Chapter 3

Late that night, I summoned the old healer who had delivered my pup and the maid who had attended me all these years to the secondary living room under the pretense of checking on the ceremony preparations.

They quickly broke under my half-smile questioning and the faint pressure of my white wolf bloodline's energy.

Already guilty, they started stammering, drenched in cold sweat. "L-Luna Ivy… We… We were only following Alpha Alexander's orders—"

The old healer dropped to his knees, trembling. "Alpha Alexander made it clear that your medicine had to include wolfsbane, along with the calming herbs. Over time, it would dull your senses and weaken your bloodline instinct."

I closed my eyes, my nails digging deep into my palms.

At last, every piece fell into place.

Alexander had switched the pups to secure his position as Alpha and the authority the prophecy gave him. He drugged me to suppress the White Wolf royalty's bloodline instinct.

And Sophia's easy return only meant their relationship had never truly ended.

I took the old healer and the maid's testimony back to my room and organized them carefully.

All these were enough, but there was one last thing I needed to confirm.

How much exactly did Lucas know about?

Just then, a knock came at the door. "Mother, may I come in?"

Something twisted painfully in my chest when I heard the word "mother".

I turned around and saw Lucas standing outside, holding a tray with a cup of hot tea on it. His eyes were tender, his expression no different from before.

If I hadn't already learned the truth, I might have believed this was just a pup trying to comfort me.

I looked at Lucas coldly. As I hadn't been eating any of the drugged food all day, some of my senses had already begun to return.

The sharp, nauseating scent of wolfsbane hit my nose like a sharp warning.

"I'm not thirsty. Take it away." I sat on the couch without moving.

A flicker crossed Lucas' eyes. Then, he quickly put on a hurt expression. Stepping closer with the cup, he even reached out with his free hand to tug at my sleeve.

He coaxed, "I made it myself, Mother. Just have a sip."

"I said, take it away!" I shoved his hand aside.

The delicate porcelain cup hit the carpet, splashing tea everywhere. A shard grazed the back of Lucas' hand, leaving a thin cut.

For a werewolf with healing abilities, it was only a mere cut that would heal in seconds.

But Lucas immediately dropped to the floor, clutching his wrist as he burst into tears. "It hurts! Mother, why did you hit me?"

Almost instantly, the doors to the residence were thrown open. Alexander and Sophia rushed in.

"Lucas!" She let out a sharp cry and pulled Lucas into her arms.

Sophia's head snapped up at me the moment she noticed the cut on his hand. "Have you lost your mind, Ivy? How could you be so rough with a pup? What are you taking your anger out on?"

Alexander's face darkened. "Ivy, what exactly are you doing?"

I suddenly started laughing.

"What am I doing?" I looked at Alexander and said, "Then, why don't you tell me first? Why did you bring Sophia home?"

His expression froze before he quickly smoothed it over. "Sophia has good taste. Tomorrow is an important day. She specifically made ceremonial robes for Lucas and you. I only brought her here for a fitting."

He gestured toward the box Sophia had brought. I glanced at it, seeing a dark red gown lying inside.

It wasn't a color I liked, and it certainly wasn't a color a Luna should be wearing at a succession ceremony.

"Good taste?" I scoffed lightly and walked straight up to Sophia. Before she could react, I raised my hand and struck her hard across the face.

The sharp slap echoed through the room.

Sophia clutched her cheek, staring at me in disbelief as tears immediately sprung. "Alexander—"

"That's enough, Ivy!" Alexander roared.

With his shout came a rush of wind.

Alexander's slap came hard across my face. The force sent me staggering back a few steps as the metallic taste of blood bloomed at the corner of my mouth.

Silence fell over the room.

I pressed a hand to my burning cheek and looked up at Alexander one last time. In his eyes, there was only anger and the instinct to protect Sophia.

I didn't cry, nor did I utter another word. I turned and ran out into the ink-dark night.

I ran without stopping until I reached the cliff at the edge of the pack land.

The night wind was cold, sharpening the pain on my face. I took out the communication stone I had hidden away and dialed the number I hadn't called in nine years.

It rang once.

"Father," I said.

There was a brief silence before the steady voice of the White Wolf Alpha King came through, "I'm here."

My voice was icy as I looked down at the dark forest below. "Tomorrow, I'm going to tear Alexander's lie apart with my own hands at the succession ceremony."