Chapter 40 040

Chapter 40 040

Ria's POV

I stood before the gate of the garden, my heart throbbing fast. It was clear why it was in a secluded place and from the look of things, no one had been here in a very long time.

I could comprehend why all the Alphas had agreed to this. Dante, I was not sure where his loyalty lies and the fact that I have been trying to swirl them in my favor, I thought that I was finally getting Silas and Lucien.

But it did not seem so from where I stood. This was a death suicide and yet I was determined to come out of it alive.

Just as I swung the gate open and was about to go inside, I heard someone scream from behind.

"Luna!" I clearly recognized the voice and just as I expected, it was Anna running very fast towards me. Her heart throbbing heavily and her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

"What is it Anna?" My eyes widened and despite everything she had done, I was really scared hoping that nothing had gone wrong with her. Because I could not think about any other reason she had run to me.

She did not give me a response. Instead she wrapped her arms around me, still panting heavily.

"What is it Anna?" I pulled away from her.

"It is nothing Ria, I just wanted to see you one last time before you leave, especially since I am not sure if I would ever see you again."

"And why would you say that, do you also believe that I will not survive?"

"No... but... I mean I heard no one has ever survived, not even an Alpha, how can you possibly survive it!"

There was sympathy in her eyes which disgusted me seeing how much she was able to mask her scent.

And with the look in her eyes, it was clear to me that she might have been involved in getting me here.

"You do not have to worry Anna, I am fine. I am the Beta's daughter, I have the blood of the beta running through my spine and I can assure you that I will survive."

She forced a smile on her face as she pulled away, watching me go inside.

The moment I stepped through that gate, everything changed. Memories came flooding back and I realized that I had been here before, not once but twice, my father had brought me here.

If this place was truly as dangerous as everyone says, then why did he bring me here. Or maybe not every part was poisoned and he was fully aware of it.

With each thought sent shivers down my spine, I wanted to close my eyes. Get out of here and never return.

But I could not turn back, Not now, Not when everyone was watching, waiting for me to fail.

The garden stretched out before me and for a second, I just stood there staring. It was nothing like I expected.

It was Wild and Overgrown with Plants twisted together in ways that did not make sense, their vines reaching across pathways like they were trying to trap anyone who dared enter.

Colors everywhere. Reds so deep they looked like blood. Purples that seemed to pulse. Yellows that hurt to look at too long. Beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

I needed to think, My father had told me stories about this place when I was younger as he took me here. places where poison and cure grew side by side.

He said nature always balanced itself out. That if something could kill you, something nearby could save you.

I just had to figure out which was which.

My eyes scanned the garden, looking for anything familiar, any sign that could guide me. But everything looked foreign and dangerous. Like the plants themselves were alive and watching me.

I forced myself to move deeper into the garden, my eyes darting from one plant to another.

Some had thorns as long as my fingers. Others had leaves that glistened like they were coated in something wet. I did not dare touch anything.

But my eyes were fixed on a farther end, I felt there was something there and for a moment, I had lost myself in my thoughts and did not realize when I got caught in a flower with thorns.

“Ouch!” I wince in pain, it was just a tiny cut but the pain pierced deeper than I had expected.

“Fuck!” I gritted my teeth, trying to take in the pain and then I noticed the cut wasn't healing. My wolf wasn't healing it and now it was clear to me that I had been infected with one of the poisons.

This made me realize how difficult this was going to be, I was already becoming dizzy and it felt so hard for me to finish and get the silver flower.

But while I was still lost in my thoughts, my eyes caught hold of A section of the garden off to the right where the colors were different.

The plants there were not as vibrant, some of them wilted and brown. Dead almost.

It did not make sense. Everything else was thriving, bursting with life. But that spot looked abandoned.

My instincts tugged at me. Something about it felt right.

I changed direction, heading toward the withered plants. My steps were cautious.
As I got closer, I noticed something else. The air smelled different here

I looked around frantically, searching for anything that could help. My legs felt heavy, my movements sluggish and I knew that the poison was slowly taking control of me to the extent that I couldn't connect with my wolf.

My eyes landed on the withered section again. It was close now, just a few feet away. Something inside me whispered to keep going. To trust it.

So I did.

I stumbled forward, my ankle throbbing with every step. The pain was getting worse. Spreading up my leg like fire.

But I did not stop.

I reached the edge of the withered section and dropped to my knees. My hands dug through the dead leaves, searching. For what, I did not know. But I had to find something. Anything.

My fingers brushed against something smooth, I pulled it out and stared.

A root. Pale and twisted, covered in dirt. It did not look like much. But when I brought it closer, I caught a faint scent. Earthy and Clean.

This was it. This had to be it.

I did not have time to second guess myself. I bit into the root, the taste bitter and sharp on my tongue. I chewed quickly, forcing myself to swallow even though every instinct told me to spit it out.

And then I waited.

The pain in my ankle pulsed. My vision swam. My heart hammered so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest.

Seconds felt like hours as my body trembled. My breathing came in short gasps.

And then, slowly, the pain started to fade.

Not completely, Enough that I could think clearly again. Enough that I knew I was going to survive this.

I collapsed back against the ground, staring up at the sky through the canopy of twisted branches. Relief flooded through me, so strong it brought tears to my eyes.

I had done it and since I could survive the poison, now I just had to find the silver flower and get out of here.