Chapter 44

Lucy.

“No, no, please Lucy, it’s not what it looks like!”

That’s what Elizabeth said the moment she saw me standing there, her eyes wide with panic, a fine line of white powder still dusting the corner of her nostril. But the truth was, it was exactly what it looked like.

My feet were frozen at the doorway, and all I could do was stare—at the mirror on the floor, at the rolled-up bill in her shaking hand, at the tiny plastic bag she was trying to shove under the rug like it hadn’t just been sitting out in plain view.

“I—it’s not like I do this all the time, okay? I don't always do this I promise,” she stammered, swiping at the powder with her sleeve, smearing it across the surface in frantic, erratic motions. “It’s just... tonight. I just needed something. I swear to the moon, Lucy, it’s the first time. Stop looking at me like that and same something!"

“You’re doing coke, Elizabeth,” I breathed, my voice shaking. “In the palace. Are you even hearing yourself?”

She stood abruptly, wiping her nose and pacing. “I know, okay? I know. It’s stupid. Reckless. But I’m not—this isn’t who I am. I’ve just been overwhelmed. Everything’s been building and building, and I didn’t know how to make it stop—”

“So your answer was to snort something that could get you fired? Worse, thrown in the dungeon? Do you know what happens to maids caught with drugs in the palace?”

Her hands balled into fists. “I’m not a criminal, Lucy.”

“You’re acting like one.”

She recoiled like I’d slapped her, and instantly, guilt twisted in my stomach—but I couldn’t take it back. I was shocked. I was furious. And most of all, I was hurt.

“You could have come to me,” I said, softer this time, my voice fraying. “I would’ve helped. You didn’t have to involve yourself in all this mess.”

Elizabeth looked away, her mouth trembling. “I didn’t want you to see me weak.”

“That’s not weakness. That’s being stupid and not thinking about yourself.”

Her eyes glistened, but she blinked the tears away and lifted her chin.

“It’s been hard,” she said. “With my mother being sick and my little sister almost kicked out of school... I can’t sleep most nights. My head won’t shut up. And this was just... one night. One mistake. Please, don’t tell anyone.”

I swallowed hard, staring at her. The room suddenly felt so small.

“I’m not going to say anything,” I murmured. “But this? It ends now. You flush that. You burn it. Whatever it takes. If I ever walk in here and see something like this again...”

“You won’t,” she said quickly. “I promise, Lucy. Never again.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My chest was too tight, and my thoughts were spinning.

“I need to think,” I finally said, stepping back toward the door. “I’ll come by tomorrow. We’ll talk then.”

She nodded, wordless.

And I left, the image of her trembling in that room seared behind my eyes.

That night, I barely slept. My mind kept flickering between Elizabeth’s pale, stricken face and the dull ache that had been following me for days. Everything felt off-kilter lately. 

I stayed curled in bed long after sunrise, trying to gather my thoughts. Eventually, I got dressed, skipped breakfast, and wandered into the one place that always gave me peace—the library.

It was warm and quiet, the kind of silence that felt safe, not stifling. I roamed the towering shelves and let my fingers trace along old spines, eventually pulling out a worn copy of The Bloodline Chronicles: Eastern Alpha Clans and sinking into the velvet armchair by the window.

Hours passed.

I read. I reread. I highlighted passages I didn’t even care about just to keep my mind busy.

Then I heard footsteps.

I looked up—and froze.

Derek.

But not the charming, clean-cut Derek from last night. This Derek had a black eye, and his nose was bruised and swollen, tinged with dried blood. He looked like he’d just stepped out of a fight—and lost.

“Oh my Goodness,” I said, closing my book and rising to my feet. “What happened to your face?”

He smirked, shrugging one shoulder as if he hadn’t just waltzed in looking like a brawler. “Got into a scuffle earlier. Nothing serious.”

“That is your definition of ‘nothing serious?’” I stared at the gash near his brow. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, easing into the armchair across from me like he hadn’t just dropped a grenade into the room. “A few rogues tried to ambush the east gates. I handled it.”

“You—wait, by yourself?”

“Technically, I had backup. But I was the one closest, so I got there first.”

I sat slowly, trying to process. “Why are you so casual about this?”

“Because I’ve seen worse.”

He gave me a tired smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Derek…” I started, but he cut me off with a shake of his head.

“Really. I’m fine. Just wanted to check in before I hit the infirmary.”

I studied him for a long moment. Something was off. Not just the injuries—his energy. His tone. The way he wouldn't meet my eyes for more than a second. I wanted to ask more questions, but the way he reacted told me not to push.

So I let it go.

For now.

“Well,” I murmured, “if you change your mind about wanting to talk, you know where to find me.”

He nodded, then rose to his feet. “I’ll take you up on that sometime.”

And just like that, he walked out.

I stared at the book in my lap for a few minutes after he left, but the words blurred together, unreadable. I couldn’t shake the unease curling around my ribs. 

I stood, stacking my books neatly, then tucked the last one under my arm and moved to lock up the library. The hallway outside was silent as I passed the arching windows that looked out over the courtyard.

That’s when I saw Derek and Alpha Ellison.

Standing by the old oak tree near the eastern fountain, close enough that I could see their faces through the window—but not hear their voices.

They weren’t talking.

They were arguing.

Derek’s stance was stiff, his hands tight at his sides. Ellison’s expression was thunderous, one hand jabbing toward Derek’s chest while his jaw moved fast with whatever words he was spitting out. I couldn’t see all of Derek’s face from this angle, but I saw enough to know—this wasn’t friendly.

Derek stepped forward, voice raised—but still too muffled to catch. Then Ellison grabbed his arm.

Derek yanked it back.

And for a moment, I thought they were going to fight.

But just as quickly, Derek turned on his heel and stormed away, disappearing down one of the garden paths. Ellison stood there for a moment longer, breathing hard.

Then he glanced toward the windows.

I ducked.

Heart hammering in my chest.

What the hell was going on?