Scent of Treachery

"Who are you?" Lucian asked, his deep voice shaking the air around us.

His silver eyes locked onto mine, burning through the space between us like two hot coals. He was close enough that I could smell the sharp pine and fresh snow radiating off his heavy coat.

"She is nobody, Alpha Lucian!" Maya blurted out, rushing over and planting herself right beside the giant man. She let out a loud, high-pitched laugh, waving her hand dismissively in my direction. "Please, do not bother yourself with her. She is just our wolfless servant."

Lucian did not move a single muscle. He did not even turn his head toward Maya. "I did not ask you."

Before I could open my mouth to answer, a tight grip slammed into my upper arm, digging painfully into my skin.

"Get out of the way, girl!" my mother hissed in my ear. She pulled me back with a violent jerk, forcing me into the shadows behind the stone pillar.

"Mother, stop," I whispered, wincing at the pressure on my bruised skin.

"Shut your mouth!" she growled under her breath, her eyes darting nervously toward the supreme Alpha. "How dare you stand out here looking like a slob in front of our guests? Look at you! Sweaty, filthy, and giant! You are an absolute embarrassment to this family!"

"Cassian told me to finish the flowers," I pleaded quietly, trying to twist my arm out of her hard grasp.

"He told you to stay out of sight!" she snapped back, dragging me down the stone steps toward the back servant entrance. "Your sister is about to secure our family's future with the Beta's son, don't you dare ruin it you fat slob. Go to your room and stay there!"

She shoved me hard into the dark corridor, slamming the wooden door shut between us. I stood alone in the drafty hall, my heart beating fast against my ribs as I listened to her footsteps fade away. I could still feel the phantom heat of Lucian's gaze lingering on my skin. He had looked at me as if I were the only person in that crowded yard.

Night fell quickly over the estate.

By midnight, the grand hall below had grown quiet. The welcome feast had ended, leaving only the sound of cricket calls and wind rustling through the pine trees outside my small top-floor room. I sat on the edge of my narrow mattress, holding a wet rag against my bruised arm, unable to sleep.

My stomach growled loudly. I had not eaten a single thing since dawn, and the thought of finding leftover bread in the main kitchen forced me out of bed.

I crept down the silent wooden staircase in my bare feet, staying close to the wall to avoid the creaky floorboards. The guest wing was completely dark, lit only by pale moonlight streaming through the tall stained-glass windows.

As I passed the heavy oak doors of the Alpha’s private suite, a quiet sound made me freeze.

The door was not fully closed. A thin slit of yellow light spilled out onto the floor, accompanied by the distinct sound of a woman’s soft, silk dress sliding across the rug.

"I know you are awake, Lucian," a familiar voice purred from inside the room.

My breath hitched in my throat. It was Maya.

I took three silent steps closer, leaning my cheek against the cold wood of the door frame to look through the narrow gap.

Maya stood in the center of the spacious room, wearing a sheer, pale nightgown that left almost nothing to the imagination. Her long golden hair fell over her bare shoulders, and she was stepping slowly toward the dark mahogany desk where Alpha Lucian sat.

Lucian had removed his heavy fur coat, wearing only a black shirt with the top buttons undone. He leaned back in his leather chair, holding a glass of dark liquor, his dark eyebrows raised in cold amusement.

"You are in the wrong room, little girl," Lucian said, his voice flat and calm. "Cassian’s quarters are in the east wing."

"I am right where I want to be," Maya whispered, leaning over the wooden desk so her face was only inches from his. "Cassian is a boy play-acting as a warrior. He thinks he is going to rule a pack one day, but we both know he lives in your shadow."

"He is your fated mate," Lucian said, taking a slow sip from his glass without blinking.

"Mate bonds are just biology," Maya scoffed, running two manicured fingers along the edge of his glass. "Power is a choice. You are the Supreme Alpha of the North. You own three territories, while Cassian barely controls a border patrol."

"What are you saying, Maya?"

Maya rounded the desk, stepping directly between his open knees. She placed her small, smooth hands on his broad shoulders, arching her back as she looked down at him with dark, ambitious eyes.

"Cancel the ceremony tomorrow," Maya purred, her voice dripping with poison. "Reject Cassian's claim. I will break my bond with him tonight, right now, if you agree to make me your Luna Queen instead."

"You would betray my son for a crown?" Lucian asked softly.

"I would betray anyone for you," she whispered, tilting her chin up, offering her lips to him. "He does not deserve a woman like me. You do."

A terrifying silence filled the room.

Lucian set his glass down on the desk with a quiet click. His silver eyes flashed with a sudden, deadly inner light that made the air in the hallway instantly grow freezing cold.

"You make me sick," Lucian growled.

Before Maya could react, Lucian’s large hand shot forward like a striking viper, wrapping around her slender throat with brutal strength.

Maya let out a choked gasp, her hands clawing wildly at his iron wrist as he stood up, lifting her off her feet effortlessly. With a single flick of his arm, Lucian hurled her across the room. Maya crashed hard against the rug, her back slamming into the heavy base of the oak door with a loud thud that shook the frame.

She scrambled backward on her hands and knees, gasping for air, her pale face twisted in absolute terror.

As Maya turned her head toward the exit, her panicked eyes locked directly onto mine through the narrow crack in the door.