FAZER LOGINELENA'S POV, The room they had given me to wait in was small by palace standards, which still made it larger than most rooms I had lived in during the years between then and now. Someone had placed flowers on the narrow table by the window, white ones, and I didn't know whether that was intentiona
RYAN'S POV, “Ollie needs stability,” he said, leaning back on his chair. “She's been patient, she's always been too patient for a child her age, and I've been asking her to share me with an entire nation for years.” He paused, turning the pen in his hand slowly, like he was still working out how to
ELENA'S POV, “Support the Queen,” he said, and the way both of them were talking through their eyes, it made me shake my head in embarrassment. “I have control over both of the packs. I will be their new Alpha, and after that, I will ensure that the packs publicly come forward in your support, wit
ELENA'S POV, Three weeks had passed, and I was still learning the weight of the crown. Not the physical one, that stays in a glass case in the east wing and comes out only for the formal occasions, like coronations or state dinners. The other kind, the kind that lived in every decision made befor
ELENA'S POV, “He's right, I declined the throne,” Andrew said without trying to play nice with his father. “It was never what I wanted and you know that. It was what you wanted for me, and you destroyed my life for that.” Something moved across the King's face that was both complicated and painful, but not in the parental way. It was something more that neither of them wanted to word out. I felt the guilt and shame taking over his heart, replacing the anger that was residing there before. It was not something I was going to look away from, because it was real, and real things deserved to be witnessed even when they were uncomfortable. “Andrew—” “The people have seen the broadcast,” Andrew said, holding back the tears from spilling. “Everything that had happened—the meeting, the attack, Georgina, the noble families, the framing. And they've seen Elena become what she is.” He paused for a second. “It's over, father. Not because we say so. Because people want the same. You have to sto
RYAN'S POV, “They came out on the street for you,” Ryan said to me, watching the road ahead. “At this hour. They came out to show their support. Knowing well that the noble families still control the Kingdom, and they might get punished for it.” I didn't answer him, because I didn't have words to explain what I was feeling. My emotions were heightened and I was able to feel that tiny bit of hope in their heart, buried beneath layers of anger, frustration and hunger. I just watched the faces moving past the window and let the weight of it land where it needed to land. I was feeling everything they were feeling, and I knew the noble families needed to be stopped. By the time we crossed the outer gates of the palace, they were already breached. The first unit had moved cleanly through the palace, without facing any major problems. From what Hunter mentioned over the radio, the outer guards offered less resistance than they had been planning for. Half of them had watched the broadcas
She was shaking out of fear, and had her cheeks stained with tears. Others noticed me and turned in her direction too, and seeing her like that, both Ryan and Elena ran towards her. Elena picked Olivia up in her arms while Ryan brushed her hair, trying to calm her down. This wasn't something I was p
ANDREW'S POV, The entrance hall hadn’t emptied the way it was supposed to after the signing, despite the efforts of the wolves. Hunter and his men were trying their best to lead the crowd politely towards the backyard. But, the people lingered in clusters, speaking in low, poisonous murmurs that c
RYAN'S POV,“Which is exactly why some of us believe you overstepped. And I agree with them.”I looked around the room and noticed many heads nodding in agreement with him. This was what I feared when I declared our support for Prince Andrew—the cracks were starting to appear in the pack. While it w
“Is this true, Elena?”“Is your real name, Princess Sofia, Elena?”“Were you hiding your identity all this time from us?”“Did Julian know about you?”“Was your divorce to Julian related to your new identity?”I swallowed hard, my throat tightened as I looked for answers that could satisfy them. I w







