Chapter 183

Ella POV

Alexander looked at me expectantly, his question hanging heavily in the air between us. Panic raced through me as I tried to think of a way to respond that would defuse the situation, but nothing came to me.

I laughed uneasily. “I’m supposed to be the one asking the questions,” I said. “Before we even spoke to Dr. McIntyre, you promised me you’d explain what was going on. But now you're deflecting.”

“You’re the one deflecting,” Alexander countered. “I need to know about that list. I need you to explain how you know those people.”

“They’re friends of David’s,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. “Why are you acting so strange about this?”

He stared at me unblinkingly, as if weighing my words. A frustrated knot tightened in my chest. Alexander had been acting strangely himself lately. I knew he was hiding things—things I needed to know.

He kept saying he’d come clean, then always found an excuse not to.

If I was being honest, it made me angry. But more than that, I was exhausted.

Exhausted from hiding. Exhausted from David’s mind games. Exhausted from juggling two different lives in my head. Exhausted from the fact that no one truly understood what was happening to me.

“I have to know,” Alexander said. “Ella, those men are very dangerous people. I need to know how you’re connected to them. Handing their names over like that… they will come after you if they find out.”

I felt panicked as his words sank in. I’d messed up. I only knew those names because of the original timeline, but I couldn’t explain that. I had to distract him.

“How do you think I feel when you refuse to explain yourself?” I asked. “And yet you expect me to tell you everything. That doesn’t seem fair.”

“I know it isn’t fair,” Alexander said softly. “What matters right now is that I understand how you know those men. Ella, they are dangerous people. If I’m going to protect you, I need to understand how much you really know.”

His voice dropped lower, sharper. “I can tell you’re hiding things. You keep making little slip-ups, saying things you shouldn’t know. And honestly? I’m starting to question what I’ve gotten myself into with you.”

I stared at him, wide-eyed. For a brief, incredulous moment, I almost laughed. But the anger burned hotter.

I glared at him instead. “I could say the exact same thing to you,” I shot back. “How do you know who they are? What do you know about them?”

The frustration on Alexander’s face was quickly turning to anger. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he spoke in a calmer voice.

“I will tell you when the time is right.”

That made me angry too, but I knew that it would be a mistake to let my emotions get out of hand. Half of what I was feeling was my wolf’s wild emotions. It was difficult to separate them from my own, but I was trying.

I took a deep breath, then said, “Let’s talk about this when we get home.”

I could tell he wanted to argue, but after a brief hesitation, he nodded silently.

My mind was racing, but it kept circling back to the same thought—Alexander was never going to open up to me as long as he knew I had my own secrets. If I wanted him to be truthful with me—and I did, more than anything—then I had to be truthful with him first.

And that felt impossible.

If I told him about the original timeline, about my second chance, he’d think I was insane. I hadn’t even been able to tell my own parents, and yet... it felt like the only option.

I had to open up to Alexander, no matter how terrifying it was, no matter how dangerous it might be. And I knew without a doubt it was very dangerous.

If he had me thrown in an asylum for the rest of my life, so be it. At least I would know that David was no longer a threat to the kingdom. I had accomplished what I set out to do.

The whole purpose of my second chance was to stop David from taking over, to prevent the pain and destruction he would bring. And I had done that.

If the cost of that victory was my freedom, I could accept it.

And, if by some miracle he believed me, then Alexander would know he had my full trust. I believed that it would be enough for him to open up to me, too. I wanted to know what it was that was going on with him.

Why did he leave in the middle of the night? Why was he so secretive about his meetings and his business trips? What was he really hiding?

If I told him my greatest secret, would he tell me his?

Just the thought of telling Alexander made my heart race, my chest tighten painfully. But deep down, I knew—I wanted to tell someone.

It had been unbearable, keeping this secret for so many months, carrying the weight of memories no one else shared. I wanted someone to know. I wanted to stop hiding from the world.

Maybe Alexander wasn’t the right person. Maybe I should tell my father, or my mother, or even Elizabeth. But my heart told me that it had to be him.

Even though I had no idea how he would react, I had to tell him.

The moment I made up my mind, a strange sense of peace washed over me.

The rest of the car ride back to the apartment was quiet, as was the elevator ride up. But it wasn’t the tense, suffocating silence I had feared—it was a peaceful quiet.

Alexander was stiff, obviously still irritated, as we stepped inside the apartment. I slipped off my shoes and walked into the living room, sinking onto the couch.

He hesitated, watching me warily, but after a few seconds, he joined me.

“You’re acting weird,” he said as he sat beside me.

I smiled. “You have no idea what weird is. But I think it’s time you find out.”

His brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“I want to tell you the truth,” I said earnestly. “About everything. But I need you to listen to me until the end. Don’t interrupt, or I’ll lose my nerve. And turn off your phone—I can’t be interrupted. If I don’t get this all out in one go, I may never be able to tell you.”

Alexander stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he pulled his phone from his pocket and powered it off.

“You have my undivided attention,” he said, turning to face me fully.

I took a few deep breaths, exhaling slowly. I wasn’t sure where to begin, so I just opened my mouth and let the words come.

“This isn’t how things were supposed to happen,” I said. “David and I were supposed to get married. We were going to become king and queen. My father would die shortly after, and David would take over the pack. That would give him the influence he needed to win the election easily. And once he was in power, things would get bad. Very bad.”

I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper.

“All of that was supposed to happen. But it didn’t. For one simple reason—I stopped it.”

Alexander was staring at me, his brow knit with confusion. “I don’t understand,” he said slowly. “You had a premonition?”

I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t a premonition. It wasn’t a dream, or a vision, or even advice from a priestess.” I met his gaze, my heart pounding. “I know all of this because I lived it.”

“Ella…” Alexander said hesitantly.

“Just let me tell the whole story,” I interrupted. “After I explain, you can decide if you believe me or not.”

He studied me for a long moment, then gave a small nod. “Okay.” His voice was cautious, uncertain.

I took another deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come.

“This,” I said, “is the story of my second chance.”