Chapter 34 Chapter 34
I turned back and hurried in the direction of my room every creak of my footsteps making me flinch. My throat tightened. I made sure to avoid other wolves so they didn’t see my panic and start murmuring again. I tried to ignore the sound of my racing heart.
I couldn’t help but wonder who were they? Warriors? Servants? Spies? I didn’t know but if they planned to kill someone, I couldn’t stay here doing nothing. I don’t even know if I could recognize them from their features. I had this feeling they were talking about me even though they didn’t call any name. What was I going to do now?
By the time I reached my room, my nerves were raw, I closed the door behind me and slumped against it shaking. The air in the room smelled faintly of lavender and spice. The room was warm, candles flickering softly.
It could have been anyone, I told myself. Maybe they weren’t even talking about me. But my gut said otherwise.
‘We have to tell Lucian’ my wolf said and immediately I shook my head.
I wanted to run to Lucian, to tell him what I’d heard but the thought stopped me cold. He didn’t trust me. He’d made that clear. If I went to him now, he’d only think I was causing more trouble.
I don’t want to alert anyone. I don’t want to cause an uproar when I can’t even identify those people and Lucian wouldn’t even believe me so there was no point.
‘We still have to let someone know. We can save a life even though it’s not ours’ my wolf tried to convince me.
I would tell Lina when she arrived. My wolf still pushed me to tell Lucian.
‘He would be the best person to help you’ I shook my head.
I couldn’t tell Lucian. Not when he already looked at me like she I trouble waiting to happen. Not when everyone in this pack already whispered behind my back.
I paced around the room in panic, I was terrified at what I had heard. My wolf tried to calm me but I wasn’t having it.
‘They could have been talking about enemies from the enemy territory right?’ I told to myself.
I might just be overthinking it because I’ve been locked inside here for a while and I was wary about people. When there was a problem, warriors talked about it and they did it in secret too. That must be what that was. They must have been talking about something else. I tried convincing myself but there was still this nagging feeling inside of me.
I turned around and on the table sat the food Lina had left still covered and steaming faintly. I hadn’t eaten all day. My head throbbed from worry, my stomach twisting in hunger and dread.
‘It’s just food’ I told myself . Lina brought it.
For a moment, I hesitated, fear whispering at the back of my mind because of what I had heard. But then I thought of Lina, she would feel bad if she had to throw away food again. I knew she wouldn’t hurt me.
I didn’t finish the thought. I sat down, lifted the lid, and took a few bites. I sat down and uncovered the tray. A bowl of steaming soup, bread sprinkled with herbs and a glass of water. The first sip soothed my throat. The warmth filled my stomach, easing the tightness in my chest. I ate slowly at first, then faster, hunger taking over. By the time I finished half the bowl, my eyelids felt heavy.
At first, I thought it was just exhaustion. My body relaxing after days of tension. I hadn’t slept well in days. But as I tried to stand, the world tilted beneath me. My hand gripped the edge of the table and slipped.
What… what’s happening? But then, the room began to blur. The edges of the furniture melted into shadow. My heartbeat slowed, each thud echoing in my ears like a distant drum.
No… something’s wrong. I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn’t obey.
My head spun, vision blurring at the edges. My pulse slowed. The room swayed like it was breathing. I tried to take a step, but my legs gave out.
“No,” I whispered. “No, not—”
The spoon slipped from my hand, clattering to the floor. My breathing grew shallow, panic clawing up my throat as the world tilted. I tried to crawl toward the door, but my limbs were heavy, unresponsive. My thoughts scattered like leaves in the dry season. I could feel the warmth spreading through my veins, too thick, too slow. My vision swam with silver and black spots. My mark, the cursed mark was burning again, faint but insistent.
Poison.
It hit me with terrifying clarity. They had poisoned me. The truth hit me with force. This was what they had planned to do to me. I could have been more careful but it was too late now.
“Lina…” I croaked, reaching toward the door handle. My fingers brushed it but slipped away.
Dark spots filled my vision, growing larger until they swallowed everything.
My breath hitched. I wanted to scream, to call out but my throat refused to obey. The world dimmed to shadows and fading sound.
“Help…” I whispered weakly, but my voice barely carried past my lips.
“Lucian…..please” my wolf called out to his desperately. I didn’t know if he could feel it from the bond but I prayed my plea was enough. We needed him to save us. He was the only one that could save us.
I heard the sound of footsteps echoing somewhere down the hall slow, deliberate. Just like the person had come to make sure I was dead. I tried to lift my head to see if someone lingered around but I was too weak for that.
The last thing I saw was my own hand glowing faintly in the darkness, my mark pulsing like a heartbeat before everything went still.
And the world fell away.