Chapter 272: Give Me a Straight Answer

DANIEL

I didn't answer her.

The question hung in the stagnant air of the corridor like a physical weight, thick and suffocating.

How could I explain to the Luna that while I was trying to rest, the world had found a way to strike at him through his own weakness?

I watched her face, the way her composure crumbled into a jagged mosaic of maternal terror and simmering, lethal rage.

I didn't speak.

Instead, I simply pressed the medical report into her trembling hands.

Marie stepped in closer, her shoulder brushing mine as she leaned over to read the technical jargon.

Her eyes darted across the page, seeking answers, but finding only more dread.

"I don't understand this," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the hospital lights. "What does this mean? Poison? What kind of poison?"

I took a steadying breath, the air tasting of antiseptic and stale coffee.

I had to be the anchor.

"He was poisoned, Luna. Someone slipped something into his system that’s designed to suppress his wolf and trigger a curse."

The silence that followed was absolute.

Marie froze, her eyes widening until they were bright, glassy saucers of shock. "What? That’s not possible. Tristan is untouchable!"

Her mother’s composure finally snapped.

She threw her head back, a sound escaping her throat that wasn't quite a sob and wasn't quite a scream.

"Don't tell me this. Don't you dare tell me someone was able to kill my son! He can't die! He is the strongest wolf in this city!" Her voice rose, echoing off the linoleum walls, drawing glares from passing orderlies.

I reached out, my hands steady as I gripped her shoulders, forcing her to focus on me. "He isn't dead, and he isn't going to die. He’s in that room right now, fighting a war in his own blood. He’s an Alpha, Luna. His body is holding on, but this wasn't a store-bought toxin. It was ancient, deliberate, and designed for him."

The Luna’s eyes searched mine, frantic for a shred of hope. "What did the doctor say? Can they save him? Yelena is in there waiting for him, and her daughter... He can't leave them."

"They're working on him," I assured her, my tone leaving no room for argument. "You can go see him. But be quick. The nurses are strictly limiting access."

I led the way, my jaw clenched.

When we reached the ward, a nurse signaled for the Luna to enter, offering a brief, sympathetic nod. "Twenty minutes, ma'am. That is all."

As the door clicked shut, leaving the Luna alone with her son, Marie didn't follow. She stayed behind, her body sagging against me, and I pulled her into a tight, protective embrace.

Her scent... vanilla and rain was the only thing keeping me from losing my mind.

"I can't bear to see him like that," she sobbed into my chest, her hands clutching the back of my shirt. "He’s always been so strong. He’s always been the one who fixes everything. I’ve never seen him look… broken."

"I know," I murmured, pressing my chin against the top of her head. "I know."

"Who could have done this, Daniel? Who hates him enough to want him dead?"

"I don't know yet," I responded, my voice dropping to a low, predatory growl. "But I will find them and by the time I’m done, they will wish they had never been born. Our laws are clear on attempted regicide. There will be no mercy."

She pulled back just enough to look me in the eye.

The fear was there, but so was a fierce, resilient pride. "I’ve missed you," she whispered.

"I’ve missed you too." I kissed her forehead, the heat of her skin a brief, grounding contrast to the cold fury simmering in my veins. "After all of this is over, I promise, I’ll make it up to you. Everything."

She offered a small, watery smile, and for a fleeting moment, the world felt like it could be normal again.

We stood there, oblivious to the hospital staff who skirted around us, until the heavy double doors opened and the Luna emerged. Her face was a mask of grief, her eyes red-rimmed and hollow.

"He has to wake up," she muttered, not looking at me. "He just has to."

I walked toward her, bowing my head in silent solidarity. "I need to finish something, Luna. I’ll be back soon."

She looked at me, and there was a flicker of cold, dark understanding in her gaze.

"Make sure nobody walks away from this. Use whatever force you need."

I didn't need to be told twice.

I kissed Marie's forehead one last time and walked out of the hospital, my gait shifting from the measured pace of a man in mourning to the predatory stride of a wolf on the hunt.

The moment I stepped outside and the cool air hit my face, the facade dropped.

My features hardened into a mask of pure, unadulterated menace.

I climbed into my car, the interior feeling too small for the rage vibrating in my chest.

My phone pinged.

A text from Scott.

(Scott: We’ve gotten three of them, but one of them ran away. He seems to be the primary suspect.)

My thumb blurred as I typed back, the screen glowing in the dark interior of the car.

(Me: No one, I mean no one gets away, Scott. Do you understand? Drag the city apart if you have to.)

A minute later, the reply came: (Scott: Yes, Beta.)

I threw the phone onto the seat beside me and slammed the car into gear, the tires screaming as I pulled away from the curb.

My blood felt like it was boiling. It was time to stop negotiating. It was time to start breaking things.

I drove straight to the pack house, my mind replaying the image of Alpha lying still in that bed.

By the time I reached the cell block, I was vibrating with a lethal intensity.

I didn't walk; I marched.

I reached cell number five, where the suspects were held, and slammed my hand against the heavy metal door.

Bang!

I shoved the door open, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the cramped space.

Inside, the three workers sat on chairs, their eyes wide and white with terror.

They were bound with silver-infused ropes that bit into their skin, the metal hissing slightly against their flesh.

The guards standing near the wall bowed immediately, their faces tight with anticipation.

I didn't say a word.

I simply dragged a wooden chair to the center of the room and sat down directly in front of them.

I didn't rush into the interrogation with fists or fire, not yet.

I let the silence do the heavy lifting.

I sat leaning forward, my eyes locked with each of them in turn.

The room smelled of damp concrete and the sharp, ozone tang of the silver ropes that bound them... a scent that made their skin crawl and their wolf instincts recoiled.

"I’m going to give you some advice, and I suggest you take it," I said finally, my voice barely a whisper but echoing off the stone walls.

"Give me a straight answer, and you might walk out of here with your limbs attached. Hold back, lie, or waste my time, and you’ll find that I am remarkably creative with the time we have left."