THE BREAKING POINT

The fire in Mirabel’s chambers burned low, casting long shadows across the walls. The room was silent except for the steady drumming of her fingers against the wooden table. Her body still trembles from the effect of the spell her mother had cast on her. How could her own mother do this to her? She wonders.

She hadn’t slept, she couldn’t. Not with the thoughts that clawed at her mind and the nagging sensation that she was losing control.

After her confrontation with Eudora, she felt the weakness creep into her body, something she still couldn’t explain. But what disturbed her more was the feeling that she had only scratched the surface of whatever game her mother was playing.

She needed proof to bring Eudora down, something tangible and undeniable. Something she could hold in her hands and shove into Eudora’s face so that even her mother’s silver tongue wouldn’t be able to twist it into something else.

The next morning, she sent for some of her most trusted spies. A knock sounded at the door.

“Enter,” she called, her voice being steady despite the storm raging inside her. A tall, cloaked figure stepped inside, moving swiftly but without sound. His name was Darian, one of the few warriors whose loyalty to Mirabel had never wavered.

“My Luna,” he greeted with a respectful bow.

She didn’t bother with pleasantries. “What have you found?”

Darian stared with hesitation and a hint of concern. Whatever it was, it made the dread in Mirabel’s stomach tighten into knots.

“About the missing supplies,” he began, voice low, “we followed the trail as you commanded. It wasn’t easy. Whoever orchestrated this knew how to cover their tracks.”

“So? What did you find?” Mirabel pressed, her hands clenching into fists.

Darian inhaled deeply before meeting her gaze. “All paths lead back to the same place. My Luna, I am afraid to say it.” Mirabel’s heart pounded, though she already knew the answer. “Say it” She ordered.

Darian met her gaze in a panic, and he demanded, “Swear to me that you would not get me executed after I tell you the truth.”

Mirabel watched him for a while. Has she become so ruthless that her trusted warrior was making her swear to spare his life? She thought for some time and then answered. “I will not execute you.”

“It was your mother, Eudora,” Darian confirmed. A rush of heat surged through Mirabel’s body, a mix of fury and something far worse, betrayal.

She sat back slowly, trying to process the weight of his words.

“How certain are you?” she finally asked, her voice eerily calm. Darian hesitated, then reached into his cloak, pulling out a small folded parchment. “I found this in one of the supply caches. It bears her seal.”

Mirabel took the parchment with trembling hands. She unfolded it slowly, her breath hitching as she recognized the signature at the bottom. It indeed bore her mother’s handwriting. Her mother’s seal.

Her mother had been the one betraying her. The air felt heavier, and her mind spun. She had known all these while, suspected it, but had no solid evidence. Seeing it in writing made it real in a way she hadn’t been prepared for.

Eudora had been stealing from the pack. She had orchestrated everything and framed Daric some time ago, and worse, she had done it knowing it would weaken Mirabel’s rule.

“Leave now,” Mirabel ordered, her voice tight. Darian hesitated. “My Luna—”

“Leave.” He stood frozen for a moment, then, “As you command.”

She didn’t look up as he left, and for a long moment, she couldn’t move. Finally, she exhaled sharply, pushing back her chair so violently that it scraped against the stone floor.

She needed more than a letter. She wanted to see it with her own eyes. She decided that she was going to investigate it herself. The night was thick with silence as Mirabel moved through the darkened corridors of the stronghold.

She had spent years perfecting the art of quiet movement, but tonight, every breath felt too loud. She was trailing Eudora, who had left her chambers in secret.

Mirabel had almost missed it. Her mother never moved carelessly, but tonight, something was different. There was an urgency to her step, a slight paranoia in the way she checked over her shoulder before slipping through a hidden passageway near the east wing. Mirabel followed after her quietly.

The passage led to a concealed chamber, one Mirabel had long forgotten about. She pressed herself against the stone wall, careful to remain hidden as she peered into the room.

Eudora stood in the centre, surrounded by three warriors, men Mirabel recognized as her mother’s closest confidants, She strained to listen. They talked in hush sounds, but Mirabel was close enough so she could hear them.

“Did you send the supplies to the south as I commanded?”

“Yes, the Alpha was there to relieve it himself, along with some of his men”, one of them answered.

“Good, we are almost there,” Eudora was saying, her voice smooth, confident. “The people are losing faith in her, and soon, both she and Kaelen will be gone, and I will be your sole leader.” Mirabel’s stomach turned.

One of the warriors crossed his arms. “What if she resists?”

Eudora smiled. “She won’t have a choice; she is my daughter, and hence, she has decided to cross me; she should be ready for the consequences.”

Another warrior frowned. “What about the supplies, surely she will notice them soon.”

“She already has,” Eudora said lightly as if it didn’t concern her in the slightest. “That’s why we must move quickly. Soon, my daughter will have no choice but to step aside.”

Mirabel’s breath caught in her throat. Step aside?

Her fingers dug into the stone wall. Her own mother was plotting to take the leadership from her. She had not just planned to manipulate her from the shadows or control her through whispers and threats. She wants to remove her.

For years, she had grown to believe that her father was meant to be the Alpha of the Northern Pack but was falsely accused and wronged. And since she was born, her mother has raised her to rule, and she had taught her that someday she would be the Luna and would control the pack.

The Marriage to Kaelen, the plot to eliminate Isolde and the plans to weaken Kaelen with a spell were all her mother’s plans so that she could take up her rightful place as leader. Unknown to her all these while, her mother was using her to climb the ladder of success.

Her body moved before her mind caught up. She staggered back, sucking in a sharp breath as panic threatened to choke her. This wasn’t just betrayal. It was a war, and her own mother was the enemy.

For the first time in her life, Mirabel felt something she had never associated with Eudora. Fear. Not the fear of losing power or of making a mistake. But the deep, paralyzing fear of realizing she might not be able to win.

If Eudora had been planning this for years, if she had the warriors, the influence, and the people behind her, then Mirabel wasn’t the one in control.

She never had been. She turned on her heel, and her heart was hammering in her chest. She needed to get out before it was too late to think deeply about the situation.

She barely made it two steps before a hand clamped down on her shoulder. A jolt of terror shot through her. She spun around, her breath ragged, and her pulse was roaring in her ears. And there, standing before her, was Eudora.

She was smiling and looking very calm. As if she had expected this all along. “You should know better than to eavesdrop, my dear,” Eudora murmured.

Her grip tightened, and Mirabel’s throat went dry. She tried to pull back, but the strength in Eudora’s grasp was unnatural. For the first time, Mirabel truly understood that this wasn’t just a political battle, and her mother wasn’t just cunning. She was dangerous.

Mirabel was in real trouble this time.