7.

Theon's POV

—

I stepped out of Selene's chambers, pulling the door shut behind me.

For a moment, I remained in the corridor, my thoughts returning to our conversation.

Something about Selene's behaviour troubled me.

She had always been affectionate, sometimes even overly so. I was accustomed to the way her face brightened whenever I entered a room, the warmth in her voice whenever she called my name, and the way she instinctively reached for me whenever we were together.

But today, she had barely looked at me. I had thought it was because of her condition, but even when I approached her, she seemed more interested in keeping her distance than speaking to me.

And that wasn't the only thing bothering me. Her words kept replaying in my head.

"...Perhaps there's something about Cora's condition that none of us knows."

What exactly had she meant by that?

Was she suggesting that Cora had lied about her pregnancy? Or that something had happened before the fall that none of us knew about?

I exhaled, rubbing a hand over my face.

I didn't want to jump to conclusions. Cora had lost her child, and the circumstances surrounding the incident were already complicated enough.

But I was still going to investigate; it was worth looking into, and Selene had personally asked for it.

"Alpha?"

I turned at the sound of a slightly familiar voice.

A young woman stood a few steps away, holding a small tray. She was attired in a simple uniform, her head lowered respectfully.

One of Selene's handmaidens.

"You," I said, halting in front of her.

She raised her head a bit, momentarily confused. "Me, Alpha?"

I glanced at the tray in her hands before giving a single nod.

"Are you taking something to your Luna?"

"Yes, Alpha. Her dosage and some refreshments."

I nodded, studying her for a moment.

She had been assigned to Selene from the moment she moved into the Pack's palace house, even before I became Alpha. As far as I knew, she had been by her side since then.

If anyone should have a clear understanding of Selene's daily activities, it would be her.

"How long have you been serving the Luna?"

"Almost two years now, Alpha."

"Two years?" I repeated to myself, nodding thoughtfully.

"Then I suppose you know her quite well."

She hesitated. "I try my best to attend to her needs, Alpha."

I regarded her for a moment before asking, "Has anything unusual happened recently? Anything involving the Luna that you think I should know about?"

Her fingers tightened slightly around the tray.

"Unusual, Alpha? I'm...not sure I understand what you mean."

"Has she been troubled by something? Has anyone been bothering her?"

She lowered her gaze, but I noticed the hesitation immediately.

"Speak freely," I encouraged. "I'm not asking because I intend to punish anyone. I simply want to understand what has been happening around my mate."

She swallowed before answering.

"The Luna has been a little troubled lately, Alpha."

My brows drew together. "Troubled?"

"Yes. Although she hasn't said much about it."

"Do you know what was bothering her?"

She shook her head.

"Not exactly. But I noticed that she seemed quite bothered by the constant disagreements with Lady Cora."

I stared at her. "Lady Cora?"

"Yes, Alpha."

I looked around the hall thoughtfully, folding my arms across my chest.

"Explain."

She hesitated again, seemingly unsure whether she should continue.

"On a few occasions, the Luna returned from meetings where Lady Cora was also present, looking rather upset. Whenever I asked if something was wrong, she would tell me not to worry."

"Did she mention Cora?"

"Not directly, Alpha. But I remember her saying that she wished Lady Cora would stop interfering in... her marriage."

My jaw tightened slightly. Interfering in her marriage?

It was true that Cora and Selene had never particularly gotten along, and whatever little tolerance they once had for each other had only deteriorated over time. But Selene had never brought this particular complaint to me directly.

Then again, Lady Cora had been pregnant. She was bound to be a little irritable at times, and Selene understood this.

"Did she explain what she meant?"

"No, Alpha. She usually changed the subject whenever I asked."

I remained silent for a moment.

Perhaps this was what Selene meant when she spoke about missing some facts.

I knew the two women had never been really close, but I hadn't imagined their disagreements had become serious enough to trouble Selene.

"Was there anything else?"

She thought briefly before shaking her head.

"Not that I can remember, Alpha."

I nodded, then remembered something.

"On the day of the incident, did anything unusual happen? Were you with her?"

Her expression changed slightly.

"Yes, Alpha. I was with her for a while."

I straightened. "Tell me what happened."

"Lady Cora sent someone to the Luna's chambers with a message. She requested that the Luna meet her beneath the shade near the cliffs."

My attention sharpened. "Who brought the message?"

"Lydia, one of Lady Cora's handmaidens, Alpha."

"And what did the message say exactly?"

She shook her head.

"I wasn't told the details. Lydia simply said Lady Cora wished to speak privately with the Luna."

"Did Selene agree immediately?"

"Not immediately, Alpha. She seemed reluctant at first, but eventually agreed to go."

I frowned.

"Did you accompany her?"

"Yes, but I only accompanied her as far as the shaded area where Lady Cora was waiting. She later asked that they be given some privacy, so the Luna permitted me to leave."

I fell silent. So, Cora had sent for Selene.

That was an important detail, although it didn't necessarily mean anything.

Perhaps she wanted to discuss something concerning the pack, and then their meeting had turned into an argument. Still, it raised a question.

Why had Cora requested a private meeting with Selene if, according to her testimony, Selene had suddenly confronted and attacked her without a reasonable provocation?

I looked back at Selene's handmaiden.

"Did the Luna say anything before you left?"

"No, Alpha. She only asked me to prepare her things for later."

I nodded slowly, my thoughts turning over the details. How had they gone from sitting beneath the shade to ending up at the foot of the cliff?

If an altercation had broken out between them, the guards stationed nearby would have noticed and intervened before things could escalate.

But I could tell that was all she knew.

I couldn't expect her to tell me what had happened after she left. She hadn't been there, and I wasn't interested in making assumptions based on information she couldn't possibly have.

Selene was right; I needed to find out on my own, without emotion.

"Very well. You may go."

She bowed. "Thank you, Alpha."

The handmaiden turned toward Selene's chambers, but I stopped her once more.

"One more thing."

She immediately turned around, lowering her gaze slightly.

"Yes, Alpha?"

"Has the Luna been treating you well?"

Her brows lifted slightly, seemingly surprised by the question.

"Very well, Alpha."

"Has she ever threatened you or mistreated you?"

"Never, Alpha." She answered almost immediately. "The Luna has always been kind to everyone around her."

I studied her expression. There was no hesitation this time.

"She has never made me feel inferior because of my position," she continued. "Even when she is upset, she never takes it out on those appointed to serve her."

I nodded. She was right; that was exactly how I knew Selene, too.

"Keep an eye on her, please."

Without another word, I turned and continued down the corridor.

To understand what happened, I needed to go back to the beginning.

And the first person I needed to speak to was Warren.

By the time I arrived at my office, the evening had settled over IronClaw.

I loosened the collar of my shirt and moved behind my desk, where several documents had been left waiting for my attention.

I barely glanced at them.

Instead, I reached for the telephone beside my desk and punched a button.

A few seconds later, my Beta stepped inside.

"Alpha."

"Malakai," I started, "I need you to find whoever was responsible for security patrols around the western territory on the day of the incident."

He nodded. "Is there a particular reason, Alpha?"

"I want to know who was stationed near the cliff that afternoon. Bring me the names of every guard assigned to that area."

"Yes, Alpha."

"And find out whether anyone witnessed the women leaving the pack grounds and what transpired after."

"Understood. Anything else, Alpha?"

I paused before adding, "I also want a complete account of the medical treatment Lady Cora received after the fall. Speak to Warren and have him prepare the records."

My Beta looked at me briefly.

"Should I bring the Luna's medical records as well?"

"Yes. I want both women's injuries documented and compared."

"Very well, Alpha."

He bowed and turned toward the door.

"Wait," I said before he could take another step.

He stopped, turning to me again.

"Has Kyle submitted his report on the incident?"

Kyle was the head guard assigned to Selene's protection that day.

"Yes, Alpha. He submitted it earlier today."

"Bring it to me first."

He nodded and left.

I leaned back in my chair, staring into space.

I needed to be careful. No matter what, I couldn't let emotions slip in simply because Selene was my mate and Cora... Well, Cora and I had history.

If Selene were guilty, she would answer for her actions. And if she weren't, I would make certain the truth came to light.

A knock interrupted my thoughts.

My Beta returned carrying a folder.

"Here is the Gamma's Kyle report, Alpha."

I accepted it and motioned for him to leave.

Opening the folder, I began reading through the document.

It contained the usual details: the time the incident was reported, the arrival of the medical team, and the subsequent arrangements made to transport the injured women back to the packhouse.

I scanned the pages until my eyes settled on one particular section.

No witnesses were identified in the immediate vicinity of the incident.

I read the statement again.

No witnesses? I frowned.

The western path wasn't particularly busy, but it wasn't completely isolated either. Hunters and patrol guards occasionally used that route.

It seemed unusual that nobody had seen anything.

I turned to the last page, searching for anything tangible. Anything. But there was nothing more.

I closed the folder slowly. Perhaps I was overthinking things.

But something about the entire situation didn't sit right with me.

Selene had insisted that Cora grabbed her first. Her handmaiden confirmed that Cora requested the meeting.

Now, the report suggested nobody had witnessed the incident.

I rubbed my jaw thoughtfully.

There was still too much I didn't know. But one thing was certain.

I wasn't going to condemn my mate based on assumptions, regardless of how possible it seemed.

Not until I knew exactly what had happened that afternoon. And I was going to find out by any means.