Chapter 27 027

Chapter 27 027
Lucien's POV

I had only known Claire for a few days, but something inside me was certain, she was not behind this. The way she had rushed down those stairs, the panic in her eyes when she thought I might have been poisoned, the way she had tried to check if I was alright despite everything. That was not the behavior of someone who wanted me dead.

But what I could not wrap my head around was the kind of power she possessed. How had she known? How could a human girl predict something like this before it even happened?

No human had ever had such abilities. Not in all my years of existence.

I rose to my feet slowly, my eyes sweeping across the room. Judy and Lilly were both trembling now, sweat beading on their foreheads despite the cool air in the dining hall. Their tears had dried up, replaced by something else entirely.

Fear.

"I will ask one more time," I said, my voice echoing as my aura was all over the place. "Whoever is behind this should step forward now. Speak, and your punishment might be lenient."

Neither of them moved. Judy kept her head down, her hands clasped so tightly her knuckles had turned white. Lilly was doing the same, her breathing shallow and uneven.

My jaw tightened. "Very well."

Austin stepped forward from his position by the door, holding a small device in his hand. It looked like a torch, but the light it emitted was a deep, unnatural blue. He walked toward Lilly first, his expression blank.

"Give me your hand," Austin ordered.

Lilly hesitated, glancing at Judy before slowly extending her trembling hand. Austin held the blue light over her fingers, and within seconds, the tips began to glow. Not just glow—they turned a vivid, unmistakable purple.

The room went silent.

Lilly snatched her hand back as if the light had burned her, her eyes wide with panic. "I—I did not—"

"Do not bother lying," Austin said flatly, turning toward Judy. "You are next."

But before he could take another step, Judy collapsed to her knees with a choked sob. "Please! Please, Alpha, have mercy!"

Lilly dropped down beside her, both of them now on the floor, their heads bowed low. "We are sorry," Lilly cried. "We are so sorry. We did not mean for it to go this far."

I did not move. I just stood there, watching them grovel, my expression cold and unreadable. But inside, my blood was boiling.

"You tried to poison me," I said, my voice dangerously quiet. "And then you had the nerve to stand here and accuse an innocent person. You tried to frame Claire."

"She is human!" Judy blurted out, her voice breaking. "No human has ever lived in this castle before. She does not belong here. She is not worthy of—"

"Silence!"

The word came out like a growl, and both maids flinched as if they had been struck. I took a step closer, towering over them.

"You are mere omegas," I said, my tone dripping with contempt. "You have no right to decide who stays in my castle and who does not. You have no right to question my decisions. And you certainly have no right to take matters into your own hands."

Judy was sobbing openly now, her shoulders shaking. Lilly was not much better, her face pale and streaked with tears.

"Who sent you?" I demanded.

Both of them froze. Their eyes met for a split second, and I caught it, the flash of fear that passed between them. They knew something. Someone had put them up to this.

"We acted on our own," Lilly said quickly, her voice shaking. "No one sent us. We just thought—"

"Do not insult my intelligence," I snapped. "Two omegas suddenly decide to poison their Alpha out of nowhere? Without any prompting? Without any help?" I crouched down to their level, my eyes boring into theirs. "Who Sent You?"

Neither of them spoke. They just stared at each other again, that same terrified look in their eyes.

I straightened up, my patience wearing thin. "You will speak," I said calmly. "But it all depends on how much you have been tortured first."

Judy let out a strangled cry. Lilly tried to grab at my leg, but Austin stepped forward and pulled her back.

"Austin. Shark," I said without looking at them. "Take them away."

"No, please!" Judy begged, reaching out toward me. "Please, Alpha, we will tell you everything. Just do not—"

"Too late," I said coldly. "You had your chance."

Shark moved forward, grabbing Judy by the arm and hauling her to her feet. She struggled, but it was useless. Austin did the same with Lilly, who had gone limp with despair.

As they dragged the two maids toward the door, their cries echoed through the hall. Marcy stood off to the side, her face pale but composed. She did not say a word.

I waited until the door slammed shut behind them before I finally allowed myself to breathe. The anger was still there, simmering just beneath the surface, but I forced it down.

Then I turned.

Claire was still standing where she had been, her hands clutching the fabric of her dress. Her face was pale, her eyes wide as she stared at the door where the maids had just been taken.

She looked shaken and scared.

I walked toward her slowly, my footsteps echoing in the now-empty hall. She did not move. Did not flinch. Just stood there, watching me approach.

When I stopped in front of her, I leaned down slightly, my voice dropping to a dark, dangerous tone.

"Follow me," I said.

Then I turned and walked toward the staircase, not bothering to check if she was behind me.

I knew she would follow, because she did not dare refuse. And just then, I caught her scent right behind me. She was following, but an inch away from me.