Chapter 86 Someone tried to poison her

CA SSANDRA

A lump formed in my throat and my heart began to race as I stood frozen in the doorway. Beyond the table, Erika gave me an apologetic expression and mouthed the word “sorry”. I could tell she felt bad that they were there, but I knew it wasn’t her fault. Erika couldn’t stop the Alpha King’s wife and son from entering even if she wanted to.

Adalyn continued to stare at me coldly, and Erika hustled to my side.

“Erika, could you please prepare some tea?” I asked her quietly. “In the meantime, I’ll deal with Lady Adalyn.”

“Are you sure, Ca ssandra?” the maid replied, and her eyes widened. “I can stay-”

“I can do this,” I insisted. “Please leave us.”

Erika nodded and then slipped away to make the tea. Once she was gone, I turned to Lancel.

“Could you grant Lady Adalyna and me some privacy?” I requested, but the older man didn’t seem too keen on the idea.

“I’ll be right here,” he said curtly, and he crossed his arms against his chest. Frustration swelled within me, and I released a sigh. There was no use fighting him. He was under the service of the Alpha King, not me, a lowly healer. I was in no position to be giving orders.

“Fine,” I remarked, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I’d deal with Lancel later. For now, I needed to figure out how I was going to handle this visit with Adalyn. She had nefarious intentions, I was sure of it.

If our last encounter in the laboratory was any indication, I would need to keep

my wits about me if I wanted to survive.

I approached the table and bowed my head politely.

“Lady Adalyn,” I greeted Asher’s wife. “And Prince Marco. So sorry to keep you waiting. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

“Healer Ca ssandra,” Adalyn replied with a raised eyebrow. Her lips were painted a deep ruby red, and she was wearing a simple black dress that hugged her body perfectly. She was so devastatingly beautiful that I could hardly stand it. “So glad you could finally join us. I’m here to apologize for my behavior a few days ago.”

My eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

Adalyn?

Apologizing?

There was no way this was actually happening. In any other circumstance, I would have rubbed my eyes in disbelief. Surely, I was dreaming.

But her tone seemed strangely convincing…

I wasn’t sure what kind of tricks she was trying to play this time, but with everything going on presently, I didn’t have time to waste on Adalyn’s mind games.

“Thank you, Lady Adalyn,” I said carefully. “That means a lot to me. I appreciate your apology greatly and hope we can put this behind us.”

Adalyn seemed surprised and a little annoyed at my response. She stared at me blankly for a moment and then cleared her throat.

“Good,” she remarked, and then she gestured to the empty chair across from her. “Please, take a seat. There’s no need for you to remain standing. I’m sure you’ve had a long day.”

“Thank you,” I said, and it took all of my effort to keep from narrowing my eyes in disbelief. I needed to keep playing along if I was going to make it out of this

encounter and get her out of this room. “You are most gracious, Lady Adalyn.”

I took a seat at the table and folded my hands in my lap politely. All of the lessons of etiquette I’d ever been taught flashed in my mind, and I made my best effort to straighten my posture and smile.

“Now that that’s settled,” Adalyn began again, and she peered around the room. “Where is your darling son? My Marco wanted to play with him since he hasn’t been “Where is your darling son? M attending lessons lately. Is he around?”

My eyes fell on Marco, and much to my surprise, I could tell there was some truth to Adalyn’s words. Marco seemed a little sad and kept glancing around at Finnick’s toys. I was a little shocked. I didn’t think the young prince cared much for

my son.

“I’ve been so busy working in the laboratory lately that Finnick is being watched by someone else,” I explained. “Temporarily, of course. I’m sure he’ll be back soon. He takes a little longer to adapt to the classes, but-”

“Probably because he’s stu pid,” Marco quipped softly.

“Marco!” Adalyn gasped, and her amber eyes widened. “That was very unkind! Apologize to Healer Ca ssandra right now!”

Marco’s cheeks flushed scarlet and his eyes fell to the ground.

“I’m sorry, Healer Ca ssandra,” he said politely, and his lip trembled. I nodded but remained silent. As much as the child annoyed me, I couldn’t hold his bad behavior against him. His mother didn’t set the best of examples, after all, and he was just a young boy. Hopefully, he would grow up to be a kinder man, like his father.

“Why are you so busy these days, if you don’t mind my asking?” Adalyn addressed me, and I nearly laughed.

So, that was her real intention for visiting. Adalyn thought she was being sneaky and clever about it, but her true motives were incredibly transparent. She knew very well that I had my hands full with the viper situation. Everyone in the palace knew for that matter. She’d likely heard the news going around Merliscire

about the upcoming meeting and wanted to get an inside scoop.

“We’ve been conducting research about the vipers, Lady Adalyn,” I replied simply.

Erika entered the room just in time with a tray. She offered an apologetic look. as she walked in, and wordlessly, she began to set the table for us. As she arranged the teapot, cups, and small snacks, Adalyn and I locked eyes.

Erika gave Marco a small plate of treats, and the boy lit up. He offered the maid a smile and said thank you, much to my surprise, and once the tea was poured into cups, Adalyn spoke again.

“Have you found out anything important?” she pressed. “You must have, since there’s going to be a meeting tomorrow, right?”

“Right,” I replied. “But I won’t be able to reveal anything at present. I need to discuss things with the royal healers first, and then we’ll spread the word to the public.”

“I see,” Adalyn muttered, and annoyance painted her expression. I could tell she was agitated, and I found a little comfort in that.

She went to raise her cup to her mouth, but before she could lift it, I noticed the

smell of it was off.

Erika always made jasmine tea, but the scent wasn’t correct. It was floral, sure, but there was another note I didn’t recognize, something strange I didn’t recognize.

My eyes widened.

“Adalyn, don’t drink that,” I blurted out, and Adalyn froze immediately. I had a bad feeling, something in my gut telling me that this was wrong.

Asher’s wife raised her eyebrow and for a moment, I thought she was going to throw a tantrum, but she set the cup back down.

“What’s going-” she started to say, and suddenly, we heard footsteps outside of

the door.

I inhaled sharply. Someone was out in the hall, and it sounded like they were trying to make a hasty escape.

Without a word, Lancel gripped the sword in his belt and burst out of the door

immediately.

Chapter 87 Caught him

CA SSANDRA

Adalyn’s eyes widened at the commotion and she sprang into action. She rose from her seat, swept Marco into her arms, and backed away from the table.

“What’s going on?” she demanded, and she looked between Erika and me. “Something doesn’t make sense here. Are… are you trying to kill me?” Her tone grew more shrill with every word and her body began to tremble. I didn’t know what to say, but I knew I had to say something quickly. Arguing with Adalyn didn’t matter. All I wanted was for Lancel to catch whoever was eavesdropping on

1.

“Answer me, healer!” Adalyn shouted when I didn’t reply.

“Lady Adalyn, if I wanted you to die, I wouldn’t have stopped you from drinking that tea,” I pointed out to her as I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

Adalyn’s face contorted, but she didn’t have any other argument to make She held Marco close and rushed out of the room. I had half a mind to stop her and beg her to stay here in the chamber. It could be dangerous out there if the guards were trying to catch whoever was spying on us. But it was no use.

Adalyn Moses listened to no one.

My eyes fell on Erika, who appeared as if she were going to faint. All of the color had left her cheeks and her chest heaved as she fought to catch her breath. I

rushed over to her and held my arm out to steady her.

“Erika!” I gasped as she nearly fell over.

“Oh, Ca ssandra,” she uttered in shock. “Oh, Ca ssandra… I didn’t… I don’t understand. I… I poured the tea myself. I didn’t… I didn’t know…”

“Erika, breathe,” I insisted. “Please. I know this wasn’t your fault.”

“Was the tea… was it poisoned?” she asked quietly.

“It seems that way,” I said. “But Erika, I know it wasn’t your fault or your doing. Something is going on here, something bad.”

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I was terrified. Whoever had put the poison in the tea had been skillful. They must have slipped it in when Erika wasn’t looking, or perhaps they’d snuck it into the tea leaves that the maid used.

Either way, I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if Adalyn and I had

drunk it.

My stomach twisted in knots.

“Let’s get you to a chair,” I decided, and after Erika nodded, I escorted her over to the table. Once she was situated, an idea crossed my mind. I rushed over to my backpack and started to retrieve some of my supplies.”

Erika watched me warily.

“What are you doing?” she wondered.

“Taking a sample,” I replied as I walked back over. I wasted no time and emptied the contents of the teacup into an empty tube. “I have some testing supplies with me. I’m going to try to figure out what’s

going on.”

“Oh,” she breathed, and she nodded her head slowly. “That’s brilliant,

Ca ssandra.”

“After you’ve taken a moment to relax, could you carefully pack the teacups into sealed bags?” I requested. “I’ll dispose of them in the lab bins later. They need to stay far away from anyone else. I have gloves you can use so you don’t get anything

on you.”

is is

Erika nodded vigorously. “Of course. It’s the least I can do.”

We got to work right away, and as I took the sample and waited for the results, panic rose with me. This situation had escalated from bad to dangerous very

quickly, and the stakes were getting higher the longer and longer that Lancel was

away.

I had no doubt that the man was going to come back for me.

A little while later, a scream rang out, followed by a series of shouts and growls. Erika nd I nearly jumped out of our skins, and after we shared a look, I ran to the door. I tried to get a glimpse of what was going on, but I couldn’t see anything through the peephole.

“Get away from there, Ca ssandra!” Erika hissed, but I didn’t listen. I took a short

breath and then ran out of the room to find the source of the commotion.

The hallway was packed with people, and I shoved through them until I reached the center of the hall. There, standing in the center of the corridor, was a group of guards packed into a circle, led by Lancel. I couldn’t see who they were surrounding, even on my tiptoes, but I still tried to do so anyway.

Beyond me, Prince Marco stood crying.

“I want my mommy!” he sobbed as tears streamed down his cheeks, and he tried to thrash, but he was being held tightly by one of the guards. If he was there, where was Adalyn? I searched the crowd but didn’t see her. I considered running over to Marco, but I didn’t dare come close, not when I had no idea what was

happening.

Suddenly, I heard Lancel’s unmistakable voice.

“You must surrender,” the older guard said firmly. “More guards are on the way, and there’s no chance you’re going to make it out of here unless you give in.”

The sound of another man’s voice reached my ears.

He was laughing, cruel laughter that made my entire body shudder. It was a terrible, terrible sound.

“Don’t you care about the king’s wife?” the voice asked, and suddenly, my heart. dropped.

I walked closer, and a gasp escaped me. Though I couldn’t see the man’s face, I could see his frame, and he wasn’t alone.

There, at the center of the circle of guards, he stood, holding Adalyn in his arms. He had a firm grip around her neck, and his razor-sharp claws were pressed against her delicate skin. Little drops of blood began to stream from Adalyn’s arm as he dug in further, and she cried out in pain.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

He was holding the Alpha King’s wife hostage.

Adalyn’s normally tan complexion was pale, and her lip trembled. Her amber eyes were bloodshot with tears and she whimpered in pain.

“Please,” she begged, but it was no use. The man simply laughed and then turned to the crowd again.

“Take one step forward, and I’ll slash her neck,” the man threatened, and when no one moved, he shouted again. “I said move backward! You wretched morons! I’ll kill her! I’ll kill her right now!”

My chest heaved as I fought to catch my breath.

I’d known it then just as I knew it now.

The man in the center of the room was unmistakably the guard Margaret had brought with her to capture me just days prior in my chamber.

The very same soldier who’d tried to kill me five years ago in Rosepetal.

“Wretched mo ron”.

I’d never forget that phrase as long as I lived. That vile man had spat the same words at me the day I thought I was going to die, just before the inferno had set my home ablaze.

Did that mean what I thought it meant?

Was he also the man from the basement?

The imposter?

Chapter 88 Take her place

CA SSANDRA

As I fought to catch my breath and make sense of all of this, Lancel spoke up

and called out to the man.

“Release the Alpha King’s wife,” he pleaded carefully, and he raised his hands as if in surrender. “We can reach an understanding, but only if you let her go-”

“An understanding?” the man scoffed, and he shook his head slowly as he held tightly onto Adalyn. “There’s nothing to understand. There’s no way you’re going to handle this peacefully. I know I’m dead anyway, so I may as well just take her with

me.”

He gripped onto her even tighter still and dug his claws further into her arm. Adalyn whimpered as trails of blood poured down her skin. My eyes welled up with

tears before I could stop them. This was cruel.

As much as I detested Adalyn, she didn’t deserve this.

“Do you like that, baby?” the man laughed as she writhed under his hold. “Huh? Keep squirming and I’ll do much worse. Trust me, I have all kinds of ways to hurt

you.”

“The king won’t let you get away with this,” Adalyn blurted out bravely.

The man laughed again, and the cruel sound of it was almost enough to send. me to my knees.

“Sure, whatever you say, gorgeous,” he mocked her. “I don’t see him around, do you? Besides… I don’t care what happens to me. All I want is the taste of one of the beautiful women in Wegalla before I go…”

He leaned in close and pressed his lips against Adalyn’s neck. She cried out in disgust at the vulgar display, but as she tried to shift her body away and break free,

the man’s claws dug into her neck. Blood began to spill onto her collarbone and my stomach turned a little at the sight.

The man grinned. “Oops. How clumsy of me. Tell you what, darling, if you keep continue to struggle, I’m going to have no choice but to press in a little deeper.”

He pushed his claws in further to prove his point, and Adalyn cried out in pain. She instantly stopped moving, but her face grew even paler. She looked like a corpse, she was so colorless.

I looked around the room. This was intense, more so than I could bear. No one wanted to do anything out of fear for Adalyn’s safety, but the longer we stood around, the worse things were going to get.

Beyond me, Prince Marco was openly sobbing. I had no idea why no one was escorting the young boy to safety. My heart ached for him. He didn’t deserve this. No one deserved anything like this.

Suddenly, anger flooded through me. This sick, twisted man wasn’t going to get away with all of this.

Not if I had anything to say about it.

I pushed past the few people who stood between me and the circle of guards. and cleared my throat.

“Hey, you!” I blurted out as I took another step closer.

The guards whipped around to stare at me, and the corridor fell silent. The man let out a laugh.

“Oh, we have a brave one, do we?” he mocked me. “Who the hell are you?”

“I’m one of the royal healers,” I retorted as I squared my shoulders. “The one who arranged the meeting, in fact. If you want to know anything about the vipers, you should let Lady Adalyn go.”

The man scoffed. “Do you think I’m st upid enough to believe that? I know this is

all a trap. There’s no way you mo rons could have figured out the poisons that were created by the greatest sorcerors in the world. No, I won’t be deceived again. It was a nice try, healer, but you’re going to need to do better than that.”

So my suspicions were correct after all. He knew about the Ewonmiams.

“Why did you steal the book in the library?” I asked him. “And what was in the

box?”

The man huffed loudly.

“I’m sick of these questions,” he practically growled. “You know what, I’ve changed my mind. I want to talk to the king. I don’t need to waste my time on some lowly healer who doesn’t even understand anything.”

I bit my lip and tried to shove down the frustration that was growing within me. Adalyn’s neck was bleeding pretty profusely. Someone needed to intervene before she lost too much blood. Her amber eyes were glazing over already. If we didn’t act

fast, she could lose consciousness.

I took a deep breath. He could insult me all he wanted. I wasn’t afraid anymore.

“Take me hostage instead!” I blurted out. “Please, just let Lady Adalyn go.”

“Excuse me?” the man called out, and then he laughed. “What nonsense are your babbling on about now?”

“Let her go,” I stated again, only louder this time. “You say you want an audience with the king? Well, that’s not going to happen if you kill his wife. You want to speak with him so badly? Take me instead.”

“And why would the king care about some healer?” he sneered. “You speak as if you hold some kind of significance, more so than her. What makes you think the king would even give you a second thought?”

“He would,” I said evenly, and suddenly, I felt a crowd of eyes on me. Even Adalyn managed to stare at me in surprise.

“Foolish girl,” the man replied. “Are you trying to suggest the king is in love with you or something?”

He chortled as if he was amused by my words.

“No,” I said calmly. “But I am his private healer. I mean more to him than your

seem to understand.”

The room remained silent, and the man seemed to be considering my proposal. Despite my newfound bravery, my hands were shaking, and I quickly tightened them in an effort to reclaim my calmness. I had no idea if this would work, but I had

to try.

“Why would you want to save her?” the man asked finally. “From what I’ve overheard, it doesn’t seem as if she particularly cares about you. Why would you take her place?”

“Does it matter?” I asked.

“Not really,” he replied simply. “This just seems like some sort of trick.”

“It’s no trick,” I assured him, and I raised my hands to show him I was weaponless. “Not that it matters, but I’m wolfless. I couldn’t hurt you even if I

wanted to.”

The man grinned. “Wolfless, eh? Interesting.”

He paused for a moment, and my heart raced in my chest. Adalyn and I stared at one another. She looked so weak that it was hard to read her emotions, but I tried to show her that I meant no ill will. I was doing everything in my power to save her.

“Fine,” the man spoke up. “Your wish is granted, healer. I’ll let her go and take you in her place.”

I inhaled sharply and then nodded. Whispers broke out in the room, and heat spread to my cheeks. I was nervous at first, but then I cast aside my fear and

nodded.

I had no idea what I was about to face, but I would do whatever it took. We needed to get to the bottom of this mystery. If I had to face potential injury, so be it.

Nothing could be worse than the inferno.

If I could survive that, I could survive anything..

I took a step forward and prepared to accept my fate when suddenly, I felt someone grip my wrist.

I whipped around to see Asher standing behind me. His gray eyes blazed with fury as they bore into mine.

“This is out of the question,” he said firmly.

Chapter 89 Fight

CA SSANDRA

My voice caught in my throat as the Alpha King glared down at me. His grip. remained tight around my wrist and the intensity of his gaze was almost enough to make me collapse. He was finally here.

For a moment, I nearly forgot myself. I was so relieved to see him that the rest of the audience in the corridor didn’t even matter. But that feeling was fleeting when I heard a chorus of whispers.

Adalyn. The imposter.

I was on a mission.

I was about to protest Asher’s statement, but before the words could leave my lips, the Alpha King released my arm and stepped forward. His tall frame obstructed me completely and shielded me from view.

“Release her at once,” he practically growled at the man, and I shivered at his powerful tone.

“Asher,” Adalyn whimpered beyond us. I stepped out just far enough to see what was going on. Her amber eyes spilled over with tears, but this time, they were from happiness and relief rather than fear.

Moments later, Oliver and Linda Moses pushed their way through the crowd and rushed toward us. The Beta family’s faces paled instantly when they saw the state of their daughter, and Linda’s hand covered her mouth in shock as she cried. Oliver was like a statue, his face hardened and unmoving.

Footsteps rang out, and I stepped aside just as Prince Marco charged right at

Asher.

“Daddy!” he exclaimed through his s obs. “Daddy, please, I want to see Mommy!

I don’t understand what’s happening.”

I was relieved that the young boy was too short to see over the crowd of people. If he could see his mother’s blood-drenched frame, I was certain he would

be scarred for life.

Though I detested and even hated the entire Moses family, I felt sorry for Marco. I couldn’t imagine Finnick in the young prince’s position.

Asher crouched down but kept his eyes ahead.

“Marco, I need you to go with Sir Davey,” he said, and a guard rushed over immediately at the sound of his name. “Mommy and I will see you soon enough.”

In one smooth motion, he swept Marco into his arms and handed him off to the guard.

“Take him back to his room,” he ordered.

Sir Davey nodded and held Marco close. He obstructed the boy’s view of the man and carried him away without another word.

Once the prince and the guard disappeared down the corridor, Asher approached the circle of guards. His men parted obediently, and the Alpha King entered the fray.

I gulped in anticipation.

“What do you want?” Asher demanded.

The man’s face remained emotionless. “I want a private word with the king.”

Asher scoffed and shook his head. “Whatever you have to say, you can speak it

now. You have my attention.”

“I don’t think so,” the man replied, and he narrowed his eyes for a moment before sneering. “Trust me, what I have to say is rather interesting. But I’ll only say it in when I’m alone with the king.”

“That’s impossible!” Oliver Moses suddenly blurted, and all eyes fell to him. Asher turned to face the old Beta, and he appeared to be just as surprised as the

rest of us.

“It’s too dangerous, Your Majesty,” Oliver explained. “This man is clearly trying to play dirty. You shouldn’t agree to this absurd request.”

Though his words held a lot of truth, I was surprised to hear them all the same. Shouldn’t the man want his daughter to be set free no matter what? Why would he tell Asher not to comply?

The man let out another cruel laugh, and I wanted to cover my ears at the sound. His voice was triggering memories of the inferno, and all I wanted to do was run away and hide.

But I had to remain strong.

“I didn’t take the king of Wegalla as a coward,” he remarked, and then he inclined his head down at himself. “Look at me. What could I do to the great Alpha of the Crescent Pack? I’m already in my mid- age, and besides, you’re clearly stronger and more capable than me. If you want to kill me, you could do it right now. But I think it would be in your best interest to hear what I have to say.”

Asher took a deep breath. He squeezed his hand into a fist.

This was a tricky situation and I could understand his thought process. We needed to know the full story of what was going on, but being alone with the man wasn’t necessarily the best idea. What was the solution?

Oliver Moses let out a low growl. He stepped away from his wife and approached the man slowly. His entire frame shook with anger, and before anyone. could react, his nails sharpened into claws and he bared his fangs.

“How dare you disrespect the king!” he demanded, and in one swift motion, he lunged forward.

The man, out of what was most likely shock and self-preservation, shoved Adalyn forward, using her as a shield, and turned on his heels. All fell into chaos,

and as everyone began to move, my eyes struggled to keep up. All was a blur of limbs and motion, and my brain couldn’t comprehend it all.

Oliver may have been fast, but Asher was even faster. He stopped the Beta in his tracks and then moved forward and used a sweeping kick to knock the imposter to the ground. As he sta ggered and fell to the floor with a groan, Asher pulled Adalyn forward and into his arms. Once they were out of the way, Lancel sprang into action and apprehended the imposter.

“Asher,” Adalyn whimpered, and then she lost consciousness.

The crowd parted and made room for the Alpha King. Asher carried Adalyn toward me, and I started thinking quickly. Now that Adalyn was safe, she needed medical attention right away.

Without my kit on hand, I needed to improvise. I glanced down at my dress and without a second thought, took the fabric between my hands and tore the bottom. I ripped a strip long enough to be

useful and then turned my attention to Adalyn. Asher carefully laid her down on the ground and allowed me to step in.

I pressed the fabric from my dress against the wound on her neck and applied plenty of pressure. Thankfully, the cut wasn’t as deep as I thought it was, but it was still bad enough that it needed proper treatment.

Oliver and Linda Moses hustled over but thankfully, maintained their distance.

“Is she going to be okay?” Linda managed through her tears.

“We need to get her somewhere safe,” I announced. “She’s going to be fine, but she needs to get to some healers.”

Asher offered me a small nod and then surveyed the room.

“I need assistance!” he called out, and instantly, a group of guards appeared.” Get Lady Adalyn to the royal healers right away, and make haste!”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the guards said dutifully.

One of them looked at me. “Healer Ca ssandra, is she okay to be lifted?”

I nodded. “Yes. But the fabric needs to remain on her wound so she doesn’t

bleed too much more.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the guard replied, and then he reached down and carefully lifted Adalyn. Another guard took the rag from me and applied it to her wound, and once they were set, they hustled her out of the corridor.

Chapter 90 Alpha King’s weak spot

ASHER

Oliver had been trying to kill the man. Of that, I was certain.

I narrowed my eyes and studied my father-in-law, who was now checking on Adalyn with his wife beside him. Linda was sobbing but gave Ca ssandra the space to fully examine her daughter. Meanwhile, Oliver’s normally stoic face was even

more stern than usual.

Once I gave the order to bring her to the royal healers and Ca ssandra deemed her ready to be moved, the guards swept Adalyn up off of the ground.”

I watched the Beta family follow the guards out of the corridor, and once they were gone, I considered Oliver’s actions.

The way the events had all unfolded was very suspicious, to say the least. Oliver hadn’t seemed even a little worried about Adalyn when he’d stepped forward to attack the imposter, nor had he waited for my orders. If I hadn’t interfered at the last moment, the Beta would have killed the man and kept us from getting the answers we so desperately needed.

Curious. It was all so curious.

I pondered it for a moment and then turned back to the imposter. I would deal with Oliver’s insolence later. For now, I needed to deal with this criminal.

Though he’d been shackled, Lancel maintained a strong grip around the imposter. I stepped forward and finally got a good look at the man.

I’d expected someone like him to look more ragged and haggard, but much to my surprise, he was immaculately groomed. His light brown eyes were clear and laser-focused and his black hair had been brushed back away from his face. His cheekbones were high, but not hollow, and there was no sign of stubble or dark circles. In fact, he appeared to be quite well-rested. I supposed he could be

considered handsome, if it weren’t for the cruel sneer on his otherwise nice-looking

face.

Whoever he was, he was well taken care of.

The imposter gave me a look of amusement as I stood before him.

“I underestimated you,” he mused as his eyes trailed over me. “You’re far more capable and swift than I’d expected.”

“Is that supposed to flatter me?” I scoffed.

“Only if you want it to,” he retorted, and then he smiled. “I know at this point, I’m little more than dead meat, but I have a proposal. Spare my life and I’ll help you out. What do you say?”

He stared at me in a calculated way, but I wasn’t having it. Instead, I turned to

Lancel.

cell.”

“Take this criminal down to the dungeon,” I ordered. “I’ll question him from his

“Yes, Alpha,” Lancel replied loyally, and after he bowed his head, the guards stepped in and carried the man away. I half-expected the imposter to put up a fight, but he didn’t make any fuss. He was a strange one, that was certain, and I was relieved when he was out of my sight.

The corridor grew louder as the guards vanished, and my head began to pound from the commotion. I pinched the bridge of my nose and then took a deep breath before making an announcement.

“Everyone return back to your chambers,” I ordered loudly. “Clear the corridors and keep to yourselves while we sort through this business.”

I made sure my tone radiated with power to show emphasis, and much to my relief, it worked wonders. The mass of people dissipated at once until it was only

Ca ssandra Keller and I left in the room.

The healer started to move but I reached out and gently grabbed her arm. She stopped in place and looked up at me. Her already fair complexion was ghostly white, and she looked exhausted.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

She nodded lightly.

We stared at each other for a moment until she finally spoke up.

“Can I go with you to the cell and listen to what you have to say to the man?” she asked quietly..

As much as I wanted to bring her with me, it was too dangerous.

I couldn’t risk her getting hurt.

“I think it would be best for you to go back to your chamber,” I advised gently. “The imposter was pretty insistent about wanting to speak to me in private. I don’t know how much he’d reveal if you were

around.”

“I understand,” she said, but she didn’t seem too thrilled by my explanation. Again, she fell quiet, and a moment later, she gave me a polite smile. “Just be safe, okay?”

I smiled back. “I will.”

Ca ssandra turned to leave, and just as she started walking, I called out to her.

“Ca ssandra?” I said. “Can I escort you back to your room?”

The healer shook her head. “I’ll be okay, Your Majesty. I can handle myself just fine. I don’t think the imposter has any accomplices here in the palace. Besides, I think it would be best for you to deal with him right away, before he loses his patience.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

She was right, of course, but I wished she would let me walk her back. I knew she could take care of herself, but I wanted to be the one to protect her.

I’d been so scared when she’d bravely offered herself up to be held hostage. Ca ssandra Keller was a brave woman, far braver than any of us. I’d been so terrified of her getting hurt.

But now it was my turn to handle things.

I needed to deal with this criminal before anyone else could be hurt.

I walked straight to the dungeon, and when I got there, Lancel was posted up in front of the cell. An involuntary shiver ran through me at the temperature drop. The dungeon was a dark and cold place, and I’d been here only a handful of times before.

I pulled myself together and approached my most trusted guard.

“You can go now, Lancel,” I said. “I’ll take it from here.”

Lancel didn’t look too thrilled to comply. “Are you sure, Alpha?”

When I nodded, he offered me a small bow.

“Be safe,” he said, and then he headed toward the stairs. Once he was gone, the imposter began to speak.

“An iron cage,” he remarked. “I don’t know what you expect me to say in these conditions, Asher Collins.”

“I don’t have time for this, I replied shortly, and I crossed my arms against my chest. “So I’m going to suggest you get straight to the point. You wanted my attention, here it is.”

The man laughed. “Oh, I think you’ll want to hear every detail of what I have to say.”

“You seem confident for someone behind bars,” I said.

“I know for certain you must be interested in my words,” the imposter said as he leaned forward and wrapped his hands around the metal bars of his cell. “If you weren’t, you would have just let the Beta kill me.”

He laughed and then dropped his hands and began to pace.

“I must admit, I apparently chose the wrong hostage,” he mused. “I figured you would have been more concerned for your wife’s safety, but it seems you were more worried about the healer. I wonder what you would have done if she’d been in my

arms instead.”

“Enough,” I growled. “You’re wasting my time with these theories of yours.”

“Is that so?” the imposter said through an irksome grin. “You seem to have a weak spot again, Asher Collins. It’s been five years. I figured you would have grown past that by now.”