58

Julianne's POV

After I walked away from Arthur, who approached Jeremy, I went straight to my room, where I dropped the items properly. The following morning, I bolted to Loretta's room. I could hardly breathe as I looked at the small glass bottle in my hand. I don't know what they entail but I need no one to tell me they are dangerous. My mind raced with questions. Who was she planning to use this substance on? And why would she do that?

I handed the bottle to Loretta as soon as I walked into her room to meet her wide awake.

Her eyes narrowed as she examined the contents like the healer at the packed clinic always does. "This is poison," she said, her voice calm but heavy with worry. "Why would she want to hurt someone in the pack house?" She asked, sounding more concerned than I have ever seen her since Arthur made her his concubine.

And then she sighed, her eyes hard on me. "Do you hear what I said? I said what is in the bottle is Poison? So you have to show Arthur and report Jasmine before it gets out of the hands." she said quietly, "It’s dangerous if you don't know; if she is using this on anyone, I am not sure Ven the healer's concoctions might save him or her." She pressed tightly.

I bit my lip, my thoughts swirling around me. "I don’t know. But whoever it is, I need to find out first, I need to know her intentions. I can't just go running to Arthur about this without knowing more." I paused thoughtfully. "Should I just go to him? 'Hey, Arthur, the day you found me in Jasmine's room, I went to look for this item, and this bottle contains poison, and the other one I alone portion meant for you' itsoundsds ridiculous." I narrowed my gaze at her and paced the confines of the room.

"Are you so serious right now? That you are planning to keep these bottles with you, knowing fully well that Jasmine might come looking for it, and you know what it means going through her room." Loretta stared in disbelief at me.

I shook my head, staring at her. "Jasmine won't find out the bottles are gone, and if she does, it would be dangerous for her to come after me, knowing fully well that I know her secret and could spill it out. I know what I am doing, I’m waiting for the right moment. If I tell him now, he might get distracted. I need to be sure what she intends to use the poison for." I explained, sitting close to her; I took her hands in mine and smiled at her.

Before Loretta could respond, the door opened, and a maid stepped in, her face pale and urgent. "My lady," she said breathlessly, "Alpha Arthur has called everyone together to the throne room. He says he has something important to share and he needs you all to be there immediately."

I exchanged a glance with Loretta. There was no time to waste. We had to get to the meeting now.

When we arrived, Arthur was standing at the front of the room, his expression unusually serious, though his eyes seemed brighter than usual. "Everyone," he said, his voice commanding attention as usual. "Please, gather around at the front here and please keep silent. I have something important to announce."

I noticed Jasmine standing next to him but a little farther, but she was the one closer to him; Arthur's face lit up with a smile that was so bright, it almost looked unnatural. I felt a strange knot tighten in my stomach. Something wasn’t right about this situation, could she have used the love portion on Arthur? Was it the reason for his happy and smiling behavior?

Arthur continued speaking, but my mind drifted. I couldn’t stop thinking about that bottle, about the poison. But I couldn’t show my concern now. It wasn’t the right time. Not with everyone watching.

"Tonight, there will be a family dinner; it has been a long time since we sat around together as a family and had dinner, so I am going to be hosting one, " Arthur said, breaking through my thoughts. "I have very important news to share with you all. Please, be ready and make sure you all look enticing and beautiful." His eyes lingered on Jasmine as he spoke; he even went as far as winking at her, and the idiot dared blush in return.

I couldn’t help but notice how happy he looked when he glanced at her. The way his eyes softened, the smile on his lips. It made me want to scream out at her but then I calmed down. Was it the potion? Was she using it on him? Was that how she had him wrapped around her finger?

The thought made me angry, a hot surge of jealousy rising in my chest. She didn’t deserve him. Not like this.

Later, Loretta and I prepared for the dinner. I wanted to look my best tonight—if there was anything I could do to catch Arthur’s attention, I would. I took extra time with my appearance, making sure every detail was perfect. When I finished getting dressed, I stood before the mirror, trying to calm my racing heart.

But when I walked into the dining room, all eyes turned to me. Even Arthur’s. He couldn’t hide his admiration as he looked me over, my heart skipped a bit when he picked a glass of wine from one of the standing maids and approached me.

"You know, I used to think the stars were the most beautiful in this world, but I was wrong because why am I so blinded by your Loveliness, perfection...you look so exquisite, stunning, what more words can I use to describe how gorgeous you look this night." He took my hands and kissed the inside and outside of my palms.

For a moment, I felt a rush of pride, but that pride quickly turned into something else when Jasmine entered the room.

Arthur immediately turned toward her, his smile widening, and just like that, I became invisible. My heart clenched. I fought back the urge to scream. Was I not enough for him? Did he only have eyes for her?

I couldn’t stop myself. I felt a sharp stab of jealousy, and it made me feel sick. Why did he always look at her like that? Was it her beauty, or was it something else?

I didn’t want to stand there feeling sorry for myself. So I focused on someone else instead. Jeremy.

He was standing off to the side, looking at Loretta with an intensity I couldn’t ignore. His gaze was different from Arthur’s, more thoughtful. But there was something almost painful about the way he looked at her; Loretta.

I walked toward him, my heels clicking sharply against the floor. "Jeremy," I said, my voice low, "I see the way you look at Loretta. Why stand here and feed your eyes from afar when you know you can be closer to her." I whispered.

His expression flickered with surprise. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

I didn’t want to admit it, but I felt sorry for him. Jeremy was clearly in love with Loretta, but he was holding himself back. And worse, he was doing it out of loyalty to his brother, Arthur.

"She’s still his concubine, she is Arthur's concubine and the last thing I want to do is betray the trust he had for me, I can't go anywhere near his woman even if I feel something deep for her," Jeremy said softly, almost as if he were trying to convince himself. "I can’t do anything about it."

I could see the pain in his eyes, and it made me feel uneasy. "But you have to tell Arthur," I urged. "If you don’t, it will only hurt you more in the long run. Don’t let him find out on his own, or else he will be disappointed in you. If he loves you like the younger brother you are to him, he’ll understand."

He shook his head slowly, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "It’s not that simple," he said, his voice darkening. "Arthur is my brother. I can't tell him anything; it is not that easy for me."

I looked him in the eye, trying to make him see the truth. "But you’re betraying yourself if you keep quiet. Arthur will be disappointed, yes. But it’s better to be honest with him, even if it hurts."

Jeremy’s eyes softened, and for a moment, I thought he might listen. But then, his gaze shifted away, and he took a step back. "I can’t," he murmured. "I just can’t."

I didn’t know what else to say. Jeremy’s heart was torn, but there was nothing I could do to fix it. It was his battle to fight.

Just then, Arthur called for everyone's attention, his voice cutting through the low murmur of conversation in the room. He stepped forward, his hand slipping into Jasmine’s as he looked around at us.

I felt a flicker of unease in my stomach. What was this about? Why was he being so dramatic?