I Forgot I Loved You Alpha (Ellie and Nolan) novel Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Ellie POV

The king’s palace was lit in golden pools of light, glowing interns strung high in the trees lining the courtyard, gilded doors thrown open to welcome in the alpha families It was beyond what I could have imagined.

The air was thick with perfume, expensive cigars, and the sharp edge of politics. Everyone here was playing a part, smiling too wide and laughing too easily, every gesture calculated for how it would be remembered

tomorrow.

I smoothed a hand over the front of my dress, suddenly wising I’d chosen something less conspicuous. Standing at Nolan’s side with Lance just behind us, I could feel every eye in the room flick toward us, then away, whispers rushing like wind through the crowd.

But one gaze didn’t flit away. It burned.

I knew before I even turned my head that it was Kieran.

He stood across the room, a glass of dark wine in his hand, posture easy, smile practiced. His eyes, though, never left me. It was the same piercing stare he’d given me the day of the elders’ meeting, the same look that made me feel like he saw too much and judged every word I said.

I swallowed, tearing my eyes away, and forced myself to focus on Nolan. He was smiling politely as one of the neighboring alphas bowed in greeting, but I could see the tightness in his jaw, the way his hand flexed at his side

He was on edge. Because of Kieran.

That realization annoyed me more than Kieran’s attention itself. It wasn’t that I wanted Nolan to be indifferent; I didn’t know what I wanted, if I was honest, but I hated that Kieran of all people had this kind of power over him.

I knew that it was because of me. Nolan had warned me from the start to keep my distance from Kieran, and I hadn’t listened. Now we were in this weird tug of war with him, and I didn’t know what to make of it.

His promise to help me escape was ever-present in my mind when he was near. He knew that I had planned to run away. That information could be the end of Nolan’s campaign if it ever got out. Yet Kieran hadn’t made any threat to use it.

I hated feeling like he had something over me. It made me feel powerless.

When the greeting ended, I slipped closer to Nolan and lowered my voice so only he could hear. “You’re doing that thing again.”

He flicked a glance at me, brow furrowing. “What thing?”

“Your jaw.” I tapped my own lightly. “You’ve been clenching it since we walked in. Don’t think no one notices.”

Nolan huffed out a quiet breath, almost a laugh, though there was no humor in it. “Sharp eyes, as always.”

I tilted my head, studying him. “I know this is weird considering it’s the first time we’ve made a public appearance since the altar but…”

He raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to finish. I swallowed my unease and barrelled ahead with the thought, despite knowing I was risking an argument.

“It’s Kieran, isn’t it? You’ve barely looked at him, but I can feel the tension rolling off you.”

For a long moment, he didn’t answer. His gaze swept the crowd, always avoiding Kieran’s, like he was weighing whether to trust me with the truth. Finally, he said, “He’s the competition. Of course, I’m on edge. His eyes haven’t left us since we walked in.”

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“That’s not new,” I pointed out.

Nolan’s mouth tightened. “He isn’t what he pretends to be That charming, softhearted act-it’s a mask. The man behind it is dangerous.”

I frowned. Dangerous was a word Nolan didn’t use lightly. “Dangerous how?”

He hesitated, and I could see the conflict flickering in his eyes. Then he shook his head, brushing it off. “It doesn’t matter. Just… be careful around him.”

I bristled at the vague warning, part of me wanting to push him harder, demand specifics. But the way he said it- low, urgent, almost pleading-made me pause. Nolan wasn’t in the habit of pleading with anyone.

“Do you think I can’t handle myself?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light.

His gaze flicked to mine, sharp and serious. “I know you can. That’s not the point. Kieran is—he has a way of twisting things, of making people see what he wants them to see. Don’t let him get close enough to try. He’s drawn to you, and it worries me.”

I swallowed, unsettled. I wanted to dismiss it, to tell Nolan he was being paranoid, but the memory of Kieran’s eyes following me around the room silenced the words on my tongue.

Before I could respond, another alpha and his luna swept up to greet us, dragging Nolan back into conversation. stepped aside with Lance, grateful for the break but unable to shake the unease that had settled in my chest.

Across the room, Kieran raised his glass in a silent toast, his smile easy and practiced.

And though I forced myself to look away, the weight of his stare lingered.

The evening blurred into a parade of handshakes, polite greetings, and empty compliments.

There was no doubt that people were staring at me. No one directly mentioned the rumors about me being the messenger of the goddess, but I overheard enough snippets of conversation to know that it was a topic of discussion at the party.

People were watching me like they expected to see something happen. Like they thought that silver light might reappear or something.

I’d grown used to the political charade during my time at Nolan’s side, but there was something sharper about this gathering, a tension that hummed just beneath the laughter.

Everyone here was sizing one another up, calculating odds, deciding who would stand with whom when the real fight for the throne began.

And through it all, Kieran’s presence was constant, like a shadow stretching across the floor. He never approached, never spoke a word to me, but his gaze followed, and with every stolen glance, Nolan grew tenser.

At one point, I caught Lance watching Nolan with a raised brow, clearly amused by his brother’s inability to mask his feelings. I shot him a warning look, silently begging him not to make it worse.

This new, unguarded side of Nolan was tricky to handle. He hated it, but couldn’t seem to put the icy mask back on, not completely.

By the time the king rose to give his welcome speech, I was exhausted from the effort of holding my composure. I stood between Nolan and Lance, listening as the king’s voice carried through the gilded hall, but my thoughts kept circling back to Nolan’s warning.

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