at the grounds was quiet. It was perfect for meetings no one should hear.I sat in the stone bench, waiting patiently. Even though the sun was shining bright, the tall trees around casted shadows. Cool shadows and I liked shadows. They hid things well.I heard footsteps from behind, and I smiled.Mira walked towards me, with a nervous look in her eyes. She looked left and right before sitting beside me.“You came,” I said.“You said it was important.” She replied.“It is.” I replied and leaned closer, then asked, “So what did you find out?”Mira swallowed. “Hanni trusts me now. She talks to me. She told me about her day, about Simone, about….about Alfred.”l raised my eyebrow in surprise. “Alfred?”“She said he has been watching her more. He is worried about something.” Then Mira paused for a second and whispered, “I think he suspects.”“I do not know. But he has been asking questions. His guards are watching everyone. Even me.”I sat back and thought to my self.
ALFRED POVThe early morning sun was bright, but my mood was not.I sat in silence in my study, going over reports, but my mind kept drifting to Hanni. She had been quiet earlier at breakfast. Distant. When I asked if she was okay, she just smiled and said she was fine.But she was not fine. I could feel it clearly though the mate bond.Andre walked in with a clean parchment in his hands and announced, “The trade agreement with Stone River is ready for your signature. Alpha.”I nodded and sighed without looking.Marcus followed behind him and threw himself on the sofa. “Someone is grumpy today. Did you not get enough sleep?”I ignored him.Andre adjusted his glasses. “Is something wrong, Alpha?”I leaned back in my chair. “It is Hanni. She is not herself. Something to bothering her.”Marcus sat up. “Did you ask her?”“Yes. She said she is fine.”“And you believed her?”I glared at him. “Of course not. But I can not force her to talk.”Then Andre spoke quietly. “Maybe it is about the g
HANNI POVI was sitting alone in my chambers and brushing my hair in front of the mirror, thinking about the long day and my mind was already tired. All I wanted was to see Alfred, to feel his arms around me.Then someone knocked at the door.I smiled. Finally. Alfred must have finished his work early.“Come in!” I called out happily.Then the door opened.But it was not Alfred.Lucas stepped inside and closed the door behind him.I wiped the smile off my face instantly and stood up fast with my heart pounding so fast.“What are you doing here?” I asked sharply.Lucas raised his hands like he meant no harm. But his eyes….he looked at me the same way he did at the coronation. Like I was Something he wanted. “Relax, Hanni. I just came to check on you.”“I do not need you to check on me.” I snarled and shifted back. “You need to leave. Now.”He ignored my words and walked further into the room. Then he looked around at everything, at the bed, at my things on the table.“Nice chambers,”
HANNI POVI felt him watching me long before he approached us, but I dismissed the thought as just my imagination.Maybe because I missed him. Strangely….. maybe it’s the mate’s bond.. but when I caught the scent of oud, I immediately knew…he was close by, I wasn’t hallucinating, he was here.I tur
ALFRED POVI had been watching her silently from behind the trees. I watched her shift into her wolf for the first time, saw her anxious and scared…saw her wolf—beautiful, just like her and Geo purred, yearning for his mate…saw her laugh..saw everything.Then I was done. I needed to be close to her
HANNI POVWith my heart in my mouth, I ran through the gardens with Simone and I watched as she skimmed through the flowers and pines effortlessly, without a scratch. The flowers smelt divine and beautiful, each emitting an internal glow which was so unlike anything I had seen before.“Simone, plea
ALFRED POVI looked out the window of my study, wondering what my next steps will be. My father and grandfather did not have this kind of problems. They started with their mates as childhood lovers and there wasn’t any occurrence of poison attack during their reign.My vision was obscured temporari







