Chapter 203

Ella’s POV

“How much of that did you hear?”

The words blurted out of me sharper than they should have, but I couldn’t help myself. As if tonight couldn’t have gotten any worse, Anya—the sweet girl who never should have been wrapped up in any of this to begin with—had just potentially overheard everything.

She drew her brows together and turned to me. “I heard enough,” she said in a soft voice, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind her. “I heard you say something about not being able to get too close, and people getting hurt if they ask too many questions.”

Alexander and I exchanged glances that were equal parts fearful and relieved. At least she hadn’t heard anything too damning, nothing that could potentially sentence her to a similar fate, but she had heard too much to brush off.

“It’s your call,” Alexander said quietly.

I swallowed hard, internally debating how much to say. Anya was so sweet and innocent, so kind and strong… How could I bring myself to lie to her? But how could I bring myself to put her at risk, either?

Finally, with Anya staring at me expectantly, I decided on a half-truth.

“Sit down,” I said, gesturing to one of the armchairs beside the fireplace. Anya perched on the edge of one, wringing her hands nervously in her lap. I sat on the one beside her, equally as nervous.

“Anya, there’s… There’s something I need to tell you,” I began after a moment’s hesitation. “But there’s also so much that I can’t tell you. Trust me, I want to, but I literally can’t.”

Anya looked confused. “I’m not following…”

I sighed. “I’m… Not who I say I am,” I admitted. “But if I tell you the truth, you could be in danger. In grave danger. Until I can resolve everything, I just can’t put you at risk like that.”

“So you’re a spy or something?”

For the second time that night, I wanted to laugh. I almost did. But the circumstances were far too dire to find any of the irony of it all funny.

“Not quite,” I said. “It’s complicated. In time, hopefully, I’ll be able to tell you. But there’s something that Alexander and I need to handle first. Until that’s done, it’s too dangerous for anyone to know the specifics.”

She was quiet for a long time, eyes scanning the carpet in front of her. Finally, she said in a small voice, “So are you two in love?”

My heart clenched at the question. It was so innocent, and I knew I couldn’t lie to her. I glanced at Alexander, and he nodded, giving me the choice once more.

“Yes.”

To my relief, Anya didn’t look sad or hurt. She just looked up at us both and said, “Well, if you’re in love, I won’t stand in your way. I knew you were already, but I’m glad you’re being honest about it now.”

“I’m glad, too.” Alexander stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. The warmth of his touch was so much more comforting than anything in these past few months, but it was also painful. Painful because, if we didn’t find those artifacts soon, he might never be able to touch me again.

“But I have to ask,” Anya said, straightening and looking at Alexander, “about the marriage. Is the contract null and void, or…?”

My heart clenched again. “That’s up to you,” Alexander responded softly. “I want to give you the choice, Anya. You won the Luna Trial fair and square. I made a promise to you. If you want to go through with the marriage, then I won’t jeopardize it.”

The thought of Alexander marrying Anya anyway made my heart ache, but I was glad to hear him say those words. The choice really should be up to Anya, who had worked so hard for what she had.

But Anya shook her head.

“No offense, but I don’t want to marry someone who loves another woman. Even if I’m not interested in romance, I’m not the type to stand in the way of true love, and I really don’t want the scandal. Maybe it’s better this way. It was really thanks to you that I won the Luna Trial anyway, Stella.”

Without meaning to, I let out a sigh of relief. I noticed Alexander’s shoulders loosen, too.

“But,” Anya went on, straightening again, “I made a promise to my family. As compensation for… all of this, I hope you can give us compensation.”

“Of course.” Alexander nodded. “Your family will be well cared for, Anya. I’ll put them up in the Alpha House until they find a new home, and of course, all expenses will be paid.”

Anya’s brows shot up. “Including the new home?”

“Including the new home. Along with a monthly stipend to cover all living expenses. And you needn’t worry about medical bills.”

She looked relieved at that, and sighed, slumping back into her chair with a grin. “That’s all I could ever ask for. Thank you.”

“No. Thank you for understanding,” I said, moving over to her. I took her hands in mine and knelt in front of her chair. “Anya, you have no idea how much this means to me. To us. And once we can, we’ll tell you everything.”

I wanted to say if we could, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud. Not now. Not when there was a little sliver of hope amongst all the darkness.

Anya smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, although her nose wrinkled at my current state. “You smell like a basement,” she said, to which I finally laughed. “I’m assuming that has something to do with your big secret.”

“It does,” Alexander admitted with a smirk of his own.

“But what about you two?” Anya asked then, glancing between us. “I heard you mention not being able to get too close—do you have to hide your love until it’s safe?”

“Unfortunately,” Alexander replied quietly, his smile fading. But when he looked at me again, his gaze was tender.

His eyes flicked to my neck where the mate mark had once resided, but was now smooth skin. Our bond may have still remained in part, but not in full with this new body. Not until he marked me again.

“But afterwards, I want to marry Stella,” he went on. “And I want to mark her. And explain everything to the whole world.”

Tears pricked my eyes. Anya’s grip tightened around my hands.

“Then let’s continue with the public wedding preparations,” she said firmly. “It will keep people from asking questions, and you can plan your wedding in the meantime, so you can pronounce your love as soon as possible.”

I turned to her with my breath lodged in my throat. “You’d do that?” I whispered.

Anya nodded, beaming in that way that I had come to love so much. “Of course.” She reached out, then, for Alexander’s hand. He took her hand, and she pulled him toward me, joining our hands together and releasing us.

“And I’ll make you the most beautiful wedding dress the world has ever seen,” she said.