(Olivia's POV)
The words echoed in my mind like a death sentence. "Severing our mate bond soon."
I stood frozen in our bedroom doorway, watching Alexander disappear down the hallway. His footsteps faded until only silence remained. The emptiness felt suffocating.
My legs gave out beneath me. I collapsed onto the cold marble floor, my body shaking uncontrollably.
"No," I whispered, then louder, "No!"
My wolf Cora whined pitifully inside my mind. She could sense the threat to our mate connection, and her anguish mixed with my own until I thought I might drown in the pain.
The sobs tore through my chest. I curled into a ball on the floor, my whole body wracked with grief. The pregnancy hormones made everything feel amplified.
Hours seemed to pass. My tears finally slowed, leaving me hollow and exhausted.
Then I remembered the tiny life growing inside me. I couldn't fall apart like this. My baby needed me to be strong.
I struggled to my feet, wiping my swollen eyes. "I won't let this happen," I whispered fiercely.
Cora stirred within me, her spirit rallying. "I'm going to tear that she-wolf apart!" she growled.
I wouldn't let Alexander sever our mate bond.
Whatever hold Victoria had over him, I would break it.
The next morning, I dragged myself downstairs. My eyes were still puffy from crying, and I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.
The dining room was empty. Alexander's chair sat vacant at the head of the table.
Martha appeared with a plate of eggs and toast. Her kind face creased with worry when she saw me.
"Queen, you look terrible. Are you feeling alright?"
"Did Alexander come home last night?" I asked, my voice hoarse.
Martha's expression grew troubled. "No, Your Majesty. His Majesty didn't return."
The words hit me like a physical blow. He'd really stayed out all night. With her.
I forced myself to eat a few bites of toast, though everything tasted like ash. My stomach churned, whether from morning sickness or heartbreak, I couldn't tell.
I needed to get to class. Even with my world falling apart, I couldn't neglect my studies. Education was one of the few things that had always belonged to me alone.
The pack healer university felt like a sanctuary. Here, I was just another student, not the Queen dealing with a crumbling marriage.
I threw myself into my coursework, desperate for the distraction. Ancient healing techniques, pack law, territorial management - anything to keep my mind off Alexander and Victoria.
But as the day wore on, I found myself checking my phone constantly. No messages. No calls. Nothing from Alexander.
"Olivia!" My best friend Rachel's cheerful voice broke through my misery. "Want to grab dinner in the cafeteria?"
I was about to decline when another female student approached us. "Olivia Stone? There's a beautiful she-wolf looking for you at the main gate."
Curiosity and hope warred in my chest. I excused myself from Rachel and hurried toward the university entrance.
A middle-aged beta wolf in an expensive suit stood by the gate. When he saw me approaching, he bowed slightly.
"Miss Stone? This way, please."
He led me to a sleek black car parked at the curb. My stomach dropped as he opened the rear door.
Victoria sat inside, looking perfectly composed. Her blonde hair was styled immaculately, and she wore a designer dress that probably cost more than most people's monthly salary.
An inexplicable sense of crisis washed over me. Cora growled protectively inside my mind, sensing danger.
"Get in the car," Victoria said with a sweet smile that didn't reach her eyes.
I remained frozen.
"We need to talk," she continued, as if I hadn't already met her. "I assume you know that Alexander was with me last night?"
Her words sent ice through my veins. she did this on purpose!
Sudden animosity flooded through me. "What do you want from me?"
Victoria's smile turned predatory. She looked me up and down with obvious disdain.
"I just wanted to chat about Alexander. Why, are you that afraid of me?"
The condescension in her voice made my blood boil. I met her gaze defiantly. "I'm not afraid of you. You're nothing but a shameless mate-stealer."
Victoria's composed facade cracked. Her eyes flashed with fury as she stepped out of the car.
She towered over me. At 5'10", she made me feel like a child in comparison.
"Mate-stealer?" her voice dripped with venom. "You little orphan. You should be grateful Alexander rescued you from the gutter and gave you an education. Most stray wolves never get such opportunities."
She circled me like a predator. "Tell me, how did Alexander's pack even agree to let him mark a nobody like you? Did you beg? Did you cry pretty tears until he took pity on you?"
My hands clenched into fists. "Alexander marked me because he wanted to. That proves how he feels about me."
I lifted my chin, refusing to be cowed. "What right do you have to question Alexander's choices? Or his pack's decisions?"
Despite feeling small next to her statuesque frame, I knew I could match her in looks. And I had something she didn't - youth and Alexander's mark on my neck.
Victoria's laugh was sharp and bitter. "If I hadn't left before, would you even have had a chance with Alexander?"
"Auntie," I said sweetly, enjoying how her face darkened at the term. "The problem is you already lost him. You're his past. I'm his Queen now, and he marked me. You should have known better than to disturb him."
Victoria's composure finally shattered completely. Her face turned red with rage at being called 'Auntie.' "You think you're his Queen? Then you should ask him why he really marked you."
She stepped closer, her breath hot against my face. "Even if I was away for ten, twenty years, he would still choose me when I came back. You? You're just a tool he uses to satisfy his wolf’s sexual needs."
The words cut deep, but I gritted my teeth and refused to show weakness.
"A stray wolf like you will never truly belong to the royal pack," Victoria continued viciously. "You can play dress-up all you want, but you'll never be anything more than Alexander's charity case."
She raised her hand to slap me, her face twisted with hatred.
That was the final straw.
My own hand shot out faster than lightning, connecting with her cheek in a resounding slap that echoed through the street.
Victoria stumbled backward, her hand pressed to her reddened face. Shock and fury warred in her expression.
The beta driver moved toward me, clearly intending to defend his employer.
"Don't even think about it," I warned coldly. "I'm Queen of the Southern Territory. Touch me, and you'll answer to Alexander."
The man hesitated, recognizing the truth in my words. No matter what else was happening between Alexander and me, I still held that title and the protection it afforded.
Victoria glared at me with pure hatred, her perfectly styled hair now disheveled.
"You'll regret this, you little bitch," she hissed. "When Alexander chooses me over you, remember this moment."
She climbed back into her car with as much dignity as she could muster. "Drive," she snapped at her beta.
The car sped away, leaving me standing alone on the sidewalk.
My bravado crumbled the moment they were out of sight. I stumbled to a nearby bench and collapsed onto it, my whole body shaking.
The confrontation had taken everything out of me. The pregnancy hormones, the stress, the fear - it all crashed over me at once.
Cora stirred in my mind, offering what comfort she could. "Don't worry," she said softly. "I can feel that we are Alexander's only true mates. He will never abandon us for that woman."
Her certainty helped steady me. My wolf's instincts were usually right about these things.
I placed a protective hand over my still-flat stomach. "Even for the sake of our child, I won't let her succeed."
I was preparing to head back to the university when my phone rang. Alexander's name flashed on the screen.
After a moment's hesitation, I accepted the call.
Alexander's voice came through immediately, filled with disappointment and resignation that made my chest ache.
"Olivia, when are you going to stop making trouble? This is between the two of us. Why did you go to Victoria? You even hit her. You really are becoming more and more childish."
The hurt in my chest felt like a physical wound.
"Childish." That's what he called me. Not his mate. Not his Queen. Just a childish girl causing trouble.
I pressed the phone harder against my ear, wanting desperately to defend myself. To tell him how Victoria had ambushed me, how she'd insulted me first.
But Alexander's stern voice cut through my thoughts before I could speak.
"Listen to me carefully, Olivia. You will not trouble Victoria again. Do you understand me?"
His Alpha command pressed down on me, making my wolf whimper in submission. But my human heart rebelled against the unfairness.
"Alexander, you don't understand what happened—"
"I understand perfectly," he interrupted coldly. "Victoria is under my protection. You will be obedient and stop making things difficult for me."
The line went dead. He'd hung up on me without giving me a chance to explain.
I stared at my phone in disbelief. The man who marked me had just chosen another woman's word over mine.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw my phone against the wall. Instead, I sat on that bench and let the tears fall.
Two days passed without a word from Alexander.
I threw myself into my studies, attending every class, staying late in the library.
Alexander didn't call. He didn't text. He didn't even reach out through our mate bond, which hurt more than I expected.
Friday morning brought excitement to the entire campus. Students buzzed with anticipation as they hurried between classes.
"Can you believe it?" Rachel squealed, digging through her desk drawer frantically. "The Alpha King is actually coming here!"
She was searching for her phone, clearly planning to take photos during Alexander's visit.
I sat at my desk, pretending to read my textbook while my heart hammered against my ribs. Alexander was coming here. To my school.
"Where's my phone?" Rachel muttered, tossing books aside. "I need to record everything!"
She finally found it and turned to me with bright eyes. "Olivia, aren't you excited? You're always so interested in Alpha King news. This is our chance to see him in person!"
I forced a weak smile. "I'm not feeling well today. I think I'll skip it."
Rachel's mouth fell open in shock. "Skip it? But it's the Alpha King! You've been following his campaigns and policies for months!"
That was true. Before I became his Queen, I'd been fascinated by Alexander's political reforms and military strategies. I'd attended his previous lectures, sitting in the back row and dreaming of somehow meeting him.
"I really don't feel up to it," I insisted, looking down at my textbook.
Rachel frowned with concern. "Are you sure you're okay? You've seemed off these past few days."
Before I could answer, our other roommates burst through the door, chattering excitedly about the upcoming speech.
"Come on, Rachel!" Samantha called. "It's starting in ten minutes!"
Rachel grabbed her bag and paused at the door. "Last chance, Olivia. You'll regret missing this."
I waved them off. "Go ahead. I'll catch up on some reading."
The door slammed behind them, leaving me alone in the sudden silence. I set down my textbook and buried my face in my hands.
Of course I wanted to attend Alexander's lecture. I wanted to see him command the room with his presence, watch him captivate the audience with his intelligence and charisma.
I remembered his previous visit to our university six months ago. He'd stood on that stage like a king among mortals, his deep voice carrying across the packed auditorium. Every girl in the room had hung on his every word.
I'd been one of them, dreaming impossible dreams about somehow catching his attention. Back then, he was just the powerful Alpha King I admired from afar.
Now he was my mate. My husband. The father of my unborn child.
And he was slipping away from me, choosing another woman over the family we could have together.
I pressed my hands against my flat stomach. Even if Alexander wanted to give my position to Victoria, I wouldn't let go easily. Our mate bond could only be severed with my consent, and I wouldn't give it.
I lay my head down on my desk, exhaustion weighing on my shoulders.
Maybe if I slept, I could escape this mess for a while.
Voices in the hallway woke me sometime later. My roommates were back, and they sounded absolutely giddy.
"He's even more handsome in person!" Rachel gushed as she burst through the door. "Did you see the way he commanded that stage?"
"And his voice!" Samantha sighed dreamily. "So deep and authoritative. I could listen to him read the phone book."
I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. "How was the speech?"
"Incredible!" Rachel practically bounced with excitement. "He talked about pack unity and territorial cooperation. So intelligent and well-spoken."
She pulled out her phone and started swiping through photos. "Look at these shots I got! He's absolutely perfect."
My heart clenched as she showed me image after image of Alexander. Even in the grainy phone photos, his presence was undeniable. Tall and commanding in his dark suit, golden eyes serious as he addressed the crowd.
"I'm going to marry him someday," Samantha declared with a giggle. "Just wait and see."
"You and every other she-wolf in the territory," Rachel laughed. "But hey, you never know. Maybe he'll notice one of us."
Another roommate, Jessica, suddenly looked thoughtful. "Hey Olivia, isn't it weird that you have the same last name as his royal pack? Stone?"
Samantha waved dismissively. "Lots of people have the surname Stone. It's just a coincidence."
"Still," Jessica pressed, "it's kind of funny. Maybe you're secretly related to royalty, Olivia."
They all laughed at the joke, having no idea how close to the truth they were.
"Look at this one!" Rachel thrust her phone in my face. "Isn't he your type? Tall, dark, and incredibly powerful?"
I couldn't take any more of this. I stood up abruptly, grabbing my bag.
"I'm going to the library," I announced, heading for the door.
"But we're still talking about the Alpha King!" Samantha protested.
"I need to study," I said, not looking back.
My phone rang just as I reached the exit. The caller ID made me freeze.
Daniel Clark - Alexander's Royal Beta.
I'd met Daniel several times at the palace. He was Alexander's right-hand man.
I answered on the third ring. "Hello?"
"Miss Stone," Daniel's professional voice came through clearly. "I need you to pack your things and wait in the parking lot. I'll be there to pick you up in fifteen minutes."
My grip tightened on the phone.
I thought about the past two days of silence. The way Alexander had dismissed my feelings and chosen Victoria's word over mine.
"I want to stay at school to study," I said firmly. "Tell Alexander I'm not coming."
Another pause, longer this time. I could hear muffled voices in the background.
"One moment, Miss Stone."
Then Alexander's voice came through the phone, and my heart jumped despite everything.
"Olivia." His tone was gentler than it had been during our last conversation. "Come home. We need to talk."
"I said I'm staying here," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "I have important studying to do."
The threat in his voice was subtle but unmistakable. "If you don't come willingly, I'll fetch you from your dormitory myself. In front of all your roommates."
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