Chapter 53
Alaric’s hands curled into fists at his sides. His jaw was locked, his entire body tense.
n
“She used it to set me up,” I said, shifting my eyes away from Alaric and looking at Gareth, my voice colder now. “Had someone plant it in my room.”
Gareth chuckled. “Should’ve known. Pretty ones like that? Always the deadliest.”
He didn’t seem to care about half of the things we said. It pissed me off.
I turned to Alaric, my voice low. “What if he tells her we came here?”
Alaric’s gaze stayed fixed on Gareth, but Gareth heard me–stupid of me to think a wolf wouldn’t.
“Tell her?” Gareth laughed, his shoulders bouncing with the sound. “Why would I do that?”
I frowned.
“I don’t share information,” he said, as if the very idea offended him. “I sell poison. That’s all.”
His smile widened, sharp and crooked. “Besides, I have no reason to share the beast king and his Luna’s secrets. Of what do they bring to my table?”
Alaric snarled.
The sound was low, coming from his chest. His eyes turned bright amber. The sound made the back of my neck prickle. I could feel the alpha pull, so did Gareth, but he didn’t care.
I reached out quickly, placing a hand on Alaric’s arm. “Don’t. We got what we came for.”
But Gareth wasn’t done. He pointed a finger at me, still grinning. “And you, little omega. I remember you.”
My blood ran cold.
“You were the one who eavesdropped on our little deal that day. Sloppy. Could’ve gotten yourself killed.”
My chest tightened.
Alaric looked at me.
“What is he talking about?” He asked.
“Amira wanted too poison me to death on the day of your mating ceremony. Hence why I pushed myself forward.”
{
His eyebrows dipped and he hummed.
“You’re lucky you belong to him now,” he said, nodding at Alaric. “If you hadn’t been so bold to present yourself to the King… well. Let’s just say, you’d be rotting in a ditch somewhere.”
Alaric moved.
Too fast for me to react.
His fist slammed into Gareth’s chest, sending the old man flying backward. He hit the wall with a dull thud, then crumpled to the floor.
Unmoving.
I stared at his limp body, my pulse racing.
Alaric stood still, breathing heavy, his hand still clenched.
I blinked. “Is he –?”
“He’s alive,” Alaric said darkly. “Just unconscious,”
I stepped doser, watching Gareth’s chest rise slowly Relief flooded me, though I wasn’t sure why.
8:31 PM ·
Chapter 53
“He talks too much,” Alaric muttered,
I exhaled slowly, “He confirmed it, though. It was Amira.”
Alaric nodded once. “Indeed. But we must not be brash.”
I looked back at Gareth. “What if he tells her after all?”
Alaric’s voice was flat, “He won’t.”
“And if he does?”
Alaric finally turned to me, his expression unreadable, “Then I’ll finish what I started.”
A chill ran down my spine.
I didn’t ask more.
Instead, I followed Alaric toward the door. My fingers trembled slightly as I reached for the handle, but I composed myself.
We stepped out into the cool air. The silence between us was heavy, but not empty.
Everything was starting to make sense,
Too much sense.
I stared ahead as we mounted our horses again.
“Next time, maybe don’t hit the informant,” I said quietly as we rode side by side, the castle looming in the distance now.
Alaric didn’t even glance my way. “The bastard was pissing me off.”
I raised a brow. “He’s supposed to piss you off, He’s a poison dealer.”
“He smiled too much. He talked about you in a way I didn’t like.”
I blinked, “You literally smiled when you threw him into the wall and why do you care if gee talked about me in such way?”
Alaric didn’t answer.
Typical.
15
By the time we reached the castle gates, I had almost laughed out loud from how ridiculous the entire exchange had been. Almost. But I held it in, especially with the guards standing at attention, the heavy doors creaking open like something out of a cursed fairytale.
We entered through the courtyard, the scent of lavender and old stone filling the air. I dismounted stiffly, wincing as my legs protested after the ride.
Alaric handed his reins to a stable boy, his face back to that cold, emotionless slate. The King mask was on again.
I moved to follow him when-
“Your Majesty,”
Cecelia’s voice cut through the corridor, light and graceful as always. She appeared from one of the side halls, dressed impeccably in deep green velvet, her hair swept up in perfect coils. She offered a low curtsy before her gaze flicked to mine.
“And may I borrow your Luna for a moment?”
Her tone was perfectly polite, but the slight sparkle in her eye said she wasn’t asking for anything dull.
Alaric paused, eyes dragging lazily to me.
“Will you be alright?” he asked, tone too casual to be real.
I crossed my arms. “From Cecelia? I don’t know. Depends if she tries to make me wear another corset I can’t breathe in ”
Cecelia gasped with mock offense. It was one time!”
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8:31 PM
Chapter 53
I gave her a look. “I passed out.”
She turned to Alaric with a little wave of her hand. “We’ll just be a moment”
Alaric didn’t argue. “Try not to kill her,”
Cecelia grinned. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
I sighed and let her drag me down the hall. Whatever she was planning. I had the strange feeling I was about to regret it.
I nodded quietly, glancing back at Alaric’s retreating figure before following Cecelia through the long corridor. She held her silence for a few moments, which was unlike her. Normally, she’d be chattering away, guiding me through etiquette or scolding me about my posture.
But today felt different.
The tension in her shoulders, the careful way she kept her face forward and avoided my eyes–it all screamed discomfort.
“Cecelia,” I finally said, breaking the silence as our footsteps echoed down the hall. “What’s really going on? And please, don’t tell me it’s nothing.”
She hesitated, keeping her face car
efully blank. “It is nothing.”
I rolled my eyes, frustration boiling inside me. “You can’t keep things from me forever. I’ll find out eventually.”
