A quarter to five in the morning, Xandar was resting his head on the bed next to his mate, taking in her scent as he stroked her hand when, suddenly, he heard her soft moan. His body shot up from the chair, and he inched his face closer to hers as he uttered, “Baby. Baby, are you awake? Can you hear me?” Lucianne’s fingers moved slightly in Xandar’s hand, and her eyelids pressed down for a moment before they opened halfway to reveal those dazed black orbs. Her dry lips parted as she muttered, “Xandar.” Xandar’s eyes were tearing up with relief and joy. “Baby. Oh, Goddess. You’re okay. You’re okay.” He kissed her on her lips and she responded, albeit very weakly.  When she felt his tears and he pulled away

Lucianne shook her head again before she said, “No. The last thing I remember was the pain spreading from my left calf. And the smell of the poison.” “Smell?” Dr Karr asked. “Yeah. Being a wolf, I’ve never come into contact with Oleander in any way. I’ve read about them but I’ve never studied their properties. Yesterday was the first time I got its scent. It smells terrible, doesn’t it? What’s it made of anyway? I know there must be mercury, salt and granite. But what’s the last thing I’m missing?” The doctors were lost for words for a moment before Dr Gina managed to say, “Th-Thioacetone, my Queen. It’s a substance powerful enough to induce nausea even in small amounts.”

Agnes was taken aback with what Lucianne just said but she stubbornly insisted, “No, I did. It was me. Please. I’ve always h-hated Ellia Morgan, a-and I wanted her j-job, a-and…” “Who do you love most, Agnes?” Lucianne interrupted her with a seemingly-unrelated question. Agnes was confused but seeing Lucianne’s warm, encouraging smile, she nodded with uncertainty and uttered, “M-My child, your Hi-Highness.” Lucianne smiled wider and leaned closer as she asked, “A boy or a girl?” “G-Girl.” She was still lost. “What’s her name?” 

“Better. My legs feel stronger. I might even be able to start training again tomorrow.” Lucianne said optimistically.   Xandar’s eyes widened in worry, and he locked gaze with her as he said firmly, “Lucy, the doctors told you to take things slow. Please don’t push yourself. It’s okay to take a few days off, especially after what just happened. Baby, it’s okay to put yourself first sometimes.”   Lucianne leaned her head into his chest while lifting her legs up one at a time to test their strengths again before she uttered, “I should be alright by tomorrow. If I’m not, I’ll just watch them train.” Xandar sighed with relief before pecking another kiss on her temple.   She gave him a shy smile as she said, “Thank you for lying with me while I slept.”  

In Xandar’s chest, Lucianne continued her tale in a small voice, “Alpha Jake was bad news from the very start. Everyone saw it, except his parents. There was this negative energy that you can feel whenever his presence was close by.”   She sighed before saying, “He asked me for a dance but I said no. Luna Janice, being the cordial one in the pack house, told me that as children of pack leaders, we had to oblige simple gestures to keep the peace with our allies. She said that just because I was adopted, it didn’t make me any different. I was mad at her for pressing me like that but I was also driven by a sense of duty to my pack. So, I mentally prepared myself to oblige Alpha Jake’s request if he asked again, which he didn’t, thank Goddess. But his brother, Clement, did. As I told myself that I was doing it for my pack, I obliged. Clement is definitely not like his brother. The two couldn’t be