Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 20

Ava's POV"Wait!"Cole's voice cracked as I reached the exit.I stopped but didn't turn around."You'll regret this!" he shouted, desperate to regain control of the narrative. "You're nothing without the pack! You're wolfless! You'll die out there!"I glanced over my shoulder, giving him one last, pitying look."Watch me."I walked out the main doors and onto the driveway.Gordon and Janice were running after me, waving the check I had coerced out of them. "Ava! You ungrateful brat! Where do you think you're going?""Away from you parasites," I said, taking the check from Gordon's hand. "Thanks for the severance pay.""You have no car!" Lexi smirked, appearing beside Cole in the doorway. "You're walking?"VROOM.The sound of precision-tuned engines cut through the air.Three sleek, armored black SUVs pulled into the driveway in perfect formation. They bore no license plates, only a silver crest on the doors: A Wolf and Crown.The Royal Guard.The lead car's door opened.A man stepped o

Ava's POVThe Royal Palace was a masterpiece of white marble and gold, towering against the skyline like a promise. But as the car glided through the massive iron gates, my stomach twisted.Is this just a prettier cage? I wondered, gripping the door handle. Did I just trade a Beta's attic for a King's tower?The car stopped. Beta Daniel opened my door, his smile warm and genuine."Welcome home, Miss Ava," he said.I stepped out, my legs feeling like jelly. A woman stood next to him-petite, with kind eyes and a baby bump showing beneath her floral dress."I'm Alison," she beamed, stepping forward to hug me without hesitation. "Daniel's mate. Oh, look at you! You're gorgeous. Kaelen has been pacing the halls for three hours waiting for you.""Alison," Daniel warned gently."What? It's true." She linked her arm with mine. "Come on. Let me show you to your suite. Kaelen... well, he's 'giving you space,' which means he's probably hiding in his study watching the security feed to make sure y

Ava's POVThe silence in the car was heavy, but not uncomfortable. It was the silence of a calm before a storm.I stared out the tinted window as the familiar, depressing tree line of Bloodmoon territory blurred past.My stomach twisted. Not with fear, but with a cold, simmering rage.I had given this pack everything. My sweat, my tears, my wolf's dormancy. And they had repaid me with humiliation."You're clenching your jaw," Kaelen's voice cut through my thoughts.I looked over. He was driving with effortless grace, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, but I could feel his gaze on me."I'm just... preparing," I said."For what?""For the lies. The gaslighting. The way Cole looks at me like I'm a broken toy he threw away."Kaelen reached over, his large hand covering mine on the center console. His skin was warm, grounding."Let him look," Kaelen said, his voice low and dangerous. "Because today, he won't see the girl he broke. He will see the Queen he lost."He squeezed my hand. "A

Cole's POVMy world stopped.I stared at the scene before me.Lexi-my "savior," my "love"-was standing over my dying father's bed, her hand gripping his life support line.Ava was standing in the doorway, her phone raised, recording everything."What are you doing?" I whispered, my voice trembling.Lexi snatched her hand back like she'd been burned. "I... I was just checking the line! It looked loose! I was fixing it!""Liar," Ava said. Her voice was calm. Brutal. "I set a trap, Cole. I knew someone would try to finish the job once I stabilized him. So we circled back."She played the video on her phone.On the screen, Lexi crept into the room. She looked around guiltily. She muttered, "If he recovers, I'm finished." And then she reached for the IV.It was undeniable."You..." I looked at Lexi, nausea rising in my throat. "You tried to kill him?""No! Cole, please!" Lexi threw herself at my feet, sobbing. "I did it for us! He was in the way! The Elders were going to vote you out becaus

Cole's POVI sat in my office-the one Ava used to organize, now a chaotic mess-reading the file Chase had just slapped onto my desk.[Subject: Ava Ashford // Treatment Log]Financials: 90% of her mother's inheritance was funneled into Gordon's accounts. Ava was given a monthly allowance of $50.Living Conditions: Moved to the servant's quarters in 2023 to make room for Lexi's "walk-in closet."Work Log: Managed Pack Logistics, Payroll, and Event Planning. Unpaid. 60 hours/week.I threw the file across the room. It hit the wall and scattered, papers fluttering down like white feathers."I didn't know," I whispered."You didn't want to know," Chase said from the doorway. He didn't look like my Beta anymore. He looked like a man judging a fool."Where is she?" I asked, my voice ragged."The Royal Palace," Chase said. "The Coronation Ceremony is tomorrow. She is being crowned Luna Queen."Tomorrow.I stood up. "Get the car.""Cole, don't," Chase warned. "She belongs to the King now.""She