Chapter 42 CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Chapter 42 CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Matt's POV

The moment the moon bled silver across the window of my chamber, I felt it as a sudden pulse beneath my skin.
Not pain.
Not guilt.
Something… alive.

I froze mid-step, my hand tightening around the edge of the desk. My wolf growled deep inside me, low and warning. It wasn't anger, it was recognition. The bond. The one I thought had gone silent months ago. It flared like lightning across my chest.

"Hellen…" I breathed, my throat tightening around her name.

For a heartbeat, everything stopped. Then the energy hit again, a rush of warmth and defiance that nearly brought me to my knees. It wasn't weak or fading anymore. It was wild. Roaring. Reborn.

My wolf stirred violently. She's awake.

I turned toward the door, instinct screaming to go to her. But then I hesitated, a faint scent of lavender and ash drifted through the room, the healer's scent. I frowned, my senses sharpening instantly. He'd been here earlier, leaving some concoction for me to "rest."

Poison, maybe.

My eyes flicked toward the untouched glass on the table, the pale liquid shimmering faintly. I snarled, knocking it off the surface. The glass shattered, the scent of burned herbs rising as the tonics Hellen used to drink.

My chest tightened. "You bastards."

Everything was starting to make sense: the healer's excuses, Laura's constant presence. It all felt orchestrated, like pieces of a game I'd been too blind to see.

The door creaked open. Paul stepped in, his expression dark. "You felt it too?"

I looked up sharply. "You mean..."

"The bond," he said, stepping closer. "The whole pack felt your energy surge. The Lunas, too. It's… different tonight. Raw."

I swallowed hard. "She's awake."

Paul nodded slowly. "Then it's starting."

I dragged a hand through my hair, pacing the room. My mind was in chaos, flashes of Hellen's pale face, Laura's soft voice, the healer's calm lies. Every piece burned in my skull.

"I've been played," I muttered. "They've been feeding me half-truths. Keeping me distracted."

Paul's eyes hardened. "By 'they,' you mean Laura and the healer?"

I stopped pacing. The silence between us was enough of an answer.

He cursed under his breath. "I knew something was off. The healer's been too close to her chamber. Too many closed-door sessions."

I clenched my jaw. "No more secrets."

Paul watched me carefully. "What's the plan?"

"Find proof," I said. "Before I burn them both alive."

I moved toward the door, but he stepped in front of me. "Matt, you're walking into a trap if you go there now. You're angry, she's awake, and the council's watching. One wrong move..."

"I don't care about the council," I snapped. "They can rot. This is my mate we're talking about."

Paul's expression softened slightly. "And that's why you need to be smart. If she's regaining strength, she's not helpless anymore. Maybe she already knows something."

I paused at that. The thought hit deeper than I expected.

Could she?

Could Hellen already know the truth?

The bond pulsed again, a whisper this time. A feeling, not words. Pain, fury, control.

She did know.

"She's planning something," I murmured.

Paul frowned. "What?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. But I can feel it. Whatever she's doing… It's dangerous."

He hesitated, then nodded. "Then I'll make sure the healer doesn't leave his quarters tonight."

"Good." I turned away, my voice low. "If he does, kill him."

Paul didn't argue. He nodded and left.

Once I was alone, I exhaled slowly, trying to steady the chaos burning through me. The Alpha in me wanted blood. The man in me wanted Hellen. And the mate bond that ancient, brutal connection was dragging me toward her like gravity.

I stepped out into the corridor, following her scent in, but sharp and alive. The halls were quiet, guards bowing as I passed, sensing the tension in the air. My power radiated unchecked, my wolf barely restrained beneath the surface.

When I reached her chamber door, I stopped. I could feel her on the other side awake, breathing steady, heart pounding. My hand lifted, hesitating just before I knocked.

But then I heard it.

Her voice. Low. Controlled.

Talking to someone.

I froze, focusing my hearing.

"...no, we wait," she said. "They think I'm still weak. That's what we'll use."

There was silence, then another voice, Laura's.

I went cold.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Luna," Laura said softly. "If Matt finds out you've regained your strength"

"He won't," Hellen cut in, tone sharp. "Not until I'm ready."

I took a slow, unsteady breath. My pulse thundered in my ears.

She was lying to them. Pretending. Smart, fierce, calculating, the Hellen I'd fallen for.

But Laura's tone shifted, soft and venomous. "You should rest. Tomorrow's the full moon. I'd hate for you to miss it… or for Matt to."

The door creaked open slightly. I moved back into the shadows just as Laura slipped out, her expression composed. She didn't see me; she was too busy muttering under her breath, a small smirk curling her lips.

The moment she turned the corner, I stepped forward and pushed the door open.

Hellen turned sharply, eyes flashing silver.

For a heartbeat, neither of us moved.

She was standing by the window, moonlight painting her hair silver-white, her body radiating quiet power. She didn't look sick anymore. She looked… divine.

"You're awake," I said quietly.

Her lips parted, but no words came. Then she nodded slowly. "I am."

We stared at each other in heavy silence. The air between us felt electric, thick with words we couldn't yet say.

"How long?" I asked finally.

"Long enough," she replied softly.

I took a step closer. "And you didn't tell me because…?"

"Because you wouldn't have believed me," she said. Her voice trembled slightly, but her eyes didn't waver. "You trusted them, Matt. The healer. Laura. You thought they were saving me."

I clenched my jaw, guilt clawing up my throat. "I didn't know."

"I know," she whispered. "But now you do."

The silence that followed was louder than any roar. The bond between us pulsed again, a flash of heat and hurt, love and fury tangled so tightly I could barely breathe.

Then she stepped closer. "They've been poisoning me, Matt. The healer. Laura. Together. But I'm done hiding."

My vision darkened at the edges. Rage boiled through my veins. "You're sure?"

"I heard them myself," she said. "They want you gone. And I'm dead."

Something in me snapped.

My power surged, raw and dangerous. The ground itself seemed to hum with the sound of my fury.

Hellen flinched slightly but didn't back down. "Matt..."

"They think they can touch what's mine," I growled, my voice barely human. "They think they can plot under my roof..."

She grabbed my arm suddenly, her eyes fierce. "Don't. Not yet."

I stared at her. "Not yet?"

She nodded. "If we strike too soon, they'll vanish. Let them think we're still blind. Let them make their move, then we destroy them together."

The words hit me like fire. Together.

It was the first time she'd said it since the fall.

I exhaled slowly, letting the rage simmer but not explode. "Fine," I said. "But when this ends…"

"It ends with blood," she finished.

We stood there for a long time, two broken souls reborn in the same storm.

Outside, thunder cracked, rolling across the valley. The moonlight flickered, and the flames in the room dimmed as if the goddess herself was listening.

Something powerful was coming.

Something dark.

And we were ready.