Chapter 144 POISONED TEA
Edeline
She was completely avoiding the topic of the poisoned tea. Despite knowing my concern for it, she refused to acknowledge it.
"So, when I arrived here..." Anita’s voice trailed off as she seemed to gather her thoughts. "I didn’t come just to help her pup navigate the mate bond. I came to facilitate a connection between Edeline and Darius. But when I discovered that Tatiana had met her soulmate... I realized I had to act quickly. He was exploring the cabin. Being in her presence was going to influence her decision, so yes... I used Darius. I tried to persuade him to distance himself from Edeline so that Tatiana could be with Percival, but our plan never worked out. I even tried to remove her... I sent Darius over with some tea for Edeline to help with her heat. However, he decided to pass it on to Mirabelle for her to deliver instead. Mirabelle wasn’t supposed to have any of it, but she did... and that’s everything.” Her eyes were fixed blankly on Conor, who could barely conceal his disgust.
“Anita, you are truly disappointing,” Conor said, his voice laced with anger. “I regret engaging in certain activities while my friend was still alive. It was because of you that she passed away... not me. That’s absolutely appalling.” His voice was a low growl as he leaned across the table and struck her with a backhand, causing her head to snap to the side.
No one moved to help her.
Tatiana’s tears streamed down her face once again. It seemed that crying was becoming her only response. She glanced at Conor, her voice high-pitched with confusion and hurt. “What’s the matter? Did you really cheat on Mom with her own sister?”
Conor sighed heavily, taking a step back as if the situation was becoming too much for him to handle.
“Sure,” he said with a dismissive tone. “It wasn’t me. I never really wanted to be a part of this, you know? Please don’t leave me.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t belong here.”
Conor let out a light, mocking laugh, his gaze shifting to her stomach. “I’m not interested in you,” he said, his voice devoid of warmth. “You’re not my family, and this wolf...” He gestured to Percival with a shrug. “He doesn’t want you either. Not even your own friend. What use are you to me now without an heir?”
Conor gave a casual nod to William. “Do whatever you want with them,” he said. “Take care of the witch, though. She’s in a tough spot. I’m packing up and getting out of here.” He turned and walked away, leaving Tatiana pleading after him.
As Conor exited the office, he slammed the door behind him. The room fell into a heavy silence, each of us left to absorb the weight of his departure.
Another Beta arrived shortly after, as William rose from his seat. It was clear he had communicated with the Beta telepathically. “Bring Anita to the cellar,” he instructed firmly. “Ensure she is securely restrained with strong silver chains.”
The Beta nodded in acknowledgment and began to make his way around the conference table. His steps faltered as he came upon a horrifying scene: a Beta lying lifeless on the floor with blood staining the walls. He felt a shiver of unease wash over him but forced himself to step over Ben’s body to free Anita from her chair. After reapplying restraints to her hands, he guided her toward the door.
As they left the room, Anita’s eyes lingered on Ben’s bloodied form. Her anger was palpable, and her wolf-like instincts seemed to surge to the surface. She turned her head toward me, her voice a low, dangerous growl. “I will make sure your life is ruined before I meet my end here.” Her face twisted into a sinister expression that sent chills down my spine.
“Hey, let’s go!” the Beta urged, pulling her gently but firmly. Anita stumbled slightly as she was dragged out of the office, still growling her threats. “I will cause you great harm! Can you hear me?!” she shouted.
The door slammed shut behind them, and a heavy silence filled the room. We stood there, processing the weight of the information we had just received. Although we had achieved some of our goals, Tatiana remained, and Darius’s quest for justice was left unfulfilled. Anita’s deliberate omission of the poisoning incident spoke volumes.
I had not accomplished the two things I needed. Now, I faced the task of convincing William about Darius and pleading with him to deal with Tatiana. Or, if that failed, I would have to consider an alternative.
My gaze drifted to the bloodied wall, smeared with red streaks and splatters. For a moment, I had almost forgotten about the deceased Beta in the room.
“We should probably clear out this place so we can bring someone in to clean up,” Alpha William said wearily, his eyes reflecting the strain he was under.
We all stood up from our chairs, and I felt a surge of relief that my brother’s test had not come up. It was not the right time to reveal the secret; my mom needed to handle that in her own way. As we left the slaughterhouse, I noticed the relief in Luna’s eyes.
Just as we were about to exit, a sudden realization hit me: we had completely forgotten about the test. It was still sitting on the table.
Panic surged through me as I looked over and saw Alpha William holding it in his hand, his brows furrowed in confusion.
“What’s this?” William asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
Everyone turned to look as William lifted his head. “What’s up?” someone asked, stepping forward.
William’s expression grew serious as he glanced back down at the test results. “Nixx’s test results indicate a positive presence of the Alpha gene… How is that even possible?”
My heart sank as the implications of this new revelation began to sink in.
…
I could not help but feel a rush of thoughts as I gazed back into the room. My stomach was sinking with every passing second.