Chapter 11

_Leon's POV_

The next morning, I went straight to the guard quarters.

I had barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard Talia’s voice again.

In the drawer of her desk.

Those words had followed me into the night and stayed there like a shadow over my thoughts.

I could still hear the exact way she had said it. Calmly. Naturally. As if she had every right to know.

But she did not.

Only a few people knew where the poison had been found in Anya’s room. I had made sure of that myself. I had given strict orders that no one was to speak of it before the formal punishment was passed.

So how had Talia known?

The question had burned in my mind until morning.

And now, I needed answers.

The air outside was still cool as I crossed the training yard. A few warriors were already awake and beginning their drills but I paid no attention to them. My mind was too full. My chest felt tight.

Shadow was awake too. He was restless and angry. You should have listened sooner, he said.

I clenched my jaw. “Not now.”

But he was right and that only made the weight in my chest worse.

When I reached the guard quarters, the two men I wanted were already there. They straightened the moment they saw me and lowered their heads respectfully.

I did not waste time on greetings. “You two. Come with me.”

They exchanged a quick glance, then followed me at once. I led them into a smaller room beside the main quarters, one used for reports and private questioning. Once we were inside, I closed the door behind us.

For a moment, the room was silent. Then I turned to face them.

Both men stood straight but I could already see the tension in their shoulders. They knew from my expression that this was not a casual matter.

“I want honest answers,” I said coldly. “Think carefully before you speak.”

“Yes,” they both said.

I looked first at the older one. “After the search of Anya’s room, did you tell anyone where the poison was found?”

His eyes widened at once. “No.”

I turned to the second guard. “Did you?”

He shook his head quickly. “Never.”

I stared at them for a few seconds and said nothing. I wanted them to feel the weight of the question. I wanted them to understand that I would notice even the smallest lie.

“Did you mention it to another guard? A servant? Your family?” I asked. “Did anyone hear you speak of it by accident?”

“No,” the first guard said again, more firmly this time. “You gave a direct order. I obeyed it.”

The second one nodded. “So did I.”

My hands slowly curled into fists at my sides. “Then explain this to me."

They both went still.

“Talia knows.”

Neither of them moved. I took one step closer.

“She said yesterday that the poison had been found in the drawer of Anya’s desk. I never told her that. She was in the hospital when we searched the room. The only people who knew were me and the two of you. So I will ask one last time.”

I looked from one face to the other. “Did either of you tell anyone?”

The first guard looked shaken now. “No. I swear on my life.”

The second guard swallowed hard. “I swear it too. We never said a word.”

There was real fear in his eyes. Not the fear of guilt. The fear of standing in front of an angry leader while being accused of something serious.

I kept staring at them.

Shadow’s voice was dark inside me. They are telling the truth.

I hated that he was probably right.

The older guard spoke again, more carefully this time. “If… if Lady Talia knows, then someone else must have told her. But it was not us.”

I held his gaze for another second before finally stepping back. “Go,” I said.

They both bowed immediately. “Yes, leader.”

I watched them leave the room and stood there alone in the silence.

So they had not told her.

That left only one possibility and I did not want to look at it too closely yet. Talia knew information she should not have known.

A chill moved down my spine.

Shadow spoke again. Now do you see it?

I shut my eyes for one second. “I see that something is wrong.”

Something has been wrong from the start. I opened my eyes and pulled out my phone. If there was any chance that Alpha Jacob had discovered something already, I needed to know now.

I called him. The line rang once....then twice...then again. But there was no answer.

My mouth tightened. I ended the call and tried again. This time the line rang longer before cutting off. I stared at the phone in frustration.

Why was he unreachable?

He had taken Anya away under the excuse of an investigation. He was supposed to send word. He was supposed to report what he found. But there had been nothing. Not a message. Not a call. Not even a short update.

I tried one last time. Again, nothing.

A dark feeling settled heavily inside my chest. If Alpha Jacob knew something, he was not sharing it.

And if Talia was involved, then every hour that passed was another hour that Anya remained alone in Fireblood territory carrying a punishment that might never have belonged to her.

The thought hit me harder than I wanted to admit.

My mate.

The words came into my mind before I could stop them. I pushed them away at once but it was too late.

Shadow growled low inside me. You sent her away in chains.

My jaw tightened painfully. “I did what I thought was right.”

Did you? he asked coldly. Or did you choose the easy lie because it protected the future everyone wanted for you?

I had no answer for that.

I lowered the phone slowly and forced myself to breathe. I needed to think clearly. I needed proof. But before I could do any of that, I had another problem.

My parents were hosting Talia and her parents for dinner that evening. The plan had already been made. Servants would be preparing all day. The families would sit together and speak of wedding arrangements. Talia would be there. Her parents would be there. My mother would be watching everything. My father would expect me to act as I always did.

If I refused to come, they would all ask questions. If I acted strangely, Talia would notice. And if Talia truly had something to hide, the last thing I could afford was warning her.

So I had only one choice. I had to act normal. The thought disgusted me but it was true.

The entire day passed slowly after that. I tried to keep myself busy. I reviewed reports. I checked patrol routes. I spoke to warriors about the borders. I even forced myself to sit through a long discussion with one of the elders about food stores and trade.

But none of it stayed in my mind. Every thought circled back to the same place. Talia had known. Alpha Jacob would not answer. And Anya…

I stopped that thought before it could finish.

By the time evening came, the pack house was already glowing with soft candlelight. Servants moved in and out of the dining hall carrying trays of food. The scent of roasted meat, herbs, butter and wine filled the air.

Anyone looking at the house from the outside would have thought it was a peaceful family evening.

It was nothing of the sort.

When Talia arrived with her parents, she looked beautiful and bright. Her smile was wide. Her eyes were full of excitement. And for the first time in years, I looked at her and felt not comfort, not affection but suspicion.

That feeling sat like ice inside my chest as I stepped forward to greet her.

“Leon,” she said warmly. “You look tired.”

I forced a faint smile. “Long day.”

She touched my arm lightly. “Then dinner will cheer you up.”

Would it?

I doubted that very much.

Still, I nodded and led her inside.

At the table, the conversations started almost immediately. My mother was in high spirits. Talia’s mother was even worse. My father and Talia’s father spoke in the calm practical way men did when discussing alliances, guests and status.

And Talia...she sounded eager. She spoke about flowers, fabrics, music, about crowns and decorations and a ceremony she had apparently imagined in detail for years.

I listened. I responded when necessary. I played my role. But inside, I was watching.

Watching her smile.

Watching the way she laughed.

Watching the way she placed her red bag beside her chair.

And as the dinner went on, a dangerous idea began to form in my mind.

If she knew something, maybe her phone did too. That was when I began to think of a way to get it.