Chapter 77
Chapter 77
Nolan POV
I was reluctant to get involved in the race for Alpha King. The timing didn’t seem right for me, considering everything Felicity and I had planned-the divorce, the remarriage. It was going to cause a stir, an unpopular decision at least in the immediate sense.
But when Felicity and I spoke over the phone about the upcoming election, she was full of reassurances.
I wanted Silver Fang to be powerful. I wanted to fulfill all of my parents’ dreams about making this pack something greater than what it had been in their lifetime. And what better way to do that than to make myself the most powerful Alpha in the Kingdom?
The logic was difficult to argue against, and although I still had my reservations, my decision was made: I would run for the throne.
In order to do that, I needed to make sure my alliances were solid and that the pack was strong. The time to make the announcement had to be chosen carefully.
The first step was solidifying this arrangement with Moonstone. The contract was signed, and the celebration had to go off without a hitch. It would be the perfect moment to make the announcement-the press would be there, representatives from most of the packs in the Kingdom would be there. It only made sense.
And yet p>
“You’re overthinking it.” Felicity’s voice came through the speakerphone. “I’m telling you, no one’s going to blame you for divorcing a rogue who can’t even bear your pups p>
“She’s my fated mate,” I replied. “Regardless of whether we’ve produced an heir yet or not, it’s not a good look to divorce her. Especially during a campaign p>
“Everyone in the pack knows that you and I are meant to be together. We’re childhood sweethearts. It’s like a fairy tale story. I’m telling you, that will override any drama caused by the divorce. And anyway, it’s not as though there’s much positive public sentiment toward Ellie p>
That might have been true a few months ago, but now… the way she’d befriended Lance, and how affectionate the Moonstone representatives were toward her-it would be a problem.
“We may need to postpone the divorce until after the election,” I said, keeping my tone carefully neutral in an attempt to avoid angering Felicity.
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Long enough that I wondered if the call had dropped, or if she’d hung up on me.
“I understand your point,” she said finally. “But Nolan, I’ve already waited so long to be with you p>
“And I’m asking you to wait just a little while longer. When you become Luna of this pack, I want it to be the greatest pack in the Kingdom. I want you to be my queen p>
I heard the sharp intake of Felicity’s breath at the word.
“I don’t want to wait any longer… but I trust your judgment,” she replied. “If you really think it’ll help your chances… are you sure it will make a difference, just being married to your fated mate p>
“It will win support with the more religious factions,” I explained. “Having a goddess fated mate will make me look better to them p>
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“You’re probably right. I suppose I’ll just have to trust you p>
“That’s all I ask. Trust me just a little while longer, and I promise you will have everything you’ve ever dreamed of, and more p>
Ellie POV
The blood drained from my face as my heart began to race and my breathing stuttered. I hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but I heard Felicity’s voice come through the speakerphone and froze in the hallway.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was supposed to be free after the celebration tomorrow, and now Nolan was backing out of our deal.
He was going to force me to stay in this marriage until after the election. By then, I’d have the babies. There would be no way to hide them from him.
Even now my belly was starting to grow. I’d been wearing loose, flowing clothes and oversized hoodies to conceal the bump, but in just a matter of weeks it would be impossible. I had to go. I had to get out.
But if he was backing out of the contract… no, no. He was the Alpha. It didn’t matter that he’d be violating it-no lawyer would dare go against him. I was trapped.
I quickly stepped away from his office door, rushing upstairs to my bedroom so no one would see me as I descended into panic. The tears were already stinging my eyes by the time I closed the door behind me, my heart pounding.
Who could I call? Who could help me out of this? I would have to leave in secret. I would have to run away. It was the only option left-but I couldn’t do it alone. Could I call Kieran? Rae? Lance?
I had so many people who’d offered to help, but asking them to hide me from Nolan would be putting them in danger. Could I really make that choice-risk them-for myself?
But it wasn’t just for myself. It was for my babies.
I placed my hands over my stomach, feeling the hard little bump that was beginning
to grow. I had to remind myself: this wasn’t just about me. It was about keeping
them safe, making sure they grew up happy.
I sank heavily onto the bed and pulled out my phone, dialing Lance. The sound of
the ringing seemed impossibly loud. When he finally picked up, I could already hear the worry in his voice.
“Hey, Ellie-everything all right p>
“No.” My voice shook. “Everything’s not all right. I just overheard Nolan talking to Felicity. He wants to back ot of our deal. He wants to force me to stay in this marriage until after the election p>
“That son of a bitch,” Lance growled. “I’m not going to let that happen p>
“I don’t know what to do. I can’t stay here. I can’t hide the pregnancy for much longer. I have to run away, Lance. I
have to p>
“I know. I understand.” His voice softened. “I’m on my way over. Stay in your room-
we’re going to figure this out. I promise p>
“Thank you… thank you,” I whispered through my tears.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” he said before the line went dead.
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I stared at the phone screen for a moment, then quickly sent a text to Ray.
SOS
Her reply was almost instant: Do you need me there in person?
Yes.
That was all it took. I knew she was coming. I didn’t even need to explain further.
The temptation to call Kieran was real, but I stopped myself. I shouldn’t take such a drastic step until I’d spoken with Lance.
Kieran had seemed genuine when he offered to help me, but his rivalry with Nolan was always there in the background. He wouldn’t do it out of kindness alone, and I was afraid of what he might want in return.
For now, the best option was to wait for Ray and Lance to help me think this through.
I was too scared, too emotional to make a decision on my own. And I silently thanked the Goddess, or whatever being was watching over me, that I had people I could turn to, people I could trust to have my best interests at heart.
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Chapter 76
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