The sun dipped behind the horizon, casting the mansion in a soft orange glow. The halls were unusually quiet as Lucian returned from the council hall, her mind still racing from the conversation with the elders. Their eyes had judged her, some with doubt, others with sympathy, but she knew her time was running out. She entered the Luna's chamber and slipped off her shoes, exhaling softly. A warm cup of tea waited on her table, placed there by one of the servants just minutes earlier. The scent of lavender and honey filled the room, usually a comfort to her nerves. She reached for the cup, but a small voice in her heart whispered, don't. Lucian hesitated. Something felt off. Before she could take a sip, Lena entered the room, breathless and anxious. "My Lady," she said in a whisper, "don't drink that." Lucian blinked. "What?" "I saw Damien speaking to one of the kitchen workers. I don't have proof, but I think.." Lena swallowed. "I think someone tried to poison you." Lucian looked at the cup in her hand, then back at Lena. Without a word, she set it down on the table and stared at it. Her fingers curled tightly into her palm. The game had changed. "Get Xavier," she said softly, her voice trembling with restraint. "Tell him to check this. Quietly." Lena nodded and disappeared. Lucian stood there, her heart beating faster, not with fear-but anger. Meanwhile, downstairs, Vanessa stood in a shadowed corner of the garden, watching the windows of the mansion. Damien joined her silently, his face unreadable. "Did she drink it?" Vanessa asked, unable to hide her eagerness. Damien hesitated, "She was about to." "Good," Vanessa smiled darkly. "Once she gets sick, Alex will think she's cursed or weak. The elders will panic. And if she dies.." "She won't," Damien cut her off, his jaw clenched. "I'm not a killer, Vanessa." Vanessa narrowed her eyes. "You want the title, don't you?" "I want power, yes. But not this way." Vanessa stepped closer, her voice a soft hiss. "Then grow a spine. You think Alex will hand you the alpha seat if we sit around waiting? You've seen how he looks at her now. She's becoming stronger. The pack is beginning to see her." Damien said nothing. Vanessa turned her eyes back toward the window. "This isn't just about Lucian anymore. It's about control." Back upstairs, Xavier arrived quickly, bringing with him a small silver vial and a worried look. He ran the test quietly, glancing at Lucian as the tea darkened. "There's something in it," he said slowly. "Not deadly. But enough to make you weak, dizzy. Like an illness spreading slowly." Lucian's heart thudded in her chest. "So it was real." Xavier nodded. "Someone wants you gone, Luna." "I already knew that," she said, her voice hardening. "Now I have proof." The next day, Lucian stood in the pack's medical room, pretending to be weak. She had faked a stumble during breakfast, holding her head until Alex himself came to carry her. The news spread quickly, Luna Lucian had fallen ill. Vanessa, hearing the whispers, was quick to act. She walked into the room with a soft frown and a soft tone. "I came to see her. I heard she collapsed." Alex stood near Lucian's bed, his arms folded tightly, his expression unreadable. "She needs rest," he said coldly. Vanessa turned her eyes to Lucian. "Poor thing. She's always looked so fragile." Lucian managed a small smile. "Thank you for your concern." There was something in her voice that made Vanessa blink. Lucian's eyes were not tired. They were sharp. And for a moment, Vanessa felt it, fear. Later that night, when the hallway was dark and the pack had gone to sleep, Lucian, Xavier, and Lena gathered in Lucian's room. "Tomorrow," Lucian said firmly, "we go to the council." "With what?" Xavier asked. "We don't know who gave the order." "We don't," Lucian agreed, "but we know who wanted me gone. And I want to see how she reacts when confronted." Xavier's lips twitched. "You're not so fragile after all." Lucian didn't smile. Her hands were trembling. But her voice was steady. "I won't run. Not anymore." The next morning, as Lucian prepared to walk into the council chamber, a new message was slipped under her door. This one was written in a rush. The paper crumpled. The handwriting sloppy. "Be careful who you trust. They are closer than you think." Lucian stared at the note. And for the first time, she truly felt alone.
