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
The King's jaw tightened. "I will not hand the Crown of this Kingdom to a woman based on a prophecy and a viral video." "Then we'll take it based on those things and the army standing outside your gates," Ryan said, still perfectly even, still without heat. "Your choice is not whether this happens
"They came out," Ryan said quietly, watching the road ahead. "At this hour. They came out." I didn't answer because I didn't have words for it yet. I just watched the faces moving past the window and let the weight of it land where it needed to land. --- The Palace gates were already breached
RYAN'S POV, I usually didn't linger around while Elena put Ollie to bed, but for some reason, I decided to stay that day. Like always, Elena was reading to Ollie before sleep and I could see that she had my daughter wrapped around the story. It was her narration—overly animated voices and loud dia
There was no power, no titles, no status or pride. It was just a man, standing there with his walls down and his guilt showing. There was imperfection in him, that he always hid from the world, and I wanted to know if I was the only person he allowed to see that. “You don’t need to apologize,” I sa
ELENA'S POV, The gentle morning light spilling through the balcony welcomed me, as I stepped out of the bathroom, dressed and ready for the day. I was tying the belt of my cotton dress when I noticed a small girl perched on the edge of my bed. She was swinging her legs carelessly while waiting
ELENA'S POV,Julian's voice dropped. “P-president Ryan…?” The words barely left his lips before I saw his entire posture shift from how it was just a few seconds ago. His spine straightened first, as a reflex, but he got defensive seconds after when he looked at Ryan. He immediately bent into somet







