**GWEN**Kora was coming out of the bathroom when I entered the room. She grazed me with a smile which I compensated with a nod. "You can go now, I will take it from here," I told, strolling in.She looked up hesitantly, the smile gradually dropping off her face. Then she bobbed once and moved from the direction of the wardrobe she was situated, to my pathway. I pulled the curtains open and was on the verge of sitting on the sofa by the window when I heard her say, "your highness, is there somehtungvi did wrong?" My hands suspended, my head twisting to her."I beg your pardon."Her fingers were entwined together in front of her and they were twitching as she spike without meeting my eyes. "I feel like something about me bothers you. It's as if you are merely tolerating my presence not because you want me here. I thought you have forgiven me from before."I exhaled and sat down, crossing my right leg over my left as I leaned forward, my big still fixed on her. "I don't have any issue

**THIRD POV**(GWEN's FORMER PACK)There was a steady knock at the front door causing Salome to pause from stirring the flour on the bowl, trying to listen. Was it her ear or someone was ag the door? She wondered. Her husband couldn't possibly have forgotten something, did he? He merely left five minutes ago, to get the carpenter for a dent she made in the cavjnte this morning during their quarrel. She caught a scent. An unfamiliar scent."Who there?" She called out, dropping the spatula and dusting her hand son the apron. "I'm coming." Theresa had long moved out into the Alpha's house to be with her mate, leaving her and Kent the only occupant of the house. Unless they are coming for a visit as they usually do every three days.She reached the door and twisted the key to the left the door opened. And a stranger stood there."Hello," Salome greeted, trying to recall where she had met the a long from before."Hello, is this number 25?" He asked, looking around the balcony. He was a v

**GWEN**A loud pelt on the roof of the building was what woke me up the next morning. Very slowly I peeled my eyes open and shifted my head to the side to glance around my surrounding.The first thing I noticed was the impenetrable restriction around my waist which had me looking down at Ashton's massive naked chest, and when my eyes trailed upward, it was to meet his peaceful facade as he slept. For once, I was enthralled by his lovely sight, my eyes unfaltering from him. What a sweet sight to behold in the morning.I was still immersed when his alluring lips quirked to the side as he smiled, causing me to snap back and look away. Unfortunately, he had already caught me as his hands tightened around me when I tried moving away, his beautiful blues split open to peer at me. "I didn't know you found me this attractive, mate, " he growled lowly. I blushed. "Stop feeling smug." I smacked his chest and tried once more to move to the side but the next minute I found myself being tumbled t

**ASHTON**I was not supposed to feel a stab of jealousy as I watched my mate's head gradually bounce in agreement with my response. Since that day I overheard the name of that man, it unsettled me, the same way seeing Tyler close to her made me desire to murder him. I wanted more than anything to know who that man was, where he existed and how important he was to my mate, and if he still held a place in her heart. Somehow when she was speaking, he was the first to cross my mind. And seeing the way she sighed sadly, her eyes pitched at the glossy table top, I understood from within that it was an answer obvious to the eyes. My mate was still in love with her first crush."I'm sorry, Ashton," She mumbled softly, "Julian and I...""You don't need to tell me about him, little wolf," I schooled myself to say, forcing on a smooth smile as she managed to gaze at me. "We all have our past.""Like Emma?" She was fast to add. My hand which had located hers on the table to soothe her, dropped

**GWEN**Have you imagined when two elephants are in the same room? The feeling of those beside them especially if they look like they are going to fight? That was how I felt as my mate walked into the room. And the annoying part of it was his composure.He was grinning. Nonchalantly. "There is nothing funny about the situation, Ashton." His mother was at him. "Life is simple, Mother. We make things complex for ourselves." He came to sit beside me and took one of my hands. It was a mindless action, from what I could deduce."We have a ceremony coming up!" His mother snapped."And everything is going to be fine, Mother. We have a team in charge of planning those kind of things. We don't need to meddle.""Is that what you think, Gwen?" As she asked me, I could see her eyes flick to our entwined fingers before lifting to my face.I shook my head. "I am not of that school of thought, Mother.""Then, you see that the Queen needs to be available all the time to make this work. I had to pre