The Alpha Luna’s True Mate

The Venom

Elira

Leon stared at the door Ares had just slammed, his face twisting into an ugly, furious mask. You could practically see the veins popping on his neck as he clenched his fists.

"He forgets his place," Leon muttered, his voice shaking with pure irritation. "He forgets who wears the crown in this palace."

"Leon, let him go," Nyra murmured, rubbing his arm with a soft, comforting touch. "He is just trying to be a hero for the guards."

Leon let out a harsh breath, shaking his head as he leaned back into his throne.

"Fine," Leon said, waving a hand dismissively. "As the general of the royal army, he has the right to investigate security threats. Let him waste his time looking for ghosts."

"The assassins were not ghosts, Leon," I stepped forward, raising my voice to make sure he actually heard me this time. "The attack truly happened. I was cornered, and I almost died."

Nyra remained quiet beside him, sitting on her little stool like a perfect, fragile doll.

But I hadn't forgotten the look in her eyes from earlier at the reception. I knew with certainty that she was the one who had shoved me from behind on those stone steps.

She would deny it until her dying breath, of course. And if I brought it up to Leon right now, he would just turn it around on me and claim I was being a bitter, jealous wife.

"Go back to your room, Elira," Leon said, not even looking at me as he picked up a glass of wine. "You are clearly overwhelmed."

I didn't say another word. I turned around and walked out of the throne room, my heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.

Ares was waiting for me out in the corridor, leaning his massive frame against the stone wall with his arms crossed.

"I’m walking you back," Ares said simply, falling into step right beside me.

We walked in silence through the long, winding hallways of the palace. The air between us was heavy, thick with the unsaid words and the pull of the bond that kept dragging us together.

When we finally reached my bedroom door, I turned around to thank him, but the words caught in my throat.

Ares stepped closer, his large body completely blocking out the rest of the hallway. He looked down at me, his golden eyes burning with a deep, quiet intensity that made my stomach do a frantic flip.

"You need to be careful, Elira," Ares whispered, his voice dangerously low and rough. "The danger inside this palace is closer than you think."

"I know," I breathed, my heart hammering against my ribs as his scent wrapped around me. "I know it is."

He reached out, his thumb brushing against my mouth for a split second, sending a jolt of pure fire straight down my spine. We stood there, frozen in a heavy, breathless moment that felt like it was about to break into something dangerous.

The heavy click of the door handle echoed loudly, and we both snapped backward as the door swung open from the inside.

My head maid, Mona, stepped out, holding a stack of fresh sheets. She froze when she saw how close Ares and I were standing, her eyes going wide with shock.

The tense silence broke instantly. Ares gave a stiff, formal nod, his face locking back into a emotionless mask.

"Have a good night, Your Majesty," Ares said coldly, turning on his heel and walking away down the corridor.

Mona looked between me and his retreating back, a worried frown creasing her forehead, but she didn't say a single word as she stepped aside to let me enter.

The next day, I couldn't shake the restlessness gridlocking my mind. I ended up lounging in the deep corners of the palace library, desperately looking to escape from my miserable reality by burying my face in a book.

I picked a random novel from the romance shelves, but as I kept reading, I realized it was a spicy werewolf book.

My chest felt tight as my eyes scrolled down the pages. The characters in the book were currently getting hot and heavy, describing a mating so vivid that made my own skin start to tingle with heat.

"Looking for historical data, my queen?" a deep voice rumbled right above me.

I gasped, my heart leaping into my throat as I looked up. Ares was standing right in front of my chair, looking down at me with a raised eyebrow.

The sudden shock made my body flush, and my wolf whined inside me. I could tell the moment he realized what was happening, because his nostrils flared slightly.

Ares could smell my arousal in the air. The scent of sweet vanilla and heat was entirely obvious in the small, quiet space of the library.

My cheeks burned, but I forced myself to stay completely calm. I closed the book with a snap and placed it directly on the small table between us, using it like a shield.

"What do you want, Ares?" I asked, keeping my voice as steady as possible.

Ares cleared his throat, though his eyes still held a lingering dark heat as he pulled a folder from under his arm.

"One of the omegas working in the eastern pack house had a severe medical complication during childbirth this morning," Ares said, his voice returning to a professional tone. "The royal doctors need to perform an emergency procedure, but since it uses pack funds, they have to gain the signature of the queen first."

"Give it to me," I said immediately, reaching for the paperwork.

I grabbed a pen from the table, my fingers trembling slightly as I quickly scribbled my signature at the bottom of the document. I couldn't even focus on the words, just wanting to end this intense interaction.

"Here," I said, handing the folder back to him while keeping my eyes strictly on his chin.

"Thank you, Elira," Ares said quietly, his fingers brushing against mine as he took the file back.

That tiny touch was too much. I stood up abruptly, pulling my skirt down as I practically fled away from him, leaving him standing alone among the book stacks.

My cheeks were bright pink with embarrassment and lingering arousal as I hurried back to my private chambers.

That night, sleep didn't bring any peace at all. I kept tossing and turning, sleeping with Ares' face completely painted onto the back of my closed eyelids.

Just before dawn, a sharp, stinging pain suddenly radiated through my shoulder blade, ripping me violently out of my sleep.

"Ah!" I cried out, wincing as I sat up in the dark bed.

My eyes adjusted to the dim light, and my blood ran cold. A long, dark green snake was slithering across my silk blanket, its scales glistening in the shadows.

Adrenaline surged through my veins. Without thinking, I grabbed the heavy glass lamp from my bedside table and slammed it down hard onto the creature's head, killing it instantly.

The loud crash of shattering glass broke the silence of the room, and the heavy doors burst open a second later.

Mona ran into the room, gasping when she saw the broken glass and the dead snake lying on the bloody sheets.

"Oh my goddess! Your Majesty!" Mona screamed, rushing to my side as she saw the tiny puncture marks on my shoulder. "You have been bitten! Someone call the guards!"

The entire palace was thrown into complete chaos within minutes. By the time the royal doctor had finished patching up my shoulder and giving me an antidote, Leon and Nyra walked into the room.

Leon looked around the messy bedroom, his eyes flashing with irritation as he looked at the dead snake that a guard was lifting into a box.

"How did a venomous viper get into the queen's private chambers?" Leon demanded, his voice booming through the room.

Mona was kneeling on the floor, trembling violently as she kept her head down. "I do not know, Your Majesty. I checked the windows last night, I swear."

"This is unacceptable negligence," Leon barked, glaring down at the poor maid. "You are the head maid. It is your sole job to ensure the queen's safety inside these walls."

"Leon, please, it wasn't her fault," I pleaded from the bed, gripping the blanket tight. "The snake could have crawled in through the vents. Don't blame Mona."

"Silence, Elira," Leon snapped, turning his cold glare toward me. "I am the king, and I will not tolerate this kind of laziness in my palace. Guards, take her to the dungeons. She is to be punished for being so careless with the queen."

"No! Leon, stop!" I cried out, trying to get out of bed, but the doctor held me back. "Please, I am begging you, she has served me for years! She did nothing wrong!”

Leon disregarded my words, waving his hand to order the guards to drag a sobbing Mona out of the room.

Beside him, Nyra stood quietly, watching the entire scene play out with a look of pure amusement.

As Mona's screams faded down the hallway, I caught the tiny, cruel smirk tipping up the corners of Nyra's lips. She looked pleased with herself, and a sickening thought hit me.

Nyra had put that snake in my bed.