Chapter 57

Nathan’s POV

The council hall felt cold and heavy with pressure. All the Alphas who had been mated last night were here, watching me closely, hoping to spot any weakness in the future Alpha King. I stood in the center, exactly where

Marcus told me to stand.

Stella stood quietly at my side. Her hand rested on my arm, a gentle touch that somehow felt like a burning

shackle against my skin.

“ WRONG! ” Asher, my wolf, snarled fiercely. He was pacing in the dark corners of my mind, his fur bristling with pure, unadulterated rage. “ GET HER OFF US! ”

I tried to ignore him, but my blood ran cold.

“ Begin, ” my father commanded from the high dais.

I tried to speak, but suddenly it felt impossible to breathe. My mind went blank. Stella’s fingers pressed hard into my skin, and a strange force pulled me upright, making me feel like I was being controlled.

“ We will proceed with the ceremony, ” I said.

My voice sounded smooth and formal, but it didn’t feel like mine. I was trapped in my own body, saying words I didn’t mean, while my true mate was somewhere out there, hurt by what I’d done.

From the corner of the room, I felt Liam’s intense gaze drilling into me. He knew this wasn’t me.

“ The delay was … unfortunate, ” I went on, the words feeling bitter in my mouth. “ But necessary. ”

Stella leaned in, her lips close to my ear.

“ Focus, Nathan, ” she whispered, her words sinking into my mind. “ The crown is almost yours. ”

My jaw tightened as I felt the strange force inside me. “ The pack remains strong, ” I said, my voice echoing in the hall. “ And united. ”

I felt empty, like I wasn’t really there. It was as if someone else was speaking through me.

“ SHE IS NOT THE ONE! ” Asher roared, a deafening sound so violent it threatened to shatter my skull.

Then, the heavy oak doors creaked open.

The air changed suddenly. A strong scent hit me, breaking through the heavy fog of Stella’s control.

Sweet strawberries. Summer rain. Home.

5mily.

Something inside me broke. Marcus appeared in front of me and pushed Emily’s jacket under my nose. The council room, the Alphas, and the ceremony faded away. All that mattered was her scent. Only her.

9:46 am

“ MY MATE! ” Asher let out a deafening, soul – shattering howl.

My body finally responded. I stumbled away from Stella, and with each step, my mind became clearer.

But Stella refused to let go. Her grip on my arm tightened painfully. A sharp pain shot through me, and it felt like

couldn’t breathe.

I gasped, my heart hammering violently against my ribs as I tried to force another agonizing step toward the

scent of my mate.

The strange force grew stronger, pulling me back. Stella stepped closer, her voice turning cold and frightening.

“ Stay, ” she commanded.

My vision faded. Her voice sounded deep and strange, filled with a command I couldn’t resist. What kind of magic

was she using on me?

Marcus didn’t move to help. He just stood there, watching my brutal struggle with calculating eyes.

“ FIGHT IT, NATHAN! ” Asher screamed, his mental voice breaking with desperation.

I tried as hard as I could. My muscles shook with the effort, and my claws dug into my palms until I started to › leed. But I couldn’t control my own body anymore.

The magic forced me to turn away from my mate’s scent, my movements stiff and unnatural.

I turned back to the council, back to the lie I was living.

“ We continue, ” I said, forcing the words out. It felt like I was sentencing myself.

But right at that exact moment, Marcus forcefully slammed Emily’s jacket into my face again, completely burying ny nose in her sweet strawberry scent.

“ Don’t take the jacket off your face! ” Marcus barked loudly, using his strength to shove me backward, away from

he altar.

Liam lunged forward, grabbing me and dragging me far enough across the room to completely break Stella’s roximity. Once we were a safe distance away, Marcus finally pulled the jacket from my nose.

The scent of strawberries stayed with me, bringing warmth and comfort. The dark fog was gone.

I spun around, my vision sharp, and hissed at the woman who had enslaved me.

“ You, ” I breathed, my voice dangerously quiet. “ What did you do to me? ”

“ I have no idea what you are talking about, Nathan, ” Stella said smoothly. There wasn’t a single shred of regret or ear in her eyes. She was still trying to play the innocent victim.

“ Get out of my sight, ” I commanded, my Alpha aura flaring.

Stella tried to stay calm and stepped toward me, wanting to explain herself. When she reached out, I stepped

9:46 am

WWW

back quickly, disgusted by the idea of her touching me.

“ Take them off, Immediately, ” I ordered, pointing straight at the heavy gold bracelets on her wrists. The damn things were reeking of that suffocating smell.

She opened her eyes wide, pretending to be utterly confused.

“ Rip those bracelets off her! ” I roared to the guards standing by the walls.

“ I’ll do it myself! ” Stella panicked, her face cracking as she quickly began to yank the jewelry off her wrists. ‘ Here, ” she spat, shoving the bracelets into the hands of one of the guards.

“ We are going to talk about this later, ” I growled at her, my claws itching to tear her apart. “ For now, get the hell out of my sight before I lose control and kill you myself. ”

Humiliated and defeated, Stella turned and rushed out of the council hall in tears.

The room was silent. I stood with my back to the visiting Alphas, staring at the closed doors and trying to catch my breath.

“ Is it bad? ” I asked Marcus quietly, tilting my head.

Marcus stepped up beside me, leaning in close so only I could hear.

“ Yeah, ” he whispered grimly. “ The whole council just saw you break. ”

“ They saw everything, Nat, ” Liam muttered from my other side.

* ck.

“ I need air, ” I muttered, feeling trapped by the council hall. I had to find Emily and ask for her forgiveness. “ Liam,

handle the council. Fix this mess. ”

“ But I- ” Liam started, but I was already gone. I didn’t care about politics anymore. I didn’t care about the crown.

I stormed out into the grand hallway, my heart racing. As I walked past the patrolling guards, my eyes locked

onto a familiar face. Owen.

୮

“ What the hell is he doing here? ” I demanded, turning a fierce glare on Marcus, who had followed me out.

“ He’s waiting for you to thank him, ” Marcus replied calmly. “ I made him stay just for this. ”

I stared at Marcus, confusion and lingering rage clouding my judgment. “ Why the hell should I thank him? ” I spat,

burning Owen with a lethal look.

“ Because he just saved you from a lifetime of misery, ” Marcus explained, crossing his arms. “ He’s the one who brought Emily’s jacket. His scent tracker is the only reason you broke her spell. ”

Owen shifted uncomfortably under my gaze, clearly not wanting to be a part of this family drama.

“ You’re welcome, ” he said flatly.

My heart leaped into my throat.

“ Where is Emily? ” I demanded, looking around the empty corridor. “ Why isn’t she here with you? ”

Marcus sighed. “ I wanted to protect her from another breaking blow, Nathan. You’ve already destroyed her once. I told her to sit tight at home, where she’s safe and has no idea what’s happening. ”

“ Well, actually, that’s not exactly true, ” Owen mumbled from the side, nervously shifting his weight from one foot

to the other.

My head snapped toward him.

“ What do you mean by that? ” I growled, a horrible feeling twisting my stomach. “ Where is she, Owen? ”

Owen shut his mouth tight, stubbornly refusing to answer.

The last of my patience snapped. I unleashed the full, suffocating weight of my Alpha aura, crashing it directly over the young wolf.

“ Where is Emily, you little shit? ” I roared.

Owen buckled under the immense pressure, his knees trembling as the sheer force of my command squeezed the

truth out of him.

“ She’s at the pack border, ” he choked out painfully. “ She’s leaving. She’s running away. ”

I felt my heart sink.

She was escaping. Escaping from me.

“ Then pray to the Moon Goddess I get there first, ” I growled, spinning on my heel and shifting into a dead run

Coward the border.

If she crossed that line, I would lose her forever.

Next Chapter

Chapter 58

B

Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.