Ella POV
I was exhausted after my meeting with the Alphas of the Rigdorn. Once again, David had been too busy to oversee the official gathering, and as Luna Queen, it had fallen to me.
I never liked hosting these meetings, but I’d grown used tot. They were necessary for the good of the Kingdom, and I understood that.
David often had other matters demanding his attention, and I didn’t mind stepping in to help occasionally. But I wished I knew what was keeping him so busy. Lately, he seemed more secretive, no longer sharing everything with me as he had when we first became leaders of the Kingdom.
I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d done something to upset him or make him lose faith in me. Yet that didn’t entirely make sense, given that he still trusted me with important responsibilities like these meetings.
Perhaps he was working on a surprise for me? That thought was likely just wishful thinking. David and I hadn’t shared a romantic moment alone in quite some time.
The increased rogue activity at the border weighed heavily on him, as it did on every Alpha in the Kingdom. Their boldness was growing, and I–knew the stress of the situation was taking its toll.
That stress spilled into these meetings, which were becoming more frequent as people demanded answers. They wanted reassurance, a clear plan to keep them safe.
I did my best to assure them that David was working tirelessly on a solution and had everything under control. But since I didn’t know the details of his plans, my words rang Hollow. I could see the doubt in their faces.
After the meeting, I headed back to our living quarters, hoping to grab something to eat and perhaps rest before my next obligation. I would never complain, but being Luna Queen was far more work than I’d anticipated.
While I’d known the traditional duties of a Queen, the reality was that I’d taken on many responsibilities typically reserved for the King.
I didn’t resent it–I was glad to be of use to David–but it was undeniably exhausting.
As I approached our quarters, the sound of David’s voice reached me. A spark of excitement flared; perhaps he was finally free, and we could share a meal or spend some time together. But as I drew closer, I noticed the sharp edge
to his tone.
He was angry.
I paused in my steps, hesitating outside the door. David had always had an explosive temper, and experience had taught me it was best to avoid him until he’d calmed down
I hesitated, unsure what to do, but before I could decide, David stepped out of the room. I startled, not expecting him to appear so suddenly.
“Ella,” he said, his tone edged with irritation. “Don’t you have something to be working on?”
I was just taking a short break between meetings,” I replied, keeping my voice even. “The Alphas are frustrated, and I needed to clear my head after that.”
“Why?” he asked sharply. “What are they complaining about now?”
“The rogue activity in the North,” I explained carefully. “The border Alphas-
David growled in frustration, cutting me off. “I’m not spending money to solve their problems for them. They live
Chapter 1243
on the border, they should be protecting their land themselves.”
“You’re angry… is something wrong?” I asked cautiously, sensing his foul mood.
He shook his head vehemently, then sighed, “No. I’ve just been talking to Archer. More trouble at the border. It sounds like he and I are going to have to take a little trip up here.”
“Again?” I couldn’t lilde the disappointment in my voice. “You’ve been traveling so much lately.”
“Yes, well,” he snapped, “I am the King. It’s a lot of work
“I know,” I said quickly, trying to soothe him, though his tone stung.
I woke with a start, my heart hammering, skin crawling with unease. The memory of the original timeline was vivid, haunting me even now. Being married to David had always been miserable–I just hadn’t allowed myself to acknowledge it back then..
But now, with the benefit of hindsight, I could see it clearly for what it was.
But… maybe that wasn’t all I could see now.
Staring at the ceiling, I let my thoughts wander back to the original timeline, replaying everything I knew about David and his constant “work” trips. He had obviously been lying to me about what was going on. But if he wasn’t dealing with kingdom matters, what was he actually up to?
Could it be that his ties to the roguelands had existed even then?
I’d assumed that his alliance with criminals was a desperate move this time around because I’d exposed him. But that didn’t add up. He must have already known who to call, how to start his plans so soon after our breakup.
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.
David had been a criminal all along–I just hadn’t seen it.
I stood
up and shook off the remains of the dream. I was waiting for Alexander to come upstairs so we could leave to meet the doctor and I must have dozed off.
I glanced at the clock. Alexander still had a few minutes before we were supposed to leave, but it still made anxious that he hadn’t arrived yet.
As if in response to my thought, the door lock beeped and Alexander rushed in with August at his heels.
“We have to go now,” he said urgently. His eyes were wide as he rushed to my side, not even pausing to take off his shoes.
Seeing him like that startled me. Alexander was always in control of his emotions, so on the rare occasions that he wasn’t, I knew that something was very wrong.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, glancing from his frustrated expression to August’s worried one.
“We’ve been having David tracked,” August answered quickly. “Our informants just called. They spotted him. leaving in a rented car. He was headed North.”
I shook my head, unable to accept what I was hearing. David couldn’t have found out where McIntyre was hiding out. If he beat up to her, he’d kill her and we’d never know what information she may have had.
“We don’t have time to waste,” Alexander said. “Our only advantage is that he has a little further to travel.”
I grabbed my shoes from the rack and ran out the door without pausing to put them on. “Let’s go!” I shouted over my shoulder.
#25 BONUS
Chapter 0283
Alexander paused just long enough to give August some instructions, then he ran after me. He met me at the elevator just as the doors opened and we stepped in together.
My heart was racing and disbelief and anger were swirling within me. I wouldn’t let David get in the way this time. 1 had to stop him, and Dr. McIntyre might be able to help with that.
I couldn’t afford to lose to him this time.
Alexander took my hand and held it reassuringly. I looked up at him questioningly, but his eyes were straight forward and the look of determination in his bright eyes caned my growing fear,
We were going to make it, I thought. We could get there faster. We had to.
