Chapter 11

Olivia’s POV

I woke up the next morning to a peculiar quietness. The palace, which was always abuzz with early morning preparations, was eerily quiet. I sat up on my bed slowly, my heart pounding in my chest as I turned to look at Jeremy who laid next to me.

“Mommy?” His voice was half asleep as he tried to speak.

“It’s time,” I said softly, stroking his hair away.

Brielle had poisoned the entire palace’s meal, adding a sleeping mixture to their breakfast. 

I’d been reluctant to trust her at first, but desperation forged strange allies and as promised, she had opened the exit gates for me, providing an unobstructed way out of the pack with my son.

I took Jeremy’s hand, and cautiously stepped over the unconscious guards who lay stretched across the halls. Some slumped over tables, others collapsed on the ground, their breathing deep and slow. 

My stomach twisted at the sight, but I pushed myself to move ahead. The gates were swung wide open already to create an easy passage for me.

I walked through the gate as the brisk morning air played with my hair and every step away from the pack made my heart race in excitement that we were finally free and headed right to our home.

It was too good to be true to finally be in my pack once again after being held in detention by Alpha Damien against her will for one week straight but none of that mattered anymore.

I looked around, my legs nearly gave out from under me as I registered the sight of my husband. I didn’t think that he would be alive after all this while. I was shocked and at the same time happy to see him alive despite the wounds he had sustained.

I moved excitedly to him and made to hug him but he shoved my hands aside with a cold countenance. With Jeremy’s hand in mine, I stumbled forward again, tears welling in my eyes. 

“Simeon…” My voice trailed off.

He stood in the training yard without moving an inch. The deep wound from where he had been stabbed was healing, an angry-looking scar marring his side.

Jeremy was the first to speak. “Daddy!” He dashed up, his tiny arms squeezing around Simeon’s leg.”

Simeon stared down at him, his mouth pressing together before finally ruffling Jeremy’s hair. 

“You’re back,” he said evenly as I took a shaky step forward. 

“Simeon, I…”

He turned away from me before I could finish and my heart sank at the fact that he was cold to me and won’t even give me a listening ear.

Later in the day, I came across him alone in his quarters by the window with his back to me.

“Stop acting like this, we are here for you?” I said.

“Why did you come back, Olivia?” Simeon asked.

The question took the breath right out of me. “What do you mean? This is my home,” I reminded him.

A dry laugh escaped Simeon’s mouth. “Is it?” He turned to me at last, blue eyes icy and distant. “Because my warriors informed me otherwise.”

“What have they said to you?” I asked, blinking profusely.

“I sent warriors to fetch you for me,” he said slowly, each word tinged with fury. 

“They told me you refused, that you were content with being with Damien and you didn’t want to come with them anymore.”

I was living an ungrounded life, like the floor had been pulled from below me. 

“That’s a lie! I never said that to any of the warriors! I never said anything about not coming back!”

“Then tell us why you were there for almost a week. You have the training Olivia. You could have gotten away sooner and freed yourself if you wanted to,” Simeon scoffed. 

“Do you think that I wanted to be there? Do you think I liked being stuck in that pack with Alpha Damien?” I asked, my tone growing bitter.

“I don’t know what I should be thinking anymore,” Simeon’s jaw ticked as he spoke.

“I battled my way back to you,” I said, my voice cracking. “I put my life on the line to bring Jeremy home to you.”

Simeon shook his head. “Maybe. Or perhaps you returned for a reason.”

“What are you saying?” I flinched. 

He looked at me for a few seconds and then stepped back. 

“I don’t trust you anymore,” He said.

“Get some rest, Olivia,” He said and turned away. 

The next morning, I headed directly to the training grounds, looking for the head of the warriors. I ended up spotting him near the armory, talking to some of the soldiers with him. His face paled when he saw me.

“You lied,” I said, my voice sharp like a knife.

He glanced around nervously. “Luna, I don’t…”

Before he could finish, I snatched the dagger from his belt and pressed it to his throat. 

“So, who told you to say that I refused to come back?”

The men surrounding us were at alert already but no one dared intervene. He swallowed, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. 

“I…I can’t say,” He muttered.

I pushed the blade a bit further in. “You don’t say the things you’ve said about me and get to walk away,” I posed.

“Someone… someone high up doesn’t want you here,” He said trembling. 

“Who?” I demanded.

“I do not know,” he whispered, his voice sounding like a plea. “I have a family. I can’t risk their lives.”

My heart hammered as I clutched the dagger tighter. Someone in this pack wanted me dead, but why?

I slowly lowered the weapon. 

“Be careful who you listen to,” I said, taking a step back.

“Just… trust no one, Luna,” He warned.

I left the Amory and began walking toward my chambers. I could hear voices emanating from Simeon’s office so I decide to stop just outside the door to eavesdrop on the conversation.

“…you’re being too tough on her,” Beta Ruben’s voice said.

Then there was a shrill silence until Simeon spoke again. “It’s not that cut and dry, Ruben.”

“She put her life in danger to return and you’re going to punish her for that with a cold countenance?” He asked.

Another pause followed, then, Simeon exhaled. 

“I can’t just trust her. Not yet,” He said.

“I feel like she’s here for a mission and is even keeping something away from me,” Simeon spoke.

“I’m just going to play her game until I have the facts on what she is hiding from me,” He said.