Chapter 234

Ella POV

It took a while for August to calm down enough to leave. He wouldn’t give me any more information than he already had, but it did seem like he felt a little better now that he wasn’t the only one aware of the gravity of the situation.

I was still standing in the doorway where I had spoken to him before he left. I had been frozen here for several minutes, trying to decide what to do next.

I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps echoing down the hallway. My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t ready to face Alexander yet. I was so angry to learn that he was keeping secrets from me again.

I had been incredibly understanding with him. What could he possibly have left to hide? What else could there be that he didn’t think I would understand?

Then a loud knock sounded on the door. I jumped.

It wasn’t Alexander then, so who was it? I looked through the peep hole and cursed softly to myself. Diana.

The tension in the air thickened as her presence pressed against the door. I stepped forward, my hand gripping the doorknob, ready to face her head-on, though I knew it wouldn’t be easy.

“Ella,” Diana’s voice cut through the quiet, smooth and cold. “We need to talk.”

I didn’t open the door. I wasn’t going to let her in, not after everything. Not after the way she’d tried to tear Alexander and me apart before. I braced myself against it.

“Diana, I’m not interested in whatever you have to say. Leave now.” I kept my voice firm, but something in my chest was tightening. My wolf stirred, a low growl rumbling beneath my skin.

I couldn’t help it. Diana always brought out the worst in both of us.

There was a pause. A long, suffocating silence before I heard it—the door handle turning.

“You can’t keep him, Ella. You’re not strong enough to hold him. You never were,” Diana’s voice was smooth, like poison slipping into my veins.

“Leave,” I repeated, my voice low and steady.

She didn’t listen. In an instant, the door was shoved open with force, and she stepped inside.

My wolf snarled at the intrusion, pushing against my skin as Diana crossed the threshold. There was no warmth in her eyes. Just cold, calculated hatred.

I took a step back, instinctively placing myself between her and the living room, but my body was tense, ready to defend. My wolf bristled under my skin.

I was already calculating my next move. Diana wasn’t someone I could afford to let go unchecked.

“You think you can take everything from me?” Diana’s voice was low, dangerous. “You think you’ve won, Ella? I’m giving you one last chance. Leave Alexander. Leave now. If you don’t, someone will get hurt. Maybe Alexander, maybe his bastard daughter, who’s to say?”

I took a deep breath, trying to keep control. Diana had always been cruel, but the way she spoke now—so cold, so confident—made my blood run cold.

I could feel my wolf clawing at my insides, wanting out. Wanting to tear Diana apart. My breath caught in my throat, and I stepped forward. The air between us thickened with tension as I closed the gap.

She was taller than I remembered, but her posture shifted. She faltered as my presence loomed over her, and I could see the faintest glint of fear in her eyes. It was a victory of sorts, but it didn’t feel like one.

I growled, the sound coming out low and threatening, unnatural, even to me. The room felt smaller as I crowded her against the wall, pushing her into it with a force I hadn’t meant to use.

“Don’t you ever threaten my family again,” I hissed, my voice cold and edged with the danger that lurked within me. “If you do, I will make sure you never harm another soul.”

She trembled—barely noticeable, but I could feel it, see the way her body stiffened. Diana wasn’t one to show fear, but it was there now. Her eyes widened, though she tried to hide it behind a mask of defiance.

She opened her mouth to speak, but her words faltered as she seemed to reconsider. Her hands clenched into fists by her sides. The usual mask of control was slipping.

“I don’t need to tell you again, Ella,” she finally spat, her voice shaky despite her efforts. “You will regret disrespecting me. You’re playing a dangerous game.”

I watched her retreat, her eyes locked on mine in a silent challenge before she turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

I stood there for a long moment, my body still coiled with tension, the presence of my wolf only barely under control.

Taking a slow, steady breath, I pulled out my phone and dialed Alexander’s number. The sound of it ringing felt like an eternity.

When he picked up, his voice was strained. “Ella? What’s wrong?”

I swallowed hard. “Diana was here.” My voice shook just slightly as I spoke. “She threatened Lexie.”

He cursed under his breath. “Are you okay?”

I hesitated. Was I okay? Physically, yes. Mentally, I wasn’t sure. “I think… I think I frightened her.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and I could hear the muffled sound of something shifting, maybe papers or him standing. “You frightened her?” he repeated, and I could hear the concern in his voice.

“I think I did,” I said quietly, my throat tight. “I didn’t mean to, but… I couldn’t stand her threatening us again.”

“Ella...” He was quiet for a long moment before I heard him mutter something I couldn’t catch, the only word standing out clearly: “Puzzle.”

A chill went down my spine, but I didn’t have time to think about it further. My mind was already racing with what Diana had said. What was she planning?

Alexander POV

Once she was calm, I ended the call with Ella, my mind swirling with more questions than answers.

Diana had threatened her. That much was clear. But what was she thinking when she threatened Lexie? And what did it mean for us?

I called Michael’s number, but it rang out. Something in the pit of my stomach twisted. I hadn’t heard from him in days, and that wasn’t like him.

My thoughts immediately turned to worry, then frustration.

I hadn’t let myself realize how distracted I’d become. It had all been about Lexie, about keeping things together with Ella, and keeping up the appearances for the sake of the election.

I hadn’t checked in on Michael in far too long.

When the call went unanswered again, I immediately contacted my people back in the packlands.

“Find Michael. Tell him to come to the capital right away. He’s needed here.”

I let out a breath, trying to keep my mind clear, but the questions kept swirling. Diana. Michael.

What the hell was going on?

I had always believed that Diana was just a bitter woman, full of rage and hatred for me. But now, with the threats hanging in the air, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d underestimated her.

She was dangerous. She had always been dangerous, but now, her moves were more calculated. Her words sharper. I’d allowed it to go on for too long, thinking I could keep everything under control.

But could I? Would I?

I ran my hand through my hair, the frustration building as I tried to hold everything together.

Diana wasn’t just a threat to me anymore—she was a threat to everything I cared about. Ella. Lexie. Michael. The pack.

It was time to fix this once and for all.