Chapter 367 367
Maurice POV
Her temperature keeps surging.
One moment I think the fever has finally broken the cold, damp cloth cooling her burning skin and the next her body ignites again, heat rolling off her in relentless waves.
Years of poison are burning out of her veins.
The remnants of the drugs fighting desperately against her wolf, each one struggling for dominance as her true nature pushes forward to reclaim control.
Sweat soaks through her clothes, through the mattress, into the sheets beneath her.
Broken words tumble from her lips scattered, senseless before the nightmares return. Her hands claw blindly at the damp bedding as her body thrashes weakly.
I lean close every time, murmuring soothing words into her ear, trying to anchor her even while she remains trapped in unconsciousness.
I haven’t left her side for thirty-six hours.
My own body aches with hunger, exhaustion gnawing at me, yet I refuse to leave her.
And I refuse to let the house staff witness their Luna in this state.
She will survive this.
But she will endure it with dignity.
In private.
Yet never alone.
Slowly, her racing heart begins to steady.
Her breathing evens out.
The last traces of wolfsbane fed to her daily since childhood finally drain from her system.
Her eyelids flutter.
The tension in her face softens as her dreams shift, becoming calmer.
A faint smile touches her lips.
“Mum,” she whispers.
Then her brow creases sharply with discomfort.
Her eyes open sluggishly, struggling to focus on the room… on me.
“Maurice?” Her voice is raw, cracked from dehydration and hours of screaming in her sleep. “What happened?”
“You’ve been unconscious for nearly two days,” I tell her quietly, brushing damp strands of hair from her forehead. “Your body went into withdrawal.”
“What do you mean?” she croaks, licking her dry lips before reaching shakily for the small glass of water beside the bed.
She sips slowly, then tries to sit up.
Her body trembles, weak and unsteady.
Once she eats, her strength should begin to return.
“The pills that suppressed your wolf,” I explain gently. “You’re off them now. The poison is gone.”
“It’s over?” Hope flickers in her eyes fragile, desperate hope that the worst has passed.
For the most part, it has.
But another battle is only beginning.
“The hardest part is ahead,” I admit. “You’ll want them again. You’ll crave the escape. But your wolf will help you through it.”
She studies me closely.
For once, I can’t read the emotion on her face.
The yellow slit within her grey eyes is wider now brighter, more pronounced.
Her wolf is already gaining ground.
Slowly reclaiming the parts that had been hidden from her.
“What?” I ask quietly.
“I told you,” she says, shifting away from me, “I don’t want a wolf.”
She tries to slide off the bed.
I know she won’t make it two steps before collapsing.
“One of my warriors is fighting for his life because you arranged another drug delivery,” I snap, anger breaking through. “Believe me when I say this you are done with the pills. Done.”
I pull her back firmly, tucking her legs under the covers and stopping her from trying again.
“Hugo?” she gasps suddenly.
Her hands fly to her mouth.
“Oh my God… is he alright?” Panic floods her face. “Maurice, I didn’t you have to believe me. I didn’t arrange a delivery.”
She turns toward me, her hands clutching at my chest.
“Bee…” I shake my head, frustration burning hotter. “Your choices put my pack in danger.”
“I swear I didn’t!” she cries. “I’m not saying I wouldn’t have when I was desperate but I hadn’t. Not this time.”
“Bee, I wiped out your stash back at Damien’s and Aurélie’s”
“I arranged one delivery the day I went shopping with Aurélie,” she rushes out. “I met her at the pharmacy.”
“Met who?”
“Clémence.”
The name hits me like a blow.
“You’re telling me you’ve been in contact with Clémence… from Black Mist?” Of all people.
Damien has been hunting for her for months.
Since her father’s death.
Her pack had fallen under the Bloodnight Alliance almost immediately after now ruled by Didier.
“Yes,” she says softly. “Why?”
“Damien’s been trying to locate her since her father died.”
“You mean since Damien killed her father?” Bitterness sharpens her tone, her eyes flashing faintly.
It’s starting.
The wolf stirring.
“I wasn’t there,” I say carefully. “I don’t know every detail. But Damien told me her father threatened Aurélie. That he was working with your father planning Damien’s death so he could force Aurélie to mate with him.”
“That Dominique would become his heir,” I continue. “That he’d start over with him.”
Her hands move to her temples as she processes it all, pain tightening her features.
“Bee,” I murmur, easing her head gently back against my chest, letting my scent calm her. “How long have you been speaking to Clémence?”
“For the six months I was gone,” she answers weakly. “I texted her whenever I needed a delivery.”
“She knew where you were?” My jaw tightens. “She knew you were on the farm?”
If I’m right…
Clémence has had access to her all along.
Watching.
Manipulating.
Using her.
Bee thought running from the Lake House had kept her safe from Damien and her father.
But the real enemy had been closer than she ever imagined.
Waiting.
Biding her time.
Preparing the perfect moment to strike Damien by using Bee.
“No… well, yes,” she admits softly. “But I didn’t realise at first. I used to walk miles to meet her. I thought I was being careful.”