All Chapters of The Wrong Mate And The Silver Queen: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

I woke to silence.Not the peaceful silence of a palace at rest, but the heavy, expectant quiet of a world holding its breath. The morning after my father's sentencing, the Moonstone Court felt different—as if the very stones were waiting to see what would happen next.Rowan was already awake, standing at the window with his back to me. The early light caught the silver in his ash-gray hair, and I watched him for a moment, letting the reality of everything settle over me."You're staring," he said without turning."How did you know?""I always know when you're looking at me." He turned, and the smile on his face was soft and tired. "It's a particular warmth. Like sunlight through a window."I pushed myself upright, wincing at the ache in my shoulder. "You should have woken me.""You needed rest. The Flame burns bright, but it can't sustain you forever." He crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "How do you feel?""Like I've been carrying a mountain and someone finally took i

The morning of our departure arrived cold and gray, the sky heavy with the threat of snow. I dressed in traveling clothes—simple wool and leather, nothing that would mark me as royalty. If I was going to meet with mercenaries, I needed to look like a wolf who could be reasoned with, not a Queen who could be ransomed.Rowan was already in the chamber when I emerged from behind the privacy screen. He held a small wooden case in his hands, his expression unreadable."What's that?" I asked."Something I should have shown you long ago." He opened the case to reveal a collection of small vials and testing strips. "Poison detection kit. I've been using it on your food since the day I was assigned to your protection detail."I stared at him. "You've been testing my food for five years?""Every meal. Every cup of water. Every piece of fruit that appeared on your plate." His voice was matter-of-fact. "Your father wasn't above using subtle methods. A slow-acting poison, a drug to keep you compli

The attempt on my life came three nights later.I was walking back from the library, my arms full of documents related to the Greymoor investigation, when the scent hit me. Strange wolf. Foreign. The faintest trace of steel and poison.I stopped walking.The corridor was empty, the torches burning low. My wolf surged to the surface, every instinct screaming danger. I'd walked these halls a thousand times, but tonight they felt different. Wrong."Rowan?" My voice echoed off the stone walls.No answer.The attack came from the shadows.A blur of motion to my left. I dropped the documents and spun, barely deflecting the blade that whistled toward my throat. The assassin was fast—faster than any wolf I'd fought before—and his face was hidden behind a mask of black cloth."Die, false Queen," he snarled.I didn't have time to shift. The knife came again, and I stumbled backward, my heel catching on the scattered papers. The assassin pressed his advantage, his blade a silver streak in the di

"We found him."Lyra's voice was flat, controlled, but I could hear the anger simmering beneath it. She stood in the doorway of my chambers, her leather armor stained with dirt and what looked suspiciously like blood."Where?" I was already on my feet, reaching for my cloak."The old crypts beneath the eastern chapel. He'd been hiding there for weeks, maybe longer. The chapel keeper was loyal to your father—he's been bringing him food and supplies." Lyra paused. "We have him in the dungeons now. He's not talking.""He'll talk to me." I moved toward the door, but Rowan caught my arm."Selene, wait. If he's the one who poisoned the food, he's dangerous. Let Lyra's wolves question him first.""I've spent three days burying a sixteen-year-old girl who died because of this wolf." My voice was cold. "I'm not waiting for protocol."The dungeons were dark and cold, the air thick with the scent of old stone and fear. The prisoner was in the same cell where my father had once been held—a bitter

The prisoners were in worse condition than I'd feared.They'd been kept in a windowless room at the back of the forge, chained to the walls like animals. Most were too weak to walk. Some were too weak to speak. But their eyes—their eyes followed me as I moved among them, the Silver Flame pulsing from my hands, healing what I could."Easy," Rowan murmured, steadying me as I stumbled. "You're pushing yourself too hard.""There are children here." I looked at the small figures huddled against the walls. "Children, Rowan. The blood mages were bleeding children."I moved to a young wolf—a girl, maybe eight years old—who was curled in the corner. Her arms were covered in cuts, some fresh, some scarred over. The dark magic residue clung to her like a shroud."What's your name?" I asked gently.She didn't answer. Just stared at me with hollow eyes."It's okay. You're safe now." I reached for her, but she flinched away. "I'm not going to hurt you.""She hasn't spoken since they brought her in.