Mag-log inRonnie's POV"Please tell me it's a lie!"The elderly woman just remained on her knees, her head bowed, not saying a single word.I slapped myself hard right across my own cheek, just to make sure I wasn't in some ridiculous dream.The pain was real.The woman on her knees was real.The two colors still glowing faintly on that iron seal behind her were very, very real."You can't be saying the truth," I said, my voice growing louder as the words forced their way out before I could form them into something meaningful. "That can't be the truth. I can't be... no, please, this doesn't make any sense..."I stopped myself before the tears came, pressing my lips together and forcing myself to breathe slowly.My mind had completely abandoned the book I had come here looking for in the first place.I picked up the book I had been holding at some point without realizing it and set it down on one of the wooden tables nearby. My hands were shaking slightly.I needed air.I turned toward the door,
Ronnie’s POVI rented a car instead of calling a cab, paying in cash, not wanting any record tied to my name. I wanted to be as careful as possible, just as the old woman had warned.The Ancient Library of the Moon Goddess looked exactly the way the pictures online had described it, ancient stone walls rising up from the earth like they had grown there naturally rather than been built.I kept a scarf wrapped around the lower half of my face as I approached, sunglasses on despite the overcast sky, doing everything I could to avoid being recognized."I'm looking for Mrs. Aya Lester," I said to the woman at the front desk.She paused, looking me over carefully."Who are you?" she asked."Why do you want to see her?" she added, before I could even answer the first question."I was sent here by an old friend of hers," I said."An old friend, you say." The woman's eyes narrowed slightly. "Name?"I hesitated.The truth was, the old woman at Silver Moon Pack Library had never actually told me
Nolan's POVIt took another day before she was strong enough to sit up properly, to hold a real conversation, to start asking the questions I knew were coming."I want to take you home with me," I said, once we finally had a quiet moment together. "Back to the palace, where you can recover properly."She shook her head slowly. "I want to go with my mom."I felt something tighten in my chest, but I didn't argue."Okay," I said.She looked surprised that I agreed so easily."Take care of the baby," I added.Her brows pulled together in confusion. "What baby?"I held her gaze. "You're pregnant. With my child."Her face went through several expressions at once ... shock, disbelief, something close to panic."I'm giving you two weeks," I continued, before she could fully process it. "Two weeks with your mom. I don't want to kidnap you again, like you'll always accuse me of.""Giving me two weeks doesn't make this any different," she said, finding her voice again. "It does. I want my heir t
Ronnie's POV I felt my jaw tighten.Sarah, standing beside me, immediately began to cry, clearly assuming I would refuse, that my pride would win out over everything else."I would beg on his behalf," she said quickly, already lowering herself onto the wet ground, her knees sinking into the mud without hesitation. "Please. I'll do it. Just save her."I looked at her kneeling there, desperate and broken, and then at the priest, and then back toward the ambulance where Ronnie lay motionless.I didn't hesitate.I dropped to my knees on the same wet ground beside Sarah.Vane's mouth actually fell open slightly, clearly not expecting that."I'm sorry," I said, my voice rougher than I intended, the words feeling foreign coming out of my mouth but necessary all the same. "For attacking you. For grabbing her." I glanced at the woman in white. "It was wrong. I let my fear take over, and I'm sorry."The woman in white looked at me for a long moment, then gave a small nod.Vane studied me for a
Nolan’s POVI stared at her for a second too long before anything came out of my mouth.“Are you sure you know what you’re saying?”“Yes, your majesty. She is pregnant,” the woman repeated, her voice steady even though her eyes kept darting between me and Kim like she wasn’t sure who she was supposed to be looking at.Kim cleared his throat beside me. Loudly. Like he needed something to do with his face other than stare at me with that expression.“How far along?” I asked.“We’re estimating somewhere around two weeks, based on the levels we found in her bloodwork. We’ll know more precisely once she’s stable enough for a proper scan.”Two weeks.My mind did the math before I even gave it permission to.The hotel.I didn’t say anything for a moment. I just stood there, the tablet with Alte Tech’s collapsing numbers still sitting forgotten on my desk, my brain refusing to process more than one impossible thing at a time.“You said her body is rejecting treatment,” I said finally. “What d
Nolan's POV"Let me in or I'll break the door down!"The words tore through whatever thin layer of sleep I had managed to get, dragging me upright before I had even fully registered being awake. My eyes snapped open, my body already moving before my mind caught up.I was exhausted as hell, like I barely had any sleep and it was morning already?I swung my legs off the bed and made my way toward the door, my mind still foggy, trying to figure out what kind of commotion was loud enough to wake an entire wing of the palace at this hour.The moment I pulled the door open, a fist connected with my face.I stumbled back half a step, more from surprise than actual impact, my jaw stinging as I blinked the haze away and registered exactly who was standing in front of me.Reuben."What the heck did you do to her?" he demanded, already pulling his arm back for a second swing.I didn't give him the chance.I caught his wrist mid-motion and twisted, using the momentum to slam him backward against
Nolan’s POVJust moments ago, I laid down helplessly on the bed, the doctors rushing over me. The pain from the arrow stretched over my back. It wasn’t something I could not endure. As a matter of fact I had gotten struck by arrows, blades, even bullets, countless times in the past, but I have no i
Ronnie’s POV“Two hours?” Jessie blurted out. “What the heck are you supposed to do with two hours? I mean, that’s not even enough time to pack your clothes and handbags.”Jessie kept on ranting. Her tone remained sharp as ever. She even looked more frustrated than I was in this weird-ass situation
Ronnie's POVI didn’t know how long it would be till I finally collapsed. My breath was stuck.Every part of my body had gone still.My eyes locked with his, one of his hands on my chin and the other on my waist to steady me.“All rise!” He said, finally.Everyone looked up, words falling out from
Ronnie's POV The invitation sat on my cracked coffee table like a venomous snake.Cream and gold design with a scent of lilies that made my stomach turn.It was the invitation to Elisha’s coronation as Alpha, as well as Elisha and Keisha’s big day.“I’m not going, Jessie. I still have dignity,” I







