Chapter 111

Third Person POV

Diana stared at Ella in disbelief. Diana had never expected such confidence from such a young girl.

Most of what she had heard about Ella Rowan was from a few months ago. It all led her to believe she was timid, innocent, and too nervous to stand her ground.

But seeing her now, fiercely defending him, it was clear that it wan’t the case.

Diana felt a wave of conflicting emotions. On one hand, if Alexander was truly going through with this wedding, the pack needed a strong Luna by his side. As Alpha, Alexander’s choices were final, and the only viable path forward was to accept his decision.

Yet Ella was nothing like Diana had anticipated. Her composure, her defiance—these were not traits Diana had been prepared to see. She wondered briefly if Alexander had coached Ella for this meeting, warning her to be on guard.

But that didn’t quite add up. Diana was always as polite and diplomatic as possible when dealing with other packs. Why would he think she would be anything less?

Still, Ella’s poise had thrown her off balance, and Diana couldn’t help but reevaluate the young woman standing before her. Perhaps there was more to Ella Rowan than the rumors suggested.

Ella POV

Diana studied me for a moment, her eyes searching mine as though trying to uncover a hidden truth. Then, she frowned.

“You wouldn’t be the first woman he took liberties with,” she said. “Aren’t you worried the reports were true? I don’t know what I’d do if I ever learned something so horrible about my son, but it seems to me you should be more cautious.”

“Those reports have been discredited,” I pointed out. “Many of the women who made those claims have retracted them. There’s really no reason to be concerned.”

“Still, I’ve known Alexander his whole life. I know that he’s good at hiding his mistakes…”

“He isn’t hiding anything from me,” I said confidently.

Diana tilted her head slightly as she looked at me. “You certainly aren’t what I expected,” she said softly. “I hope for your sake that you’re right then,” she added.

Without missing a beat, she turned and strode back toward the table, addressing Alexander as if she hadn’t just been accusing him of abuse.

I stood frozen for a moment, staring at Alexander as I tried to process what had just happened. He seemed unaware of the exchange, but I couldn’t shake the unease settling over me.

Based on our conversation last night, I wasn’t sure if this was something I should tell him about. It would only heighten the tension between him and his mother, and things were strained enough already.

Still, it angered me that she could believe such a thing about him. Alexander didn't deserve the criticism he got. I made up my mind then, I would find a way to show her how wrong she was about her son.

Diana returned to her seat, and I turned to Alexander. Our eyes met, and I could tell he sensed I was upset. His brow lifted in a silent question, but instead of offering an explanation, I glanced pointedly at Diana.

Alexander followed my gaze, studying his mother for a moment before shifting his focus back to me. Without a word, he slipped his arm around my waist.

“We actually have a lot to do today,” he said, addressing Diana. “We won’t be able to stay for breakfast—we need to get back.”

“Are you sure?” Diana asked, her frown deepening. “I don’t want to send you off on an empty stomach.”

“I’m afraid it’s unavoidable,” he replied smoothly. “But I’ll be in touch soon.”

Michael stood and walked over to us, a faint frown on his face. “It was good to see you,” he said, extending his hand to Alexander, who shook it firmly. Then Michael turned to me, hesitating slightly before offering his hand.

“It was really great to meet you too,” I said, shaking his hand with a polite smile.

“We’ll see you soon, right?” Michael asked, turning back to Alexander.

“I promise not to be gone as long as I was last time,” Alexander said softly. “And I’ll call you soon.”

Michael’s expression brightened. “I’ll hold you to that,” he said.

“Have a safe journey back,” Diana said, though her tone carried an edge of reluctance. “If you’re insistent on going now.” She walked over to Alexander and pulled him into a firm hug. His posture was stiff and uncertain, but he returned the embrace. When she released him, she turned to me with a tight smile.

“Let me know about that dress shopping trip,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to meeting your mother.”

“I’ll speak to her when I get home and let you know the details,” I replied, though the idea of spending the afternoon with Diana and my mother seemed far less appealing now. Still, I was determined to win her over—to show her that Alexander and I were a good match and that he was a good man.

With our goodbyes finished, we headed out to meet the car Alexander had arranged. It was going to be a long drive, and I could already tell Alexander intended to work from his phone.

I glanced at him as he settled in beside me, his attention already on the screen. I’d always been curious about what kept him so busy, but I’d never asked. It wasn’t that I thought he’d keep it from me—I just wasn’t confident I’d understand the details of his business dealings and didn’t want to embarrass myself by asking questions that might seem obvious.

I pulled out my phone, hoping to distract myself, but Alexander’s voice broke the silence before I could lose myself in anything.

“What did she say to you?”

I hesitated for a moment before answering honestly. “She asked me about last night.”

“Asked you about it or said something about it?” Alexander clarified, his eyes locking onto mine. His scrutinizing gaze made it impossible to think of anything but the truth.

I sighed, setting my phone down on the seat beside me. “It’s nothing worth discussing.”

His frown deepened. “What do you mean?”

“She just wanted to make sure that everything was okay last night.”

Alexander’s eyes widened slightly before narrowing in disbelief, and he scoffed. “Of course my word wasn’t enough,” he said, shaking his head.

“Honestly, it made me a little angry,” I admitted.

“Really? I wouldn’t expect you to get angry on my behalf over something like this.”

“It made me angry that she would question you like that over something so simple,” I explained.

Alexander smiled. “I appreciate your outrage on my behalf,” he said, sounding amused.

I shrugged, feeling a bit embarrassed. I held back the whole truth. I didn't want to cause issues with Alexander and his mother.

If she continued with this behavior, then I would have no choice but to tell him. For now, it was a minor thing that could be ignored.

Silence settled between us after that. After a few moments, Alexander turned his attention back to his phone, focusing on whatever business demanded his time.

I did the same, pulling my phone back into my hands. The next few weeks were going to be incredibly busy. Visiting the farmland today was only the beginning.

Despite the daunting logistics, I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of it. This land would be a great benefit to the pack and possibly the only truly good thing to come out of my brief marriage to David.

I glanced at Alexander as the thought crossed my mind. Then again, maybe the farmland wasn’t the only good thing. If it weren’t for my ill-fated relationship with David, Alexander and I would never have gotten to know each other the way we had.

Even if things between us didn’t last, there was no denying that this connection—this moment in time—had changed my life.

The farmland that David had been forced to sign over to me was vast—nearly a thousand acres. It bordered land already owned by my pack, and as our car rolled up the narrow pathway toward the plot, I realized we’d need to redraw our maps to reflect the shifted boundary.

The land on our side of the border had been underutilized due to its proximity to the Lunar Lake territory. With this new acquisition, that could change, effectively doubling the usable land. My mind raced with possibilities for the pack's future.

But I reminded myself not to get ahead of things. I needed to see the land firsthand before making decisions, which made this field trip with Alexander all the more important.

The car came to a stop, and we stepped out. Walking a short distance along a dirt path, the fields came into view.

Something was wrong.