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
ELENA'S POV,The restaurant I started working at wasn’t a Michelin star, but it was quite popular among the crowds that craved more than your regular burger and fries. It was a small European-style restaurant that served authentic European cuisine along with some famous fusion dishes.It was in the
“I don't have experience doing anything. For most of it, I had a very secure life. This is the first time I'm doing something with my own hands.” I looked down at my hands when I said that. “I can't let one bad experience ruin all the good memories I made in this place.”“I understand that, but I st
RYAN'S POV,“It’s the Shadow Pack. Julian hired them to find Elena.” Corbin called in the middle of the night to give me the information.He had been tailing Julian for a long time, to collect information about his movements and cause problems in his search for Elena. He had been mostly successful b
ELENA'S POV,Ryan was standing in a tailored suit with an air of confidence and raw anger surrounding him from everywhere. His hair was parted sideways and his presence filled the small space inside. Although he was a customer like me, he looked more like he owned the restaurant.“President Ryan!” I







