Chapter 46 046

Chapter 46 046

Ria's POV

My eyes felt heavy, like someone had placed weights on my eyelids. I tried to open them but everything was blurry at first

Pain throbbed through my body, dull but persistent. My arms, my legs, my chest. Everything ached like I had been trampled by a herd of wild animals.

I recalled the poisoned and everything that happened at the garden, just the thought of it made me wonder if I was dead.

But Slowly, the room came into focus. The familiar ceiling of my chambers And then I noticed a familiar scent. At first it was Faint but as I turned around, it was clear now.

Anna!

Sitting right beside my bed, her hands folded in her lap, her eyes fixed on me with what looked like genuine concern.

Of all the people to be here when I woke up, it had to be her.

I groaned, the sound escaping my throat before I could stop it. Anna's face lit up immediately. She leaned forward, reaching for something on the bedside table.

"Luna!" she called out, her voice filled with relief. "Thank the Moon Goddess. I was so worried about you."

She let out a sigh of relief as She held out a glass of water, offering it to me with trembling hands.

I stared at the glass, then at her face. That worried expression, those tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. She was really good at this and if I didn't know any better, I would believe her.

But I knew better now.

"I am fine," I said, my voice husky. "I do not need the water."

"But you must be so thirsty," Anna insisted, pushing the glass closer. "Please, just take a sip. You have been unconscious for hours and I was so so scared about your safety."

I turned my head away from the glass, making it clear I was not going to take anything from her hands. Not water, not food, not even comfort.

Anna's smile faltered for just a second before she pasted it back on. She set the glass down on the table before settling down next to me.

"How do you feel?" she asked, her eyes scanning my face like she was searching for something. "Does it hurt anywhere? Should I call the doctor back?"

"I am fine," I repeated, pushing myself up slightly against the pillows. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest but I gritted my teeth and forced myself to sit up straighter.

I would not show weakness in front of her. Not now. Not ever again.

"I was so worried," Anna continued, her voice breaking slightly. "When you did not wake up right away, I thought... I thought I was never going to see you again. I thought I lost you."

The words sounded so sincere. So heartfelt. If I had not seen what I saw, if I had not noticed all the little signs, I might have believed her.

But I had. And I did.

I forced a smile onto my face, matching her fake concern with my own false reassurance. "You do not need to worry about me, Anna. I am tougher than I look."

She let out a shaky laugh, wiping at her eyes. "I can see that now. What you did in that garden... surviving that place... it is incredible. You are incredible Luna."

I wanted to laugh at how easily the lies rolled off her tongue. How she could sit there and pretend to care when I knew exactly what kind of person she really was.

"You must be thirsty though," Anna said again, reaching for the glass. "Please, Ria. Just a little water. You need to stay hydrated, I have lost you once and don't want to ever lose you again."

"I said I am fine," I repeated, my voice a bit sharper this time.

Anna pulled back, hurt flashing across her face. But she recovered quickly, nodding and setting the glass back down.

"Of course," she said softly. "I am sorry. I just... I am just so glad you are okay."

She settled back into her chair, folding her hands in her lap again. For a moment, we sat in silence, especially since I didn't want to say much to her and also weak from what I had been through.

Then Anna leaned forward again, her expression turning serious.

"Ria, there is something I need to tell you," she said, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. "Something you need to know about what happened."

Here it comes, I thought. Whatever poison she was about to drip into my ear.

"What is it?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral.

Anna glanced toward the door, like she was making sure no one was listening. Then she looked back at me, concern etched into every line of her face.

"The trial," she began. "The one you went through today. It was not supposed to be that one."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"The council had decided on a different trial for you. Something safer, something that would still test your abilities but would not..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "But someone changed it. Someone switched the trials at the last minute."

I widened my eyes, trying to act shock "Who?"

Anna hesitated, biting her lip like she was wrestling with whether or not to tell me. Then she sighed, her shoulders sagging.

"It was Silas!" she said quietly. "I heard him talking to one of the Elders. He was the one who pushed for the garden trial. He said something about wanting to see if you were truly worthy of being Luna."

I knew Anna was lying. I knew Silas would never do something like that. But I wanted to see where she was going with this, what game she was playing.

"Silas did that?" I asked, letting a hint of disbelief color my voice.

"I know it is hard to believe," Anna said, reaching out like she wanted to take my hand but stopping herself. "I could not believe it either when I heard. But I swear to you, Ria, I heard him. He was the one behind it."

She was really trying to drive a wedge between me and Silas. Trying to make me doubt him, turn against him.

I wondered what her endgame was. What she hoped to accomplish by poisoning my mind against one of the Alphas.

"Why would he do that?" I asked, playing along.

"I do not know," Anna said, shaking her head. "Maybe he does not think you are strong enough. Maybe he wanted to prove a point. Or maybe..." she paused, her expression darkening. "Maybe he wanted you to fail."

The door suddenly swung open, cutting off whatever else Anna was about to say.

Lucien stood in the doorway, his face carved from stone. His eyes swept over the room, landing first on Anna, then on me. There was something dangerous in his expression, something that made even Anna shrink back slightly.

"Get out!" he said, his voice low and cold.

Anna stood up immediately, smoothing down her dress. "Of course, Alpha Lucien. I was just keeping Ria company until she woke up."

"I said get out."

The command in his voice left no room for argument. Anna shot me one last look, something between concern and fear flickering in her eyes, before she hurried out of the room.

The door closed behind her.

Lucien stood there for a moment, his jaw clenched tight. His hands were balled into fists at his sides and I could see the tension radiating off him in waves.

Then he moved.

He took a few steps and he was across the room. Before I could say anything, before I could even process what was happening, he pulled me into his arms.

His embrace was tight, almost desperate. One hand cradled the back of my head while the other wrapped around my waist, holding me against his chest like he was afraid I might disappear if he let go.