Chapter 19

Ella POV

I was able to use the news about my dormant wolf as an excuse to avoid David for a few days, but I knew that it wouldn't be enough to call off the engagement. After all, I didn't have proof that he was the one who leaked the news. I had to make sure that breaking our engagement would not come back against my family, and I had to make sure that David and all of his treachery were exposed to the world.

And so, for the time being, I would have to pretend that I had forgiven him and keep going along with the wedding plans.

David must have been thinking something similar, as he called and invited me to go dress shopping to look at wedding gowns.My mother was going to come along with Amanda to help me pick a flattering dress.

He also kindly offered us his credit card, trying to act like the perfect fiance. I knew that this meant he would expect me to choose something cheap. He would think that I would feel guilty over spending his money because I knew about his financial situation.

However, when Amanda arrived to meet up with us and asked where we were going, I told her the most expensive bridal shop in the capital.

When we actually arrived at the shop, we were all amazed by the beautiful dresses here.

"I think this is a good first stop," I said as we walked into the shop. "And if we can't find something here, then we can try somewhere else."

"I can't imagine you won't find a good dress here," my mother said happily. "They have so many options; they've even got bridesmaids' dresses and suits."

"That's true," I said, looking around the shop. "We should be able to get everything we need here. Would you like to look for a dress, Amanda?" I asked.

She shook her head mutely.

"It's all a bit overwhelming, isn't it?" my mother said, patting her on the back. "To think that the wedding will be so soon, and it's already time to find a dress."

"I can hardly believe it," Amanda said.

It must have been hard for her to be shopping for a wedding dress for someone else to wear as they married her fated mate.

I had called the shop ahead of time and let them know that we were coming, so they already had a selection of dresses for me to try on.

It felt a little bit like a fashion show—putting one dress on, walking out, and standing on a raised platform in front of my mother and Amanda, then spinning and twirling in the dresses for them to get a good look.

Of course, Amanda had something negative to say about each and every one of them. My mother, on the other hand, was only complimentary.

That wasn't very helpful in choosing a dress. I was stepping out in the third dress, a mermaid style that showed off my curves with hand-sewn crystal beading on the bodice and a silk skirt that looked elegant and stylish when I noticed someone else in the shop staring at me.

It was Alexander.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked as I stepped up onto the platform.

My mother and Amanda turned to see who I was talking to, and I saw Amanda’s face turn into an angry scowl as she recognized Alexander.

"Not long," he said. "I'm here picking up a suit, and I was curious to see what kind of dress you might choose."

"It's meant to be a surprise on the wedding day," I said.

"I think that's only for the groom," he replied.

"I think it's meant to be a surprise for most everyone," I said. I turned in the dress and looked at my mother. "I think I like this one the most so far. What do you think?"

"It's beautiful, darling," she said with a proud smile on her face.

"It's a little tight, isn't it?" Amanda commented.

"I think it's just tight enough," Alexander said. "You should buy it."

"I do like it," I said, looking down at the dress and running my hands over the smooth skirt. "It is quite expensive, though."

"That shouldn't be a problem, should it?" Alexander asked.

"Of course not," Amanda snapped.

Alexander raised one eyebrow at her insolence, then turned back to me. "Have fun playing dress-up," he said.

"Have fun with your suit," I replied.

He chuckled slightly, then turned to leave.

I tried on one more dress, but I already knew that I was going with the mermaid dress that Alexander had complimented. I was sure that Amanda would tell David all about it, and it would drive him absolutely crazy to know that I had taken his enemy's advice.

I brought the dress to the counter, and the employee scanned it, and then told us the total. Amanda's eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she heard the amount.

The employee had noticed Amanda's expression and smiled. "You don't need to worry about the price," she explained. "Alpha Alexander has already covered the cost."

"What a strange man," Amanda said. "He's so loose with his money, and whenever I see him, he's casually lounging around. It's a wonder how anything gets done in his pack when he's never working."

Her negative comments about Alexander angered me, but I forced myself not to react.

"That's very kind of Alpha Alexander," I said to the employee, "but I don't feel it would be right to allow another man to pay for my wedding dress."

"That's right," Amanda agreed smugly.

The truth was that Alexander would only be doing David a favor if I allowed him to pay. And so to make David waste a little money, I should make sure that the full cost went on his card. It might be petty, but it was the least I could do to get back at him at this point.

"Amanda," I said, "David told me he sent you with his card. Go ahead and pay the lady."

The smug expression fell off her face as she reluctantly handed the card over.

Once we had paid, we went outside to meet the car that Amanda had arranged to pick us up. We were supposed to go back to David’s territory to have dinner and discuss the wedding plans further.

As we approached the car, the driver said something into the small radio pinned to his jacket. Then, without opening the door for us, he got into the driver’s seat. It was odd, and I looked at Amanda questioningly.

“What?” she asked with a smirk. “Does the princess not know how to open a door?” She opened the door and bowed for us to enter.

My mother looked at her disapprovingly but didn’t comment. Instead, we got into the car.

We were barely settled into the car when he zipped away from the curb. I looked at Amanda in concern, but she hadn’t reacted at all. It was like she expected this odd behavior from the driver.

When we reached the end of the road, the man took a wrong turn. Instead of heading south towards David’s territory, he was driving north.

A sinking feeling came over me as I realized that something was very wrong.

Alexander's POV

I watched as the car carrying Ella went down the road. It didn't take the expected route, which left a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I watched as the car vanished into the distance.

I was probably getting too involved already, and I didn't want to expose my connection to Ella, but I could feel that something was wrong, and I couldn't ignore my instincts.

I turned to my Beta. "August," I said, "follow them."

He looked surprised. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Be discreet," I said, "but follow them and see to it that they get home safely. Something doesn't feel right."

"Yes, Alpha," he said, then hurried to his car and took off in the direction they had gone.

I had a lot of work to do and couldn't wait around to hear from him. I went back to my office in the capital, where I had a meeting scheduled.

It went well, if a little boring, and after I said my farewells to the group I was meeting with, my phone started to ring. I answered the call immediately.

"Something strange is definitely going on," August said, "and the license plate number of the car is one I think you'll recognize."

My blood went cold as I listened to him recite the plate number.

Ella was in danger.