Roman was slipping right through her fingers. Elsie had known it the moment he walked out of her room without looking back.
The Roman of the past wouldn’t have left her like that. No, he would have stayed behind, wrapped himself around her, and comforted her until she felt better.
But look at him now.
Perhaps she was reading too much into it. But her womanly instincts — that has never failed her — was tingling, especially with Violet Purple around. That filthy rogue still loomed in the picture like an unsightly stain she couldn’t scrub off.
It had been thrilling at first, knowing that Asher, the untamable one, the most ruthless of them all, had no choice but to attempt to court her. Until Violet swooped in, robbing her of that last shred of satisfaction
Elsie clenched her jaw. She had to act quickly. Asher be damned. Violet was a rogue, and rogues would be treated the way rogues should be.
Just then, Elsie’s phone rang from where it lay on the sofa, cutting through her brooding silence. She would have ignored it if not for the fact that this particular ringtone was assigned to only one person.
Her mother.
All at once, Elsie straightened, raking her fingers through her hair, ensuring she looked flawless. Her mother hated imperfections.
She walked over to her desk, adjusted the angle of her laptop, and within moments, the screen lit up with a familiar face staring back at her.
The woman in the video call looked so much like Elsie, they could have been sisters rather than mother and daughter.
Same golden-blonde hair. Same piercing blue eyes. But while Elsie’s beauty was softer, almost innocent, Caroline’s was effortless and sharper. There was an ageless quality about her that made her seem untouched by time, her expression poised in a way that only years of practice could perfect.
"Mother," Elsie greeted, her voice measured.
Caroline’s lips curved into a warm, fully mastered smile. "How’s my little Alpha queen doing today?"
Elsie barely refrained from rolling her eyes. Instead, she gave her mother a rueful look.
"You know I’m no Alpha queen. That word is treasonous, especially while Luna Beatrice still in power."
"Semantics," Caroline dismissed with a wave of her manicured hand. "You will be, soon enough. Not just to one, but to four Alphas."
Elsie’s stomach twisted.
"You will unite the realm," Caroline continued, her voice filled with conviction, "and usher us into a new reign."
Elsie groaned, rubbing her temples. "You still believe that prophecy?"
But Caroline’s expression didn’t waver.
"Alice is a renowned seer. When I asked about your fate, she told me that the one chosen by the Alpha King would unite the packs. And glory be to the gods, you are the one he chose."
She smiled knowingly. "Why do you think I’ve been so insistent on you keeping a hold on the boys?"
"Mom, the Alpha King said one heir. How can there be four heirs?" Elsie asked, even though she already knew what her mother’s answer would be.
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