Chapter 18

LEAH

I had enrolled myself into the school Kiara was while completely ignoring Dante's warning of being in danger. I hated his protective shield over me especially now that I didn't trust him anymore, it felt like he was going to stab me in the back.

Stepping out of the car, the academy’s grand gates loomed before me, a masterpiece of wrought iron and gold, standing as a symbol of knowledge and power. A shiver of nerves danced down my spine as I stepped through, inhaling the crisp morning air. The sheer size of the academy was overwhelming, its towering stone walls whispering of history and tradition. The pathways buzzed with students, their chatter blending into voices that felt both foreign and oddly welcoming.

When I married Darren he had taken me out of school claiming it was not something I was meant to do, I accepted my fate for I loved him, but that was all a lie to begin with

My heart clenched with pain as the memories of everything flood my mind, how could I have been so absent-minded

And now it's just the same

A voice whispered in my head and shook the feeling off. It couldn't possibly be, yes I didn't truth Dante anymore, but he was not Darren, he would never be Darren.

I ignored my inner thought and focus on what's going on

It was strange, being here, surrounded by people who had lived their lives so different from mine. Their concerns were exams, training sessions, and social politics, while mine had been survival. But this was a step toward something new, something I had never imagined for myself.

“Leah?” I turned around and saw Kiara walking down the hall along with a ginger haired girl “Leah, what are you doing here?”

"Your majesty” Her friend I presumed bowed and I immediately cringed

I had completely forgotten about that part of the problem I'll have being outside

“Please don't do that. I'm schooling here now, your brother seems to have forgotten to inform you about that”

“That explains a lot, we need to get you a disguise, it's dangerous having you roam like this”

Kiara had been quick to take me under her wing along with her friend Eliana, their infectious energy breaking through the walls I had unknowingly built around myself. They were sharp, observant, and had an uncanny ability to make me feel at ease.

“So, how does it feel to finally be a student again?” Kiara asked, nudging me playfully as we walked toward the main courtyard, where a grand fountain gleamed under the morning sun.

I laughed lightly, the sound feeling almost foreign in my ears. “Weird, honestly. I never thought I’d be here. I thought my life would be this, and I'll get to go to school again, it's just…” I trailed off, hesitating. I didn’t want to delve into my past, not now.

Eliana caught onto my hesitation and gave me a knowing look. “You’re not in that life anymore, Leah. You’re here now, and that’s what matters.”

I offered her a small smile, appreciating her effort to keep things light. But the past had a way of creeping in, lingering in the corners of my mind like a shadow I couldn’t quite shake.

As we settled onto a bench beneath a massive oak tree, Kiara pulled out a small pouch of herbal tea leaves, her expression turning serious. “Okay, serious question. You were poisoned before, right?”

I stiffened slightly at the unexpected topic but nodded. “Yes. My ex-mother-in-law used something called the Blood of Wolfsbane on me.” I looked at them curiously.

Eliana and Kiara exchanged a glance, something unreadable passing between them. My frown deepened which made my heart race, but I held my hands in place.

“What? Why do you both look like that?”

Eliana leaned forward, her expression grave. “Leah, that doesn’t make sense.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, my pulse quickening.

“The Blood of Wolfsbane is one of the most lethal poisons known to our kind,” Kiara said. “It doesn’t just weaken, it kills. And it does so quickly. If you had actually been poisoned with pure Blood of Wolfsbane, you wouldn’t be here talking to us right now.”

A cold shiver ran through me, I have heard this before, but I thought it was all a facade.

“But I was sick for months. Weak, barely able to function. My body deteriorated so badly that I… I thought I was dying.”

Kiara nodded. “Exactly. That means the Wolfsbane was diluted and turned into a slow poison instead of an immediate death sentence.”

A lump formed in my throat. Had she drawn out my suffering on purpose? A twisted form of torture rather than a quick death?

Eliana’s expression softened as she placed a hand over mine. “We should get you checked out. Just to make sure there aren’t any lingering effects.”

I hesitated, but I knew they were right. The poison had controlled my life for too long, I needed answers, and I was tired of everything else going on in my life.

We took the car and drove to the hospital while I zoomed out of their conversation thinking of the possibility of what might be going on with my body. The last time I saw the doctor he had this look on his face and he knew something I didn't.

The doctor’s office smelled of antiseptic and old parchment, the walls lined with ancient texts on werewolf physiology and magic. A middle-aged man with sharp eyes and silver-streaked hair studied me carefully as I explained my past symptoms.

He nodded thoughtfully. “Blood of Wolfsbane is dangerous, yes. But diluted, it works differently. Instead of outright killing you, it suppresses your wolf, weakens your healing abilities, and leaves you vulnerable.”

I swallowed hard. “So… was it meant to kill me slowly?”

The doctor’s gaze flickered toward Eliana and Kiara before returning to me. “Most likely, yes. But whoever administered it wanted you to suffer first.”

A bitter laugh escaped me. That sounded exactly like something my ex-mother-in-law would do, but why didn't the last doctor tell me about this? Or did Dante know about it?

The doctor continued his examination, taking a sample of my blood before turning to his notes. Minutes passed in silence, and I fidgeted, my nerves mounting with every second.

Then he hesitated. A brief, nearly imperceptible pause before he looked at me with something akin to hesitation.

I frowned. “What? What is it?”

He exhaled slowly, setting his pen down. “This… isn’t just any slow poison, Leah. It’s specific. The way it was administered, the way it worked over time… It matches something else I’ve seen before.” The colors washed from his face and dread curled in my stomach.

“What are you saying?”

The doctor’s expression darkened. “This is the same poison that killed Darren Strong’s past fiancées.” The air seemed to vanish from the room.

Darren Strong was my ex-husband. He knew my ex-husband.

I stared at him, unable to process his words. Darren’s past fiancées? The ones who had mysteriously fallen ill and died? I knew Darren had past fiancées and all I was told was that they had fallen ill and died.

I barely heard Eliana’s sharp intake of breath or Kiara’s whispered curse. My mind reeled, a thousand questions bombarding me at once. How is this even possible?

Why? How? Had I been meant to die just like them? But why would she want to kill us and accept Sierra as her daughter-in-law. What could we have possibly done to deserve such hate from her?

But more importantly, who else had known about this poison? Was Darren aware? He knew I felt sick sometimes, but he never really cared.

I continue to back and forth while looking at the paper in my hands. Why haven't I died yet if everyone claims I should be dead by now? But I'm not.

And was I still in danger? Or am I safe while I'm in Dante's residence? Was Dante safe with me?

My mind kept playing with series of possibilities and my body jolts when the door was suddenly pushed open