Rafaela
I pulled the shawl around my shoulders as I stared out over the palace grounds and beyond the massive wall that separated the ArcKnight stronghold from the rest of the city of Temple. It was obscene in size, but necessary to keep us safe. My home was acres wide and took up most of the northern side of the city. The tower I stood in was the tallest point of the palace, and I could see beyond the wall, past the city to where the wall of the MarkTier stronghold began. It ran for miles in both directions, a perfect reflection to ours, and just as intimidating.
Between walls lay the enormous city that could rival the world’s largest. It never failed to amaze me how this vast city held so much power within its boundaries. Beyond the wall, in the Outlands, my sister roamed. I could feel her longing inside, troubling my spirit along with Gil’s betrayal.
Sometimes I thought it might be better on that side of the wall. Lawless, ungoverned but free. Dangerous, chaotic, but never suppressed. As the Alpha’s mate, I was bound to so many rules, customs and laws, it was impossible to understand where I stood in the hierarchy of it all.
Women were considered equal and could rule as Alphas too. It didn’t matter if this situation had been reversed and I had requested a second mate. I probably would’ve been granted one if my mate tested with low fertility. But I would’ve never asked for such a thing. To have done that to me was unforgivable. If Gil did find another mate, it would send a crack down the center of my heart.
Never hold on too tight. Never love more than you are loved. I’d forgotten the things I had told myself and learned from watching others’ hearts break.
How naïve I had been to think I’d be immune to such devastation.
“You called me, m’lady?” Alec’s voice echoed behind me, but I didn’t turn from the scenery.
“Yes. Thanks for coming. I need to ask you something.” I ripped my gaze from the city and turned toward Alec. His dark eyes were fixed on me as he patiently waited. His dark hair had grown some, and I wondered if he was letting it grow longer. Some soldiers kept it long and pulled back at the nape. It was a personal choice. I’d never seen him with longer hair, and it made me realize how little I knew about his personal life.
“Please, sit.” I waved toward a pair of chairs nearby. A tray set with tea and finger sandwiches was waiting on a table where I’d had the servants place it earlier. I rarely sat in my rooms alone with Alec. Most of the time we were in the conference room, and it was always about business.
I was tired of business. I needed to know more about Gil and try to set in motion a plan to change things. Who better to help me than Gil’s right-hand man? I felt guilty asking Alec to help me, but he was the only person I trusted enough to ask the unthinkable questions. He knew more about the workings of the ArcKnight stronghold than Gil did, and if there was a chink in anyone’s armor, Alec was the person to ask about it.
“We never speak informally, in your chambers,” Alec observed as I poured us both some tea and offered him the sandwiches. The curiosity in his face lifted my spirits. It was comforting to know he was interested in what I had to say. It was rare to find that in a man, especially in a pack hierarchy, even when women were considered equal. There were always those opposed to the modernized ways of running things.
“I know. I think it’s refreshing. Don’t you?” I smiled.
He tipped his head in a nod but didn’t touch the tea or sandwiches. “What’s bothering you, Ella?”
“Have you ever heard of an Alpha being stripped of their title?” I leaned back, ready to hear his opinion on the subject.
Moments passed as he studied me. He didn’t look surprised but was eyeing me for information. I didn’t give him any. Instead, I took the same amount of time to avoid his gaze. I knew if there was someone I couldn’t bullshit, it would be him. He knew me better than my own husband did, and I wouldn’t be able to hide any of my intentions once I looked up. I needed his honest outlook on things, but more than anything, I needed him on my side first.
“Yes.”
My eyes snapped up to meet his and found them twinkling with the excitement contained within.
“And? How was it done?”
He hesitated, not because he was afraid to tell me what he knew, but because he was a cautious man, and each moment told him more about my plans than any words ever could.
“First of all, this isn’t ever to be taken lightly. Second, it’s only been done once before.”
“In the ArcKnight pack?”
He nodded. “I need to know something first, Ella, before I tell you how to do it. I need you to be perfectly honest.”
How easily he made me wait to hear what I wanted to know.
“Of course. What is it?”
“If you decide to do this, there’s no going back. Severing the ties of an Alpha to his pack will be detrimental to all involved. The Alpha is basically demoted to nothing and is left shattered. It’s an unforgivable action, and it leaves the house divided, no matter how delicately it is treated. I need to know that you’re willing to risk it all; your life, your heart, your husband….”
He lowered his eyes to the ground when he said the last part, and I wondered what more he wanted to say.
“And you’ll have to pick a new mate before you even start. Someone who will challenge Gil for you and win.” Now he was looking at me with an intensity I could feel penetrating my soul. It took my breath away.
I let the words percolate in my head for minutes, looking away as I finally exhaled the breath I was holding. I was elated that he was already on my side by willingly offering concern about what I wanted to accomplish. Anyone else would have arrested me for treason, but Alec wasn’t that kind of person, and I was counting on it.
“I understand.” I finally answered.
His breath filled the space between us as he collected his thoughts. I’d never seen Alec nervous, but this was the closest I’d ever gotten to see him fidget. It was amusing, and I wanted to see more of this vulnerable side of him. He, who was so composed and sure of himself, was nervous when it came to speaking about overthrowing his leader and me finding a new mate.
I wondered if he knew who I would pick.
“All right. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s quite possible for you to challenge him for the Alpha position and win. You’ve got the advantage of the popular vote, especially after Gil publically humiliated you.” He paused, checking to see if he’d offended me before continuing. “You definitely have the sympathetic female vote and a ton of people are on your side. You’re their favorite, that much is definite.”
He was back in business mode, and I already missed the vulnerable side. I wanted to see it again. I knew the only way to get it was to surprise him and jolt him out of his comfort zone once more.
“I want you to be my mate.” I waited calmly after I spoke. His lips parted as he swallowed the upcoming words and peered back at me. Speechless, I prayed he would say something soon. Even though I’d wanted to shock him, the silence was nerve wracking.
“I—I, um….” He stumbled on his words. I had caught him completely off guard. Good.
“It’s all or nothing. Are you with me?” I asked softly, closing my eyes. If he rejected my proposal, I didn’t know what I was going to do. He was the only one I had ever considered for the position, and there really was no one else I wanted for a mate. My heart felt like it was going to burst in those eternal moments as it seized in my chest and the air seemed to grow thin. I swore my lungs threatened to shrivel down to nothing.
He couldn’t say no, could he? Had I ever doubted his feelings for me before? Never had I thought of it more than I did now, and the possibility that he could reject our future together after all we’d been through would be worse than Gil’s betrayal. How had it come to this point? How had I married the wrong man and believed with all my soul in the worst choice of mates? I could’ve ended it long ago, even with a betrothal in place. We were free to marry who we wanted if the match wasn’t
well paired. I could have done it years ago when I first realized Alec had feelings for me. But I would have never been a royal. Instead, marrying Alec would have made me just a noblewoman.
But I hadn’t, and there I was, with my heart in my hand and ready to take the fall. Now we could challenge Gil for the throne and rule together.
I squeezed my eyes shut. His silence was maddening.
Warm lips pressed to mine, interrupting my thoughts, and the rustle of Alec’s movements as he took me into his arms finally gave way to a rush of breath. The way he kissed me made the world tilt on its axis, and I’d never felt such exhilaration. I kissed him back with every cell of my being, and I never wanted him to let me go.
He was the first to pull away and gaze into my eyes.
“I’ll be your champion. My answer is yes. It was always you, Ella. Always. I never thought I’d be able to tell you, but it’s always been all or nothing for you.”
Chapter Twenty-Six