Chapter 198

Ella POV

“After my father died and I took the title of Alpha, I was contacted by the Alpha King of the Northern Kingdom,” Alexander said.

“What?” I blurted out, unable to contain my shock. What possible connection could the King of the Northern Kingdom have to Alexander or his pack? It was absurd... and frankly terrifying.

That look of shame crossed Alexander’s face again, but he shook it off quickly.

“I was at home when a group of three rogues arrived, demanding to speak to me. I tried to kick them out, but they wouldn’t leave. Finally, I decided to hear them out.” He took a deep breath, his eyes darkening. “They told me they were sent by the Alpha King of the North... with a message for me. The message was that he fully expected me to see through his deal with my dad.”

“Oh God,” I whispered.

Alexander nodded, his expression grim. “It turned out that Leonard Black was working for the Northern King. He’d pledged himself to the King and was conspiring to overthrow the Southern Alpha... to unite the kingdoms.”

“I can’t believe it,” I said softly.

“Neither could I,” Alexander admitted, his voice hollow. “I thought they had to be lying. There was no way my dad would do such a thing. I told them that... and that’s when they explained it.” His jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with pain. “They told me... Leonard Black was not my father.”

A million questions spun wildly in my head, but I held them back, waiting for Alexander to reveal the rest of his story. His gaze flicked toward the whiskey bottle, but he turned away from it, fixing his eyes on me instead.

“I’m the son of the Northern Alpha King.”

My heart froze in my chest as his words sank in. Alexander... the son of our kingdom’s rival. The Northern King was the one behind everything David had been up to. The one pulling the strings all along.

How was this even possible?

“I was devastated,” Alexander continued, his voice raw. “I didn’t want to believe it at first... but they had proof. I was an unimportant, unwanted son. The Alpha King gave me to Leonard Black as a tool. I was to be raised to become powerful and influential, and... well, the plan David is part of? It was originally meant for me.” His shoulders sagged under the weight of the confession. “I was supposed to become King of the South... and hand control over to my biological father.”

“You were supposed to...” I echoed slowly, trying to process it all. “So why did they decide to use David for the plan instead?”

“Because I refused,” Alexander said, his jaw tightening. “At first, I played along. I pretended to go along with what they wanted because I wasn’t powerful enough to resist. But I knew I could never support something like that—no matter whose blood runs in my veins. I was raised to protect my pack, to do what was best for them. Letting the Northern King’s rogues take over would destroy everything I cared about. I wasn’t willing to let that happen.”

I wanted to doubt him. I wanted to believe this was some twisted scheme. But when I looked into his eyes, I saw nothing but raw, earnest pain. He needed me to believe him.

“So... what did you do?” I whispered.

“I used the resources the Northern King provided me... to become powerful enough to resist him,” Alexander said, his eyes darkening. “I spent my time with rogues. I learned to be stronger, smarter... more dangerous. I learned to operate in the shadows of that world. And now, no one—not even him—can manipulate me.”

He looked away for a moment, his jaw tight.

“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Are you really that powerful... in the Roguelands?”

“You tell me,” Alexander challenged, his eyes locking onto mine with a fierce intensity. “Would you willingly go up against the Ice King?”

I felt the blood drain from my face. “You... you can’t be the Ice King,” I stammered, but the look on his face told me everything.

The legendary crime lord of the Roguelands. The one rumored to be more powerful than any Alpha... it was Alexander.

“That’s why they were scared of you,” I whispered. “The rogues who kidnapped me... that’s why they backed down the moment they saw you.”

“That’s right,” he confirmed, his voice cold and steady. “They knew me. And they knew exactly what I would do to them if they crossed me.”

The reality of the situation hit me like a wave, and a dizzying sensation swept over me. My chest tightened, my breaths coming in labored gasps. I pressed my hand against my chest, trying to steady myself, but the room seemed to spin around me.

Alexander rushed around the counter that separated us, his movements swift and purposeful. He placed one hand gently on my back, his touch warm and grounding. “Breathe slowly,” he instructed, his voice calm and steady. “Deep and slow.”

Despite the shock crashing through my system, his presence was undeniably comforting. I tried to follow his lead, matching my breaths to his—slow, measured inhales and exhales.

At first, it felt like my chest was going to explode under the pressure of the panic clawing at me, but gradually, the suffocating grip eased. My breathing steadied, and the dizziness began to fade.

“I’m sorry,” Alexander murmured, his voice barely audible. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I couldn’t deny that he had scared me, but it wasn’t his fault. The situation itself was terrifying.

“It’s not you I’m scared of,” I managed, my voice still shaky.

His jaw tightened, his eyes flickering with pain. “I wish I could believe that,” he muttered, almost to himself.

“I’m scared of all of this,” I admitted, my voice breaking. “I’m scared of David, of the Northern King... of what all of this means for us. I kept hoping that someday we could put all of this behind us... but now it feels like that’s never going to happen.”

“Not for me,” Alexander said quietly. “But you’ll be able to move on.” His voice was insistent, as if he were trying to convince himself as much as me. “After all, we agreed... once the election is over, we’ll divorce. You’ll be free to start over somewhere else, somewhere quieter. You’ll find your happiness.”

“I’m happy with you,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

His eyes widened in shock. I wanted to blame my wolf for the words that had escaped my lips, but deep down, I knew they were my own. Alexander made me happy, despite the chaos and danger surrounding us.

I wanted to stay with him—no matter how terrifying this revelation was.

He shook his head, his expression conflicted. “You can’t mean that,” he whispered.

“I know this is a lot to take in,” I said, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “I just... I need some time to process it. But, Alexander, you need to understand... I’m not going anywhere. This doesn’t change how I feel about you. It just means that now I’m aware of the danger, and I can be more cautious.”

He looked at me for a long moment before nodding slowly. “Take some time to think it through,” he said, his voice heavy with resignation. “Really think it through. Once the gravity of it sets in... you’ll understand that I’m right.”

I didn’t argue, but deep down, I knew he was wrong. Nothing about this changed my feelings for him. I was already in too deep, my heart too entangled with his. This revelation was terrifying, yes—but when I looked into his eyes, I still felt that same pull, that same desire for closeness.

Nothing could change that.