Kamrynn's POV
The hallway was still and quiet, but the pounding of my heart felt deafening as I leaned against Alpha Draven's door, straining to hear his conversation inside. My super hearing amplified every word, and what I caught made my stomach churn.
"Don't worry," Alpha Draven's voice was low but filled with malice. "It'll happen soon. Just six days from now, a lot of things will change. The mating ceremony will be the mark of a new beginning for us and Orion's family. They'll never see it coming."
The venom in his tone froze me in place. This wasn't just a boast or a vague threat. He was planning something terrible, and the certainty in his words sent a chill down my spine. My breath hitched, and my hands trembled as I tried to process what I'd just heard.
What does he mean by "new beginning"? What does he plan to do to Orion and Rmonica?
The room fell silent after his last words, but my instincts screamed at me to move. I had to get out of there. Before I could act, the door flew open.
I gasped, barely catching myself before I stumbled forward into the room. My super reflexes saved me from outright falling, but I couldn't escape the reality of standing face-to-face with Alpha Draven.
His dark eyes bored into mine, sharp and piercing, as though he could see every lie I'd ever told. My heart hammered painfully against my chest as I scrambled to come up with an excuse.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone calm but laced with suspicion.
"Luna Rmonica sent me," I blurted, forcing my voice to sound steady. "She asked me to check on you since you weren't at the celebration. She thought you might be feeling unwell."
His expression didn't change. He studied me, his gaze dissecting every inch of my face, every tremor in my voice. The silence stretched on for what felt like hours, and I fought the urge to step back.
"Is that so?" he finally said, his tone neutral.
"Yes," I replied quickly, nodding. "She was just worried. I'll let her know you're fine."
For a moment, I thought I might actually get away with it. He tilted his head slightly, considering me, before offering a curt nod.
"Let her know I'm fine," he said. "I just needed some quiet away from the noise."
Relief washed over me like a wave. I nodded again. "Of course. I'll let her know right away."
I turned on my heel and began to walk away, my heart racing as I put distance between us. I was almost to the end of the hall when his voice stopped me cold.
"Kamrynn," he called, his tone sharp and commanding.
I froze mid-step, my breath catching in my throat. I didn't dare turn around. "Yes, Alpha?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"How much did you hear?"
Panic surged through me. I couldn't let him know. He couldn't suspect. "I didn't hear anything," I said quickly, keeping my tone light and innocent.
There was a long, tense silence behind me. Then, his voice came again, this time with the weight of an Alpha command.
"How much did you hear?"
The compulsion hit me like a wall. My legs buckled slightly under the force of it, and my mouth moved before I could stop it. "Nothing," I said, lying through my teeth. "I didn't hear anything."
The silence that followed was suffocating. My palms were clammy, my breathing shallow. And then, before I could react, I felt him behind me.
"Curiosity is quite the killer," he whispered in my ear, his voice smooth and venomous. "I do feel sorry for you and the baby you're carrying, but I can't let anything get in my way."
I barely had time to process his words before I felt the sharp prick of a syringe against my neck.
"No," I gasped, my hands flying up too late to stop him.
The substance burned as it entered my bloodstream, spreading quickly. My knees buckled, and I fell to the floor, my entire body weakening with frightening speed. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it might explode. My throat was parched, each breath more labored than the last.
"Kamrynn! Kamrynn, can you hear me?! No! Don't give in. You can't let yourself give in. Not now..." Aryna tried to reach out to me but I could barely hear her. Everything was suddenly fading and blurring, becoming disjointed. Her presence was like a quiet hum in the back of my mind as I struggled to keep track.
"Help-" I tried to cry out, but my voice was no more than a rasp.
My vision blurred, black spots dancing across my sight as my limbs grew heavy. I fought to stay conscious, to keep my eyes open, but it was a losing battle.
The last thing I saw before the darkness consumed me was Alpha Draven's face as he dragged my limp body away.