EllieBlade was a cheater! There was no doubt in her mind that he had shifted enough to use his wolf teeth to bite River. The blood all over the floor was enough to prove it! Yet, her own Beta ignored her when she pointed it out to him, and even her father didn't stop the fight. If River hadn't won, she would've had to protest the victory.But River had won! Ellie was still in shock. She couldn't believe it! Of all of the Alphas, she'd been drawn to him the most from the very start. Now, they were going to get married.Married. That was a word she hadn't thought about a lot over the years. But now, seeing him standing there, victorious, with a huge smile on his face, she was so grateful to the Moon Goddess for bringing him to her. He had won the tournament on his own merit though. He was the strongest, the fastest, and the best fighter of all of them.And he was hers.It wasn't like Ellie to let her emotions show. She'd learned over the years to keep herself guarded. Whether she was

EllieGetting ready for the dance this time was so different for Ellie than it had been just a few short nights ago when she'd been so excited to see River. That night, she'd gotten dressed in a beautiful silver gown, excited to see what the night had to offer. Tonight, her dress was red. It was sparkly and caught the light like the other dress. Checking herself out in the mirror, she had to admit that she looked good. But she didn't feel good. There was a heaviness in her heart she couldn't quite understand.River had seemed different. He'd been so standoffish at the award's ceremony. Even when she'd kissed his cheek, he'd seemed withdrawn. It made her wonder what his motivation was for entering the tournament to begin with. Was it possible he was only there because he wanted to win, and now that he had to claim his prize, he was regretting it?Her eyes went to her mother's saying above her mirror. That was the most important thing. Doing what was best for her pack. While she wanted

EllieNo bride wanted to get married with bags under her eyes. Ellie had done her best to fall asleep after the dance, but she'd laid awake for hours, tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling, contemplating what was going on between herself and River. She thought about Ulysses's interpretation and wanted to believe him, but in the end, she'd fallen asleep feeling like River was only marrying her because he had to, not because he wanted to.Sitting in a chair in front of her mirror, watching Shelby do her makeup, Ellie hoped no one noticed the puffiness beneath her eyes or the fact that they were bloodshot. She'd never been one for using sleep aids, but if she could go back and do it all again, she would've taken some melatonin the moment her head hit the pillow."You've got a lot on your mind, huh?" her best friend asked as she applied powder to the foundation she'd already put on. Ellie wasn't used to wearing a lot of makeup, so she had agreed when Shelby had insisted she let her

EllieThe sun was shining brightly as Ellie made her way from her house to the glade. She decided to walk, even though Shelby was terrified she'd get her dress muddy. She'd be fine. The train wasn't that long, and she needed the fresh air.Her mind was swimming with worries. Everything from whether or not she would remember what she was supposed to say and when she was supposed to say it to whether River would want to have their marking ceremony that night or wait. She was a mess. Thankfully, her bouquet was big enough that it covered her shaking hands. She grasped it tightly and carried it in front of her chest so maybe no one would see her heart beating against her ribcage.They had made it to the cabins near the meadow when she saw a familiar form coming toward them. Ellie couldn't help but smile at how handsome Ulysses looked in his suit. "Wow! Look at you!" he exclaimed, coming at her with his large arms open wide.Ellie handed her bouquet to Shelby as Ulysses enveloped her in a

EllieThe tears that cascaded down her face had nothing to do with the utter embarrassment and sheer humiliation she was feeling at being left at the altar. Rather, Ellie was crying because she couldn't believe River would do this to her. She thought that he really loved her, that even though their romance had been a whirlwind, he was feeling the same thing about her as she felt for him.At least, she'd thought that was the case until the day before when he'd won the tournament, and then, suddenly, everything had changed. She had no explanation for it. Once she realized he'd driven away, Ellie had contemplated going after him, catching him, and forcing him to look her in the eye and tell her what the problem was. Maybe there was someone back home that he had feelings for. Maybe he just didn't think Ellie was the right girl for him. Whatever it was, she needed to hear it from his mouth.But she wasn't about to go after him and demand answers, not today. Instead, she'd made her way back