ALEXANDER'S POVThe stack of papers in front of me blurred again.I blinked, dragged my hand down my face, and forced myself to focus on the report in front of me. The report was about some dispute between border patrols and merchants—something I should have been handling with clarity.But my thoughts... they were never here. Not fully. Not since she left.Eliza.Her name alone was enough to start the ache all over again.I rubbed the space between my brows and leaned back in my chair. I stared up at the high ceiling of my office like the answer might have been carved there. I missed her. God, I missed her like hell. It was pathetic, wasn’t it? It was all my fault she was gone anyway.What was she doing right then? Was she walking through the market, smiling at the vendors? Was she in her gardens again, humming that little tune she always did without realizing? Was she… thinking of me? Was she with someone else?I clenched my fists.I hated this. This not knowing. This distance. I hat
ELIZA’S POVEvery day since we had left the capital, Ryan had been healing.I saw it in the way he ran now—faster, lighter, with more confidence.His wolf was growing stronger, and the constant fear that once clouded his bright eyes was beginning to fade.He still woke from nightmares sometimes, clutching the blanket. But they were less frequent now.His appetite had returned, his coloring was better, and he was starting to smile more—real, open smiles that made my chest ache in the best and worst ways.We had our own little routine now.Mornings began with smiles from him as I cooked breakfast—eggs, pancakes, sometimes warm porridge with honey.Ryan always sat at the counter, kicking his feet and watching me.After we ate, we played. Sometimes it was coloring, sometimes building things with wooden blocks or chasing each other across the lawn.In the evenings, we walked through the woods together, hand in hand.That was peace. That was home. And yet…something still ached inside me.A
ALEXANDER’S POVThe room was far too quiet. Too still.It was the kind of silence that felt louder than any battlefield. I sat on my bed, surrounded by the gifts I sent to Eliza.She had returned every single gift I sent to her. They were all untouched.I guessed I deserved that.There were dozens of them.Silk scarves Eliza used to love, gemstone necklaces I handpicked because they reminded me of her eyes, books with dog-eared pages from the stories she once loved.Would she ever forgive me?Did this mean she was done with me?My wolf snarled inside me, pacing restlessly.He kept on accusing me. He kept on echoing words in my mind – You betrayed her. You let her go. She trusted you."Shut up," I hissed aloud.My fingers clenched around the edges of the letter I’d been writing—one I’d rewritten over and over again.Eliza,I know you hate me. I know I deserve it. But—I growled and tore it in half. I slammed it down onto the floor beside the others.What was the point? She had cut the
ELIZA’S POVThe carriage slowed as the gates of the palace opened.I sat still, numb, staring out at the estate as the wheels stopped.The guards stood at attention. I saw one of them smile at me.It was Luca, the kind one with his brown hair and bright green eyes but the moment he saw my face, the smile died on his lips.They knew something was wrong. They opened the gates anyway with no questions asked.“Alpha Eliza,” another guard greeted gently, but I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My throat felt like sandpaper.The moment the carriage came to a halt, I stepped out, clutching Ryan’s tiny hand.He looked up at me. His bright blue eyes searched my face.I tried to smile, but it barely twitched at the corners of my lips.He didn’t say a word, just squeezed my fingers tighter, sensing that something as wrong.The servants lined up at the entrance. They had smiles on their faces to welcome me as I walked forward.Their smiles fell one by one as soon as they saw me. Mira gasped slightly. I
ELIZA’S POVI convinced myself that today would be a good day. It had to be. I was so tired of disappointment.I moved towards the palace with Ryan’s small hand tucked tightly into mine. I had convinced myself that today would be good—for both of us.He had been so quiet lately, and I thought a visit to the palace might lift his spirits. At least, that was the excuse I gave myself.Deep down, I think I just needed to see Alexander. I needed to feel something other than this constant ache in my chest.Ryan tugged at my hand. His little feet bounced with energy. He smiled a little as he pointed to a bird flying above the palace gates.I smiled, brushing his hair off his forehead. “Do you like it, sweetie?”He nodded enthusiastically, making a funny little chirping noise that had me laughing along with him.For a moment, the world felt simple again.As we entered the royal courtyard, everything seemed... off. The guards were stiff. They seemed formal in a way they hadn’t been before.The
ELIZA'S POVThe bed beside me was cold. Again.I rolled over, reaching for the warmth that should’ve been there, the man that used to soothe me. But my fingers met only cold bedsheets.Alexander had already left. No note. No goodbye.Not even the usual kiss on my forehead that used to make my mornings start with a smile.I pulled the blankets tighter around me and stared at the ceiling. The carvings on the ceiling stared back at me.I used to trace those carvings with him beside me, laughing at how one of them resembled a wolf with its tongue out. Now, I couldn’t even bring myself to smile at the memory.Lately, everything between us felt… off.He was still kind. Still polite. But polite was the worst kind of cold.He used to look at me like I was the only thing in the room. Now he barely saw me at all.I forced myself to get up. I couldn’t mope all day.Maybe if I tried a little harder—just one more time—I could remind him of us.The palace kitchen was filled with busy maids as I ste