Chapter 247

第247章
Juno's POV

I jerked awake, my heart racing, as sounds filtered through the darkness of our bedroom. For a moment, I couldn't identify what had pulled me from sleep, until I heard Augustin's low voice coming from the direction of our closet.

My wolf, Seraphine, stirred within me, suddenly alert. Something's wrong, she whispered.

I sat up slowly, careful not to make the bed creak. Augustin was speaking in hushed tones, but the tension in his voice was unmistakable. I noticed a strange energy in the room, an uneasiness that wasn't coming from me. It took me a second to realize I was picking up on Fenris's anxiety. Augustin's wolf was agitated, which rarely happened unless there was serious trouble.

I'd fallen asleep early, exhausted from the intensity of the past few days. The vote that had established Augustin as the true sovereign ruler had drained me, though I'd tried not to show it. But now, refreshed from my rest, my senses were sharp enough to detect the subtle shift in the atmosphere.

Augustin emerged from the closet, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the faint light streaming in from the bathroom. He paused when he saw I open my eyes.

"Berry," He began carefully, "there's something you need to know about Isabelle..."

"What's happening?" I asked, not bothering with pleasantries. The look on his face told me this wasn't the time for them.

He crossed to the bed and sat on the edge, the mattress dipping under his weight.

"We have a problem."

My stomach tightened. "Tell me."

"Isabelle is gone."

"What do you mean, gone? She left with Matthew's permission, didn't she?"

Augustin's jaw tightened. "She did. But there's more to it than that." He rare gesture of frustration. "Charles has been talking. Isabelle wasn't just manipulated by her father, she was actively working against us."

"Working against us how?" I asked.

"She's our connection to the Sovereign," he said flatly. "According to Charles, she's been working with him all along. Everything, her relationship with Matthew, the information she gave us, it was all part of their plan."

The revelation hit me. "That's impossible. Matthew is her fated mate."

"A bond she manipulated and never fully accepted," Augustin replied. "Charles claims she's in love with someone else. Someone from my family."

"From your family?" I echoed, my mind racing to catch up. "Who?"

"The Sovereign," Augustin said, his expression darkening. "Charles didn't give us a name, but he implied it's someone with Levenston blood."

I shook my head, struggling to make sense of this. "And the baby? Matthew's child?"

"Not Matthew's," Augustin said quietly. "It belongs to this Sovereign, this Levenston. They concealed the truth with a false marking."

My hand flew to my mouth. "Oh my God. Poor Matthew." I remembered how devastated he'd been after rejecting Isabelle, and now to learn this... "Does he know?"

"He was with me when Charles revealed it. He's... not taking it well."

I could only imagine. To be betrayed so completely by someone you believed was your fated mate, it was beyond cruel.

"We need to find her," I said, my mind already shifting to strategy. "She can lead us to the Sovereign."

Augustin nodded. "I've already sent teams to track her, but she has a head start."

I frowned, considering our options. "Don't make it obvious we're hunting her," I advised. "Let her think she's fooled us and escaped."

"You want to let her go?" Augustin asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"Not let her go, monitor her. If we try to capture her now, she'll never lead us to the Sovereign." I leaned forward, conviction growing as I spoke. "She's a piece in this game, Augustin. If we remove her from the board, we lose our best chance at finding who's really behind all this."

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "If we capture her, she won't betray the Sovereign."

"And the Sovereign won't come to rescue her," I added. "He'd just find another pawn."

Augustin studied me, "You're suggesting we use her as bait without her knowing it."

"Exactly." I met his gaze steadily. "We continue questioning the prisoners, gather what information we can, but we keep Isabelle's involvement quiet for now. Let her think she's gotten away with it."

Augustin was quiet for a moment, weighing my suggestion. Finally, he nodded. "It's risky, but it could work."

"Do you think the Sovereign truly loves her?" I asked, "A man who claims to love a woman but lets her mate with another man? Who uses her as a spy and puts her in constant danger? No, I don't believe that's love."

"He needed someone close to Matthew. Someone Matthew would trust implicitly. A fated mate was perfect for that."

"And if Matthew ever got suspicious, she could claim she was just following her father's orders out of fear."

"Which is exactly what she told me," I said, remembering our conversations. "She played both sides perfectly."

"If he truly loved her, he wouldn't have put her in that position," I reasoned. "He would have found another way."

"Or she would have refused to do it," I added. "Love makes us push back against things that harm those we care about. Isabelle never pushed back. She just went along with everything."

"She's a tool to him," Augustin agreed. "Nothing more."

"And that's why she's dangerous," I continued. "If he treats her poorly, she might eventually turn on him. That's why he arranged for her to be with Matthew—to keep her satisfied enough not to betray him, but dependent enough to follow orders."

Augustin's eyes gleamed with approval. "You understand these games well, my love."

"I've had to learn," I said simply. "So we stay the course? Keep questioning the prisoners, but keep Isabelle's involvement to ourselves for now?"

"Yes," he agreed. "Though there's one more thing you should know. Nia is in the infirmary."

"What? Why?"

"Isabelle gave her something. Silver dust capsules. She's unconscious."

My mind flashed back to the prison visit. "When I took Isabelle to see Nia... they were holding hands through the bars. She must have passed her something then."

"Will she recover?" I asked, concern flooding through me despite everything. No one deserved to suffer from silver poisoning.

"You tell me," Augustin said. "You're more familiar with these treatments than I am."

I thought quickly. "Milk and tea tree oil. Force it down her throat if you have to. She'll wake up in a day or two."

"I'll have the medical team informed," he said, reaching for his phone.

"Once she's awake, we should question her about what Isabelle said to her," I suggested. "They were whispering to each other. Isabelle told her something important."

After Augustin made the call, he stood and stretched, his muscles rippling beneath his skin. "I need a shower," he said, his voice suddenly lighter. "Care to join me?"

The sudden shift in mood caught me off guard, but I understood it.

"I'd love to," I replied, sliding out of bed.

In the shower, water cascaded over us as Augustin pulled me against him, his hands exploring my body with familiar hunger. I responded eagerly, grateful for the distraction from darker thoughts. His lips found mine, demanding and possessive, as steam swirled around us.

"Mine," he growled against my neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin there.

"Yours," I agreed breathlessly, my fingers digging into his shoulders.

We didn't speak of Isabelle or the Sovereign or any of the dangers facing us. Instead, we lost ourselves in each other, letting passion wash away our concerns, if only temporarily.

Later, as we lay tangled in the sheets, my head resting on Augustin's chest, he broke the comfortable silence.

"Kieran has been seeing Cassandra," he said, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my bare shoulder.

I lifted my head to look at him. "Cassandra? Your ex?"

He nodded. "Apparently, they've become quite close. But he's worried."

"About what?"

"That she might be playing him, like Isabelle did to Matthew."

I frowned. "Do you think she is?"

"I don't know," Augustin admitted. "She left years ago after allegedly overhearing something she shouldn't have."

"What did she overhear?"

"A conversation between my father and her uncle Patrick. She claims she was sent away because of it."

I sat up, suddenly alert. "That's...interesting timing."

Augustin raised an eyebrow. "What are you thinking?"

"What if it had something to do with Helena? Or her son?" I suggested. "Helena is your father's darkest secret, isn't she? What if Cassandra overhead something about that?"

"It's possible," Augustin said slowly. "My father and Patrick were close. If anyone knew the truth besides my father, it would have been Patrick."

"And if Cassandra found out..."

"She might have been sent away to keep her quiet," Augustin finished. "It makes sense."

"Do you think she's involved with the Sovereign?" I asked.

"I don't know. Charles mentioned that the person behind the Sovereign is someone strong, someone with influence." His expression darkened. "Someone who's been pulling strings for years."

"And possibly someone connected to Helena's son," I added, pieces beginning to fall into place.

"We'll figure it out," Augustin promised, pulling me back down beside him. "For now, we stick to our plan. In five days, I'll be officially crowned as sovereign ruler. A week after that, we'll be married."

"And then?" I asked, looking up at him.

His eyes, normally so guarded, softened as they met mine. "And then we'll be truly bonded. No more secrets, no more holding back. You'll be my Luna Queen in every way."

I smiled, warmth spreading through me at the thought. Despite all the dangers and uncertainties surrounding us, that future remained clear and bright.

"I can't wait," I whispered, nestling closer to him.