Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Ethan's POV

When Violet's voice cut through all that noise, I felt like I could finally breathe again.

Thank goodness!

Another few seconds and I would've ripped those guards apart. Cane or no cane, I didn't care. My wolf was going crazy, wanting blood after seeing them reach for Sophia. But Violet showing up bought us some time.

Everyone turned to look at the entrance. Violet walked in like she owned the place, her blue hair bright under those lights. She was holding this vial that glowed in a weird way, the stuff inside moving around like it was alive.

"What the hell is this?" Marcus was still holding onto Lila. "Another one of Sophia's friends coming to lie?" He yelled.

"No lie," Violet said. She stopped right in the middle of the hall and held up that vial. "This is proof. Proof that Lila's exactly what Sophia said. A half-blood witch."

People started whispering. Some of the alphas sat up straighter, staring at that glowing vial.

"That's bullshit," Marcus said. "You're just trying to help Sophia."

Violet didn't even blink. "This vial has Lila's magical signature in it. Her essence." She turned in a slow circle so everyone could see. "I've been tracking her for sometime now. Every spell, every potion she makes leaves a mark, which she isn't aware of. And this?" She shook the vial a little and it got brighter. "This proves what she really is."

"You think we're stupid?" Marcus's voice got louder. "You could put anything in a bottle and call it proof."

"Fine, then explain this." Violet pulled out some folded papers from her jacket and threw them at Marcus's feet. "Purchase records. Lila bought wolfsbane from three different dealers last month. The same poison that almost killed Sophia's father, that was the same one used on Ethan."

My jaw clenched. That wolfsbane almost killed me. Left me weak when my pack needed me, and it all came back to her.

Marcus's face went pale but he didn't move. His hands were shaking where they held Lila's shoulders.

"She's lying," Lila said, her voice weak. "Marcus, she's lying. You know I wouldn't—

I couldn't do such thing, it's Sophia! She never loved the fact I'm becoming the new Luna, now she is manipulating things to get me"

"Shut your mouth," I said, taking a step forward. My cane hit the floor and I left it there, I didn't need it. "You've done enough."

Marcus's head whipped toward me, those blue eyes full of rage. "You don't get to talk to her like that. She is my LUNA!"

"Yeah, your LUNA indeed!, I do need to speak some senses in her!," I shot back. "While you were playing happy family with your witch, she was trying to kill me and destroy mine own LUNA!"

The whole hall went quiet.

"What are you saying?" One of the older alphas stood up.

I turned to face everyone. "Two days ago, someone broke into the hospital where Sophia was stabbed me with a dagger covered in wolfsbane. If the healers hadn't been there, I'd be dead."

People gasped. Alphas were looking at each other, confused and angry.

"That's a lie, even if it was true, what is our business with that!" Marcus said, but he didn't sound sure.

"Is it?" I stared right at him. "Max investigated. Traced the money for that assassin back to a private account. Want to guess whose name was on it?"

Marcus looked like he might throw up.

"Yours," I said. "You hired someone to kill me, Marcus. So you could get rid of me and take Sophia back."

The hall exploded. Everyone was yelling, talking over each other. Hiring assassins to kill another alpha? That broke every rule we had.

"That's not—I didn't—" Marcus couldn't even get the words out. He stepped back from Lila, looking lost.

"Don't lie," I said, moving closer. "You wanted me dead so you could have her. But I didn't die. And now you're going to pay for it."

"Marcus." One of the alphas said his name like a command. "Did you do this? Did you hire assassins?"

Marcus opened his mouth but nothing came out. He just stood there, shaking.

Then Lila started laughing.

It was this crazy, high-pitched sound that made everyone stop and stare. She pushed herself up from the throne, that pale face twisted into a smile.

"Oh, Marcus," she said, and she sounded like she was mocking him. "You're so pathetic."

"Lila," Marcus whispered. He looked hurt. "What are you doing?"

"Yes," she said, and her violet eyes were shining with something mean. "Yes, I'm a witch. Yes, I poisoned Sophia's father. Yes, I've been playing you this whole time." She laughed again. "You were so easy. So desperate for someone to love you that you believed everything I said."

Nobody said anything. Even the alphas just stood there, shocked.

"But here's what you don't know," Lila said, that smile getting bigger. "I didn't do this for you. I didn't even do it for me."

My blood went cold.

"What are you talking about?" Sophia's voice was shaking with anger.

Lila looked at her and her smile turned cruel. "You think Marcus was the only one who wanted you gone, Sophia? You think this was just about jealousy?" She laughed, bitter and sharp. "There's someone way more powerful behind all this. Someone who's been planning this longer than you know."

"Who?" I demanded, stepping forward. "Who hired you?"

Lila opened her mouth to answer.

Then she gasped.

Her whole body went stiff. Her eyes got huge. Her hands went to her throat, scratching at her own skin like she was trying to pull something off.

"What's happening?" Marcus yelled, reaching for her.

"No," Violet said, her face going white. "Someone poisoned her."

"What?" Sophia sounded panicked.

Lila started shaking violently. Those dark veins showed up again but worse this time. Blacker, thicker. They spread up her neck like someone was drawing on her with a marker, choking her.

"She's been poisoned," Violet said louder. "Someone doesn't want her to talk."

Lila's eyes rolled back and she collapsed onto the throne, twitching as the poison moved through her.

"Who did this?" Marcus was screaming now. "Who poisoned her?"

Nobody answered.

Because nobody knew.

I looked around the hall, studying everyone's faces. Someone in this room just tried to shut Lila up. Someone who didn't want us to know the truth.

Sophia looked at me and I could see she was thinking the same thing.

This wasn't just about Marcus and Lila anymore, there was someone else, someone worse. And they were right here with us. But who could they be?