The First Assassination Attempt

By sunset, Lana had convinced herself that surviving seven days would eventually be easy.

That confidence lasted, until she saw the dinner table.

The table stretched almost the entire length of the dining hall, covered with silver dishes, crystal glasses, candles, and enough food to feed a small army.

She stared at it.

“I thought dinner, was supposed to be just dinner.” She murmured.

Valerie, standing next her, looked confused.

“But it is dinner, Isadora.”

Lana made a face.

“Why does it look like a feast?”

Valerie breathed, with a soft smile.

“That's because, the Alpha is dining with the council tonight.”

She groaned.

'Wonderful..'

'Just when i thought i could live longer, the universe brings in more people.. which means, more opportunities to die.'

She sat almost reluctantly beside Cassian, trying to appear elegant enough.

She had spent the entire afternoon, reminding herself of one important fact.

The first assassination attempt involved a poisoned wine.

She knew exactly when it would happen, who carried the tray, which glass contained the poison, and what would happen if she drank it.

So she would simply refuse the wine, in a simple, and civilized manner.

She smiled slightly.

'No screaming.. No suspicious behavior.. No dramatic table flipping.'

She nodded to herself.

“I can do this.”

Cassian, seated beside her, glanced over.

“You're speaking to yourself again?”

Lana smiled.

“No.. I was just agreeing something personal with myself.”

He stared at her.

“With yourself?”

She nodded.

He looked away.

Lana could practically feel him questioning his life choices.

Finally, the dinner began.

Several council members discussed pack matters, while Lana tried to look interested.

In reality, she wasn't.

She was more keen on watching the servants.

'She's carrying bread.. Definitely not her.'

She glanced over at the next servant.

'That's fruit.. He's definitely not the one.'

She looked over another pouring out water to the guest's cups.

'Nah.. Definitely not the one.'

Lana's eyes moved constantly.

'Where the hell is he?'

Then, she saw him, her heart stopped.

The servant carrying the wine tray.

'Dark hair.. Thin face.. Silver-trimmed uniform.. Oh hell no!.. You aren't poisoning this Isadora.'

The servant was exactly as she had described him.

Her heart tightened.

“Not this Isadora, bitch.” She whispered quietly.

Valerie looked at her.

“What's the matter, Luna?”

Lana immediately smiled.

“No one..”

She quickly corrected, with a forced grin.

“Nothing..”

Valerie stared, completely confused.

'Great work, Lana... Why not keep giving this wolf's enough reason to suspect you.. It'd eventually make your death easier.'

She thought frustratingly.

Just then, the servant approached.

He held several crystal glasses on a silver tray.

Lana stared.

“That’s him.. The bitch himself.” She whispered.

Valerie frowned.

“Who, Luna.. and what is bitch?”

Lana’s brain screamed, her eyes widened.

'Divert the question, Lana.. How do you explain a swear word to an ancient traditional werewolf pack.'

Her eyes began moving randomly.

'Divert it, calmly.. and elegantly.'

She forced a grin.

“It nothing, Valerie.. And bitch.. Uhmm.. It is how you express excitement for a feast like this.”

Valerie nodded.

“I understand now.. But i think you need a drink, Luna... Just to calm you down.”

Lana's eyes widened in fear.

She could simply say she wasn't drinking tonight.

But then, the servant stopped beside her.

“Luna.”

He bowed slightly, while lifting the tray over to Lana's reach.

Lana's brain screamed.

'Bitch, i see you.. But you aren't killing this Isadora.. Not a chance!'

Then, she looked around, valerie was staring at her, even cassian was watching her as though something important was written over her face.

She made a sober face.

'Take the wine, Lana.. He is watching you.'

She slowly reached for the tray, but another thought stopped her.

'Don't you dare take that wine.. Or you'd be a dead meat by tomorrow.'

She hesitated again, but another thought pressured.

'Don't panic, Lana.. Don't make it obvious... Just reach for glass, and spill it.'

She nodded quietly, and reached for the glass.

Suddenly, her survival instinct took over.

Her elbow moved slightly, and knocked the tray.

The tray tipped.

Lana gasped.

The entire tray crashed on the table.

Crystal shattered, wine splashed across the white tablecloth, one glass rolled onto the floor, while another struck a plate.

Everyone stared.

She froze with her hand suspended in the air.

Slowly, she looked around.

“Oh..”

That was all she could say.

Valerie's mouth dropped open, Elias stared, the council members looked horrified, while Seraphina looked absolutely furious.

Cassian simply watched her.

She swallowed.

“I…”

She glanced at the broken glass, then at the servant, finally at Cassian.

“I lost my balance.”

Cassian raised an eyebrow.

“You lost your balance while sitting down?”

Lana blinked.

“Yes.”

“That's impressive.” He said.

Lana bowed slightly.

“Thank you, Alpha.”

He frowned.

“That wasn't a compliment, Luna.”

She nodded.

“I know.”

Someone coughed.

Lana tried to look embarrassed, but within, she was celebrating.

'Yes!.. i did it.. wine poison, checked'

She had successfully prevented the first assassination attempt.

'Brilliant, Lana.. You survived a bitch's attack.. You deserve an award..'

'Or perhaps a statue, maybe an holiday would be best.'

She secretly congratulated herself.

Cassian's eyes narrowed.

Lana didn't notice.

'Perfect execution.. Top notch!'

She looked at the ruined table.

'Okay, maybe not perfect execution.'

Suddenly, Seraphina spoke.

“Perhaps, the Luna should be more careful.”

Lana looked at her.

The smile on her face was pleasant, but her eyes weren't.

She remembered that expression.

'The mastermind herself... Seraphina..'

The woman who had plotted Isadora's death.

Lana's heart tightened, she forced a smile.

“I'll try.”

Seraphina's gaze shifted towards the servant.

The servant was sweating, Lana noticed.

So did Cassian.

“Everyone remains seated.” He ordered.

His voice had changed.

The warmth had disappeared, the room became silent.

He looked at the servant.

“You.”

The servant stiffened.

“Yes, Alpha?”

“Where did you get the wine?” Cassian questioned.

The servant shook.

“From the western cellar.”

“Who instructed you, to?” He questioned further.

The servant hesitated.

“I was told it was part of the evening service.”

“By whom?” He asked.

The servant stuttered.

“I…”

Cassian's eyes hardened.

“Answer me.”

The servant lowered his head.

“I don't know, Alpha.”

He looked at Elias.

“Take him.”

Two guards immediately stepped forward.

The servant went pale.

Lana watched nervously.

This wasn't how the scene had gone in her novel.

'In my original story, Isadora drank the wine, she collapsed.. The servant escaped.. Nobody suspected anything, until later.'

Now, the servant was being arrested before the poison had even been consumed.

She couldn't help feeling proud.

She looked at the spilled wine.

'Take that.. You dumb ass fictional plot.'

Cassian glanced toward her.

Lana immediately stopped smiling.

He was watching her again.

“What?” She asked.

“You don't seem surprised.. You look pleased.” He said.

Lana searched for the right response.

“I’m.. only grateful, that nobody was poisoned.”

Cassian studied her.

She smiled.

“Wouldn't you be grateful?”

His eyes moved toward the wine.

“Of course.”

The guards carried the tray away.

Dinner was temporarily suspended.

A healer was summoned to test the wine.

Lana tried to remain calm, she knew the result.

'Poison.'

When the healer returned several minutes later, the entire hall fell silent.

The healer bowed.

“Alpha.”

Cassian looked at him.

“What did you find?”

The healer's expression was grave.

“The wine was poisoned.”

Murmur drifted through the room.

Lana's heart celebrated.

'You did it.. You survived.'

She wanted to stand on the table, and announce that she was a genius.

Rather, she quietly clenched her fists beneath the table.

'Yes!'

She almost laughed.

'I'm alive.'

She glanced towards the ceiling.

'Take that, Seraphina.'

Cassian looked at her.

Lana immediately lowered her gaze.

The healer continued explaining that the poison would have caused severe illness, and likely death if consumed.

She nodded solemnly.

Within, she was dancing.

She had avoided the first trap.

'One down.. Several more to go.'

'You can do this.. You can survive that bitch's plots.'

She sighed.

'You just need to be careful.'

Lana failed to notice that Cassian was no longer listening to the healer.

His attention was entirely on her, he remembered her expression when the servant approached, and everything she had said without moving her lips.

She had recognized him, and had deliberately knocked the tray over.

She had known.

Cassian leaned back in his chair.

“Luna.”

Lana looked up.

“Yes?”

“How did you know?” He asked.

Her smile disappeared.

“Know what?”

“That the wine was poisoned.” He said.

Lana's brain went completely blank.

“I didn't.”

Cassian's gaze sharpened.

“You knocked the tray over, before anyone discovered the poison.”

“I’m clumsy.” She said.

He agreed.

“Indeed, you've been clumsy all day.. But you recognized the servant.”

Lana's smile twitched.

“Maybe he had a memorable face.”

“He doesn't.” Cassian disagreed.

She looked at him.

“Well, I thought he did.”

He said nothing more.

Lana shifted in her chair, her heart began pounding.

She had forgotten one important problem.

Knowing the future was useful, but knowing something before it happened, was suspicious.

She tried to look innocent.

Cassian continued watching her.

Lana smiled, but he didn't smile back.

She looked away.

'Okay.'

She swallowed.

'Maybe I'm in trouble.'

She glanced at him again, cassian was still staring.

'Definitely in trouble.. But, nevermind'

She was too busy congratulating herself even more, to take cassian's stare personal.

'I'm brilliant.'

Cassian's eyes narrowed.

'Take that, murderers.'

She smiled proudly at the ruined table.

'Nobody can defeat me now.'

He watched her silently, celebrate like a victorious general, who had just declared war on dinner.

He leaned back slowly, his expression remained calm, but his eyes had changed.

Suspicion had replaced the confusion.

For the first time, Cassian was no longer wondering if his Luna was behaving strangely.

He was wondering how she could possibly know things that was yet to happen.

Even worse, he wondered how he was able to hear her silent heart words.

As Lana nervously pretended to study her untouched dinner, Cassian reached a conclusion that made the entire situation far more interesting.

He was strangely able to hear her thoughts, it was undeniable.