Casting the First Stone
ALANA
After my conversation with William, I went to the queen luna’s quarters to check up on her condition but I was not allowed to get near her. All of the suspects in the poisoning are not allowed to so I just looked at her from the glass in her door.
“I hope you’re going to be fine, queen luna. I hope you will wake up the soonest,” I whispered while gazing at her pale face.
She is a very kind person. I thought she would not like me as the mate of her son because I am an ignorant lady but she looked past that and even taught me ger favorite ballet move.
I saw and experienced her mother that I did not have.
I sighed before turning my back just for me to freeze right in front of a pair of cold eyes of the alpha king.
“Alpha king,” I greeted and bowed my head before him.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in a monotone voice. “You should be out there searching for the culprit.”
I nodded and clasped my trembling hands together. His presence is just too overwhelming for me. “I just took a minute to know the queen luna’s condition, alpha king. I want to know if her condition is improving.”
“And why are you wasting your time doing that when the others are busy proving themselves to be innocent.”
I sighed and raised my eyes at the alpha king, fighting the urge to bow my head again. “Because it’s more important for me to know that she will be okay, alpha king. That’s what actually matters for me.”
The alpha king looked at me in a curious manner. “I appreciate your concern, Alana, but you have to do what I asked you to do, if you want to stay as my son’s mate.”
I gasped deep inside before I nodded. “Yes, alpha king.”
But instead of investigating and looking around the palace asking for statements and video footage, I went straight to the medicine hub of the state and began working on a potion for the queen luna.
I want her to be well. I want her to be back to her health so William would be happy. I saw her countless times slip out of his investigation to take a look at her mother. Knowing that his mother wakes up will make him the happiest son in the world more than knowing and uncovering who did this to her.
And that’s what I am going to do now. I want to put that smile of relief in his mouth.
“Alana, here are the books you wanted.” Francine put all stacks of books next to me in the library while I am busy concocting a potion.
Aside from painting, making medications is what I excelled too during my classes.
“Thank you, Francine,” I said without looking up at her.
She chose to help me rather than work on proving herself that she was not the one who poisoned the queen luna.
“You have her talents too. Your mother is known for having an exceptional knowledge about medicinal herbs. You really are her daughter, Alana.”
I smiled a little, warming my heart. “Thank you, Francine. Thank you for helping me.”
“I’m not the only one helping you,” she said and winked at me and walked to the side revealing sets of various plants in pots on the floor. “William bought these rare plants for you to help you with your experiment. He also apologized for not always being here to be with you.”
And then from her back, she took out a big bouquet of white and blue roses and gave it to me. “So, he thought he would at least give you something that would remind you of him in hours that he’s not with you now.”
A day’s worth of labor and exhaustion just flew out of the window in an instant when I hugged the bouquet and smelled the flowers, especially when I read the note that says, “Good luck, Alana. I know you can do it. I love you.”
“I guess you have enough energy to last you another week,” Francine teased me and began helping me with mixing the potions.
I just snickered and carefully put the flowers to a table where I could easily glance at it.
She’s right though. I felt energized all of a sudden that I even decided to sleep through the room to finish the concoction.
I fell asleep on my desk for a while only to wake up to see William sleeping peacefully next to me. Our hands are intertwined on the table as our hearts beat as one.
I don’t really understand myself anymore. When I am with Lucas, my heart always skips a beat and all my senses go haywire but when I am with William, I feel so at peace and safe.
“And this is what I prefer. My heart is only yours, William,” I whispered before leaning in and kissing his head.
The day of the reckoning arrived. All of the suspects are gathered around the bed where the queen luna lay, still in a coma.
The alpha king looked on at his luna with clenched jaws, misery all over his face.
“Let’s begin.” He looked at Sophia. “Tell me who did this to the queen luna, Sophia.”
The woman nodded before throwing me a side glance and laying out her evidence before the alpha king.
“Alpha king, allow me to tell you the truth about who did this to the queen luna. She has been poisoned by the plant wolfsbane which is known to be toxic on us, werewolves. As you know, the state manages the production of this plant under strict guidelines and there is no way we can have our hands on it given how it is practically a crime for us to do that.”
She paused and a smirk crept up on her face. “But there is one among us who has access to it a few months ago because she has been diligently studying it and I am wondering if she already planned it before.”
“And can you tell me who that person is, Sophia?”
Sophia pointed at me. “I am talking about the alpha prince’s mate, alpha king. Alana is the one who poisoned the queen luna.”