Chapter 210

Ella POV

I woke up with my head pressed against Alexander’s chest, his arms wrapped securely around me. The warmth of his embrace should have been comforting, but it did nothing to calm the chaos of my waking.

Both our phones were ringing, and someone was pounding on the apartment door.

Alexander pressed a quick kiss to the top of my head before gracefully pulling away. I watched as he grabbed a pair of pants from the bedroom floor, pulling them on as he rushed out to answer the door.

I reached blindly for my phone on the nightstand, answering without checking the caller ID.

“Oh my God, Ella,” Elizabeth’s panicked voice burst through the line. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know how—”

From the living room, Alexander’s furious voice boomed, “What?!”

Alarm jolted through me. I scrambled out of bed, yanking on my bathrobe and tying it tightly as I hurried toward the commotion.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” I demanded into the phone.

“They released him—my father, he—”

“How could this happen?!” Alexander’s voice thundered.

I stepped into the living room to find August standing ashen-faced, while Alexander paced like a caged predator, his entire body coiled with restrained fury.

A knot of dread twisted in my stomach.

“What?” I choked out. “Your father did what?”

“Archer’s been released from custody,” Elizabeth said.

“What?!” I shouted. “Why?”

“There wasn’t enough evidence to hold him.”

“Amanda came forward last night,” August interjected, drawing my attention to him. His voice was tight, controlled, but I could see the rage simmering beneath the surface. “I don’t know what she told the king to convince him, but Archer arrived home early this morning.”

A wave of helplessness crashed over me. “How is this happening?”

“I’m so sorry,” Elizabeth whispered, her voice trembling. “I’m so, so sorry.”

I turned to Alexander, only to find his eyes burning with something dangerously close to madness. He took a sharp breath, visibly forcing himself to remain in control, but I could see it—the battle raging beneath his skin.

I thought of what he had once told me about the wolf’s instincts becoming his own. Right now, his wolf wanted violence, and Alexander was doing everything in his power to hold it back.

I stepped closer to him. “What do we do?”

He exhaled harshly, his jaw clenching as he cast a glance at August. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “This never should have happened.”

Turning back to the phone, I gripped it tighter. “Elizabeth, is anyone advising your father? He’s making decisions that seem—”

“Reckless,” Alexander finished, his voice laced with fury.

Elizabeth hesitated. “I don’t know,” she said finally. “I’ve been out with Damien, preparing for our engagement announcement. I don’t know what’s been happening at home, but… something is wrong.”

“You have to find out for us,” I said, keeping my voice as calm as possible. “This doesn’t seem right. Someone must be influencing your father.”

“Manipulating him,” Alexander corrected. “Let’s stop beating around the bush and be honest here.”

He gave me a pointed look, and I hesitated before putting the call on speaker so Elizabeth could hear him clearly.

“Alexander and August are here,” I said. “I’ve got you on speaker.”

“Okay,” Elizabeth replied hesitantly, her voice tight with emotion.

“I know this is difficult for you to hear,” Alexander said, his voice carrying that deep, dangerous edge that always reminded me of his other side. “But Ella’s life is at risk. Someone is trying to kill her.”

“So the accident last night—”

“Wasn’t an accident,” Alexander interrupted. “I know you’re smart, Elizabeth. I know you understand what’s happening better than most. And Ella isn’t the only one in danger. If these people aren’t stopped, more lives will be at risk.”

Silence stretched across the line before Elizabeth finally spoke. “I know… but I don’t know what to do.”

“Talk to your father,” I pleaded. “Ask him. Ask the servants if anyone new has been frequenting the house, if he’s been meeting with anyone. Someone is swaying his decisions.”

Elizabeth hesitated before responding. “Okay. I’ll do what I can.”

“Thank you,” I said, hoping she could hear the sincerity in my voice. “I’m depending on you.”

“I won’t let you down.”

The call disconnected, and a heavy silence settled over the room.

“This has gotten far too messy,” August muttered, pulling our attention back to him. “Too many loose ends.”

“Then it’s time we start cutting them,” Alexander growled.

My heart leapt at his words—and at the promise of violence they carried. But instead of fear, I felt something else entirely.

Relief. He was right. I had come back to stop this, to protect our people. And if that meant certain individuals needed to be taken care of… then maybe I was more of a match for the Ice King than I had ever realized.

“That’s right,” I said firmly. “If the king won’t deal with Archer, then we will. The same goes for Amanda.”

August studied me for a long moment, his sharp gaze searching as if trying to solve a puzzle. Then he turned to Alexander. “What are your orders?”

“Watch him. Find out who he’s been in contact with. He didn’t arrange this alone—Amanda isn’t clever enough to pull this off by herself.”

August nodded. “Understood. I’ll let you know as soon as I have more information.”

His eyes flicked to me briefly before he turned and left the apartment.

The moment we were alone, Alexander pulled me into his arms.

His arms around me were just a little too tight—his embrace possessive—but I took comfort in it, returning the strength of his hold with my own, my fingers gripping his back.

Alexander and I never would have found each other if I hadn’t been given a second chance, and I wasn’t going to lose him now. I wouldn’t let anyone take me away from him.

“I love you,” he whispered, his lips brushing the top of my head.

“I love you too,” I murmured.

“This is going to be dangerous. People are going to die,” he said, his voice low, filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite place.

I tightened my grip. “I know. But as long as it’s the right people, I don’t care.”

He pulled back slightly, his gaze searching my face before a smirk tugged at his lips.

“My pretty little puzzle,” he murmured. “I never would have thought you had a side like this.”

“And I never would have had it,” I answered, “if Amanda hadn’t murdered me.”

The light in Alexander’s bright eyes darkened, a flash of rage surfacing—one I had only seen a few times before.

“She’ll pay for that,” he said, his voice steel. “She’ll pay for every attempt she’s made against you.”

“We have to be careful,” I warned. “Our emotions will make us reckless.”

That was the reason I had denied my feelings for Alexander for so long—we couldn’t afford mistakes. There was far too much at stake.

I saw the conflict in his eyes, the war between reason and fury. He knew I was right, but he had been pushed to a breaking point where logic no longer came easily.

My wolf whined at the distress in my mate, an instinctive response to his turmoil. I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck, and pulled him into a kiss.

He returned the pressure with a passion that sent warmth spiraling through me.

I couldn’t take his anger away. But for now, I could distract him—give him a moment to breathe, to find control again. And remind him that I was still here. That we were still together.

And that we would fight to make sure that never changed.