HIS CAPTIVE

Magnus POV

I stopped outside the courtroom, watching my slave being dragged in front of me. The crowd hurl insults at her, their eyes hungry for blood. I watched how the chains left angry red marks on her delicate wrists.

So this was my mate.

A mate I had been searching for years. The moment my eyes landed on her, my wolf surged forward with a possessive roar.

It didn't help that I recognized her. I may never have seen her face to face, but I remembered her name. She was one of the students who had graduated from the academy I had sponsored in the past. She was the reason the pack and the western region had survived several deadly plagues. She had become one of the most sought-after healers in the region, treating illnesses while other territories struggled.

Her work had helped the western population grow over the years.

She was the reason the west population had increased over the years.

But I still had to remember that she was the suspect. When we reached the fortress, this matter would be reviewed by the council. If she was guilty, justice would be served.

I watched as the men dragged her forward. Her head lolled from exhaustion, and she fell. Her so-called Beta rushed to her side, trying to help her up. I felt a growl building in my chest at the sight of another man's hands on her.

I suppressed it.

I watched the crowd disperse as I entered the formal wagon waiting for me. Before I could climb inside, a voice stopped me.

"My King."

I turned to see the Alpha of Tauris Pack, his head bowed low. Logan. I studied him with cold detachment. The man who had been the husband of my fated mate. The man who had thrown her away like garbage.

"Again, I apologize for my former Luna," Logan said, his tone dripping with false humility. "But I would like to invite you to my next Luna Ceremony and the celebration for my pup."

I watched him carefully. I wondered if she had loved him. It didn't matter. She was fated to me now.

My gaze shifted to the woman at his side. Natalia. She was smirking, clearly pleased with herself.

"You are pregnant?" I said simply.

"She is." Logan's chest puffed with pride. "The useless slave could not even bear my child when I needed one. But thankfully, the Moon Goddess has blessed Natalia with my pup."

Useless slave. The words grated against my skin. I didn't understand the politics within the Tauris Pack, but it was evident to me now. He had been cheating on her. For years.

I studied his new Luna, remembering her face well. A known troublemaker. A manipulator. Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

It didn't alter the fact that I had found my mate. But I still needed to keep an eye on this one.

For what my mate had accomplished, it did sound odd for her to poison my sister. She may be framed. But I had to figure out why.

And if she was truly the one who poisoned my sister, then my mate would have to be executed. I would have to accept the madness that would consume my wolf after her death.

Either way, my sister must get justice.

"I'm busy. I'll not be available," I said sharply, turning around to enter the royal wagon.

The moment I climbed inside, I was met by my Gamma and Beta waiting for me. Ossian, my Beta, handed me a joint to smoke.

I took it, inhaling deeply. The smoke burned my lungs, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside me.

"You spared her." My Gamma, Adrian, spoke up, his grey eyes fixed on me with barely concealed confusion. "She is the reason your sister is in a coma. The evidence is clear. The poison was traced back to her brewing supplies."

I exhaled slowly, watching the smoke curl toward the ceiling. My jaw tightened.

"What that Beta of Tauris said caught my interest." I leaned back, my eyes narrowing. "She may be framed. I have heard of the deeds she has done for the pack and my people, Adrian."

Adrian's expression didn't soften. "The same hands that healed people could have easily mixed the poison."

I felt a growl building in my chest. "She sounded sincere when she said she didn't poison her. I could feel it."

"That proves nothing," Ossian said calmly, his voice measured and careful. "She may be innocent. She may look innocent. But the evidence points to her. Her own pack didn't even defend her when we took her away. That alone is telling."

"Or it tells me they were eager to be rid of her," I snapped, my patience fraying. "Her own mate handed her over without hesitation. Her own sister smiled as she was dragged away. Does that not strike you as odd?"

Adrian and Ossian exchanged a glance.

"You seem rather illogical, my King," Ossian said calmly. "You're not one to think from just your gut feeling."

I took another long drag of the joint, forcing myself to breathe.

"She is my mate." The words left my mouth before I could stop them. "After all these years of searching, the Goddess has finally given me a mate. I doubt she would be so cruel as to give me a heartless poisoner."

Their eyes widened.

"Your mate?" Adrian's voice was barely a whisper.

I nodded, my gaze fixed on the window. "Once we get back to the fortress, we will talk in detail. But remember, my sister is still in a deep sleep. The land doesn't know that. If she wakes, she may know who caused this."

"And if she doesn't wake?" Ossian asked quietly.

The question hung in the air like a blade.

I didn't answer. I couldn't. Because the thought of losing my sister was a wound that had never healed.

I thought of her lying in that bed, pale and still. My little sister. The only family I had left.

---

The wagon lurched to a stop. I stepped out into the cold darkness of my fortress, the blazing snow falling from the sky in thick, unforgiving sheets. The wind howled around me, sharp and brutal, cutting through my clothes like knives.

One of my guards rushed forward, pressing a fur jacket into my hands.

"Your Majesty, a blizzard is coming soon," he warned.

But my gaze was fixed behind me.

I watched as the soldiers dragged my mate out of the wagon. She stumbled, falling hard onto the frozen ground. Her lips were already turning blue, her pale skin almost translucent in the harsh winter light. I could see silent tears streaming down her cheeks, freezing before they even fell.

She was shaking violently.

I frowned, my voice booming with cold fury. "Are you blind?! Can you not see she is getting frostbite?!"

The men handling her froze, glancing down at her crumpled form on the snow. She refused to stand. Her knees were buried in the deep snow, her body too weak to move.

Something inside me snapped.

I walked toward her, ignoring the biting wind. My hand reached down, removing my jacket and draping it over her trembling shoulders. She was shaking so hard I could hear her teeth chattering.

She looked up at me, clearly out of it. Her gaze was confused and terrified.

Without a word, I picked her up in bridal style. Her body was so light, so fragile against my chest. I saw how cold her face was. Her nose was red, her lips losing all color. She was clearly not in her right mind anymore.

She leaned into me instinctively, seeking the warmth of my body.

"The dungeons are ready, Your Majesty," one of my soldiers suggested.

My wolf snarled inside me. A low, dangerous growl rumbled from my chest.

"No one touches her." I turned sharply to my Beta, my voice brooking no argument. "Tell the kitchen staff to prepare a hot meal for two."

I didn't wait for a response. I walked through the dark, great gates of my fortress, holding my mate in my arms.