MasukSilence filled the room as soon as Asher walked out.Rhea was still in the corner, her face pale and tear-streaked. She looked like she wanted to come to me, wanted to comfort me, but she stayed frozen in place, her eyes fixed on the door Asher had just walked through.Nigel also remained standing, his expression unreadable as he watched the closed door for a long moment. Then he looked down at me.“Rest,” he said quietly. “The poison is gone, but your body is still fighting the aftereffects. We will speak when you are stronger.”Before I could reply, the healer sighed softly, shaking her head. “The Alpha is… emotional right now. He’ll see reason once he calms down.” She spoke, her voice gentle as she adjusted the blanket over my legs. “The bond is still there, even if he’s rejecting it in anger. Give him time. These things..”A broken, jagged laugh tore out of my throat before I could stop it.“He just called me garbage in front of everyone. He rejected the bond. There is no ‘seeing
The journey to the healer’s quarters was a blur of pain and darkness. I faded in and out, catching fragments of sound: Nigel’s steady heartbeat beneath my ear, the urgent shouts of servants clearing a path, the distant sound of Calla’s voice still carrying from the hall.Then there was cool bed beneath me. A soft pillow under my head. Voices above me, urgent and loud.“His pulse is weak. The toxin is spreading fast.”“Black Hemlock,” I faintly heard someone say. “I need charcoal and...”“Just focus on him. Save him first.”I don’t know how long I was unconscious. Minutes. Hours. The darkness was deep and painful, filled with fragments of nightmares: Calla’s smiling face, Asher’s cold eyes, the cold stone of my parents’ graves and the broken sobs I once left there unanswered.But eventually, slowly, I surfaced.The first thing I felt was the cold. My body felt heavy, my limbs useless, but the burning in my veins had dulled to a deep, throbbing ache. I kept my eyes closed, listening. Th
The confrontation had already torn the hall apart by the time Asher asked it again.“Did you or did you not put your lips on her?”Rhea’s shoulders slumped. A broken sob ripped out of her. “Yes,” she whispered, the word barely audible. “Yes, Asher. I kissed him.”Asher’s growl tore through the silence like something alive. Primal. Animalistic. The sound of a wolf whose territory had been violated, whose mate had been taken.He lunged, fist closing in the collar of Rhea’s dress, hauling her clean off her feet. “You…” he snarled, face inches from hers, eyes completely feral. “You dare touch what’s mine? You dare put your hands on my mate? You fucked him?”Rhea’s face crumpled. “I never meant to hurt you. I never meant for any of this to happen. It just… it just happened.”“It just happened?” Asher’s laugh was hollow, broken glass. “You don’t just ‘happen’ to kiss your brother’s mate. You don’t just ‘happen’ to betray your family. This was planned. This was...” He stopped, jaw locked so
“Not the time?” I laughed bitterly, the sound quickly dissolving into a harsh, wet cough that brought more thick black liquid surging to my lips. The bitter, metallic taste coated my tongue and burned the back of my throat. Nigel quickly wiped it away with his sleeve, his expression grim and tight with restrained fury. “She tried to kill me. And you’re worried about the guests?”Asher’s jaw tightened until the muscle jumped beneath the skin. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re not in your right mind.”“I know exactly what I’m saying.” I forced myself to look at Calla, to hold her gaze despite the darkness creeping in at the edges of my vision, despite the way the hall seemed to tilt and swim. “I know what I tasted. I know what I feel. And I know……” I paused, gasping for breath as another wave of nausea rolled through me, “that when the healer examines me, they’ll find poison in my blood. And when they do… everyone here will know the truth.”Calla’s face went pale, not the pale
“I’m fine, Nigel,” I answered.I opened my mouth to say something else when the first wave hit.It came without warning. A sudden, violent twist deep in my gut, sharp enough to steal my breath. My fingers tightened around the stem of the glass until I thought it might snap. Heat flooded my face, then drained away just as fast, leaving me cold and clammy.The wine, I told myself. It has to be the wine. Or the stress. Or the secret sitting in my chest like a live coal.But this was different. This wasn’t anything I had felt before.It was a clawing, tearing sensation that started deep in my gut and ripped upward with terrifying speed. Within seconds my mouth started to flood with saliva and my vision started to swim at the edges. Fear spiked through me, sharp and cold.“I… I need to excuse myself,” I said suddenly, my voice coming out strangled. Nigel’s brows drew together at my words, but before he could say anything I turned, intending to walk with dignity toward the nearest exit, tow
“Another generous toast.” Nigel lifted his glass, his pale eyes fixed on Calla. “Generosity is my specialty.”Calla laughed, a light, musical sound that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I believe in making everyone feel welcome. Especially those who might feel… out of place.”I tensed at her words. Out of place. She’s talking about me. She’s making sure I know it. The memory of her laughter in the bathroom still clung to me like smoke.Nigel took a slow sip of his wine, his gaze flicking between us. “An interesting choice of words, Calla. Tell me, what makes you think anyone here feels out of place?”Calla’s smile didn’t waver. “Oh, I don’t think anything, Alpha Nigel. I simply observe. And I’ve observed that new mates often need a little… extra support. Especially during their first pre...”“Calla is right,” I cut in, stopping her midsentence, surprising myself with the steadiness of my voice even as everything inside me trembled harder. She wanted to talk about the pregnancy. Rhea’s pr







