Capturing The Alpha’s Heart.

Richardson's POV I can’t… can’t breathe.” I stuttered, groaning in pain as I lifted myself from the bed and dragged myself toward the bedroom door, my vision blurring at the edges. How is this happening? I shouldn’t be in pain. I should be healing—my wolf should be healing me. And even more, I’m an Alpha. I tried shifting into Dragyl, my wolf, but I was too weak. Nothing happened. No surge of power, no relief. Just unbearable weight pressing down on my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs. Why does the door seem so far away? Where are the guards? Why is this happening? A bitter, salty taste coated my tongue. Something was wrong—this wasn’t ordinary. My body wasn’t responding well, and my strength was draining too much, but my mind screamed at me to recognize it. Poison. “Somebody… help!” I groaned, pushing the door open with the last of my strength. But the moment I did, my body gave out, and I collapsed onto the cold floor, slipping into darkness. ____________________________ “Yes, it was poison.” My mother’s voice followed, sharp with concern. “What kind of poison?” I barely caught the words through the haze in my mind, my body was too weak to move, but my hearing was still sharp. My mother and the sorcerer were deep in conversation, unaware that I was awake. I forced my eyes to open but my eyelids were too heavy to lift, so I stayed still, listening. “It’s Argentum Bane,” the sorcerer said grimly. “It’s a silver-laced poison—lethal to wolves. If I hadn’t gotten here when I did, we would have lost him.” Silver? No wonder my wolf wasn’t responding. Then a cold weight settled in my chest. Someone wanted me dead. I forced my fingers to curl into a fist. Who would dare? “Who would want him dead?” my mother echoed my thoughts, her voice wavered, barely hiding her fury. “Someone who doesn’t want him crowned Alpha of the Warborn Pack,” the sorcerer said. “With the Full Moon Festival approaching, this was an assassination attempt before he could take his rightful place.” The door suddenly swung open, heavy boots pounding against the marble floor. “I came as soon as I heard.” Celestine Graves. My Beta. My best friend. His scent - crisp, earthy musk- filled the air before I heard his voice. But… how did he hear so quickly? He was supposed to be in the city, handling business and looking after his family. The attack had just happened. How did news travel to him that fast? My mind struggled to make sense of it, but the exhaustion was too heavy. The unease lingered, but I pushed it aside. He was here, and that was what mattered. “What happened to him?” Celestine’s voice was firm, controlled. “Poison,” my mother answered without hesitation. “We’ve already sent for the last person who served his meal. I won’t let this go unpunished.” Celestine was silent for a moment, then spoke. “May I make a suggestion?” A pause. “Go ahead,” my mother allowed. “The Full Moon Festival is still months away,” he began. “And Richardson is expected to take a Luna before then. But his safety comes first. Let him leave with me. He can recover in the city, out of sight, while we investigate this attack. Then, once we know who’s behind it, he can return to claim his title.” I hated how they were speaking about me like I wasn’t in the room. Like I was a fragile child, incapable of making decisions. I wanted to speak. To object. But even if I could move my lips, what would I say? That I didn’t want to hide and wanted to confront this head-on? What good was pride if I was dead before the fight even started? Silence. I already knew what my mother would say before she said it. “You know he can’t be among humans,” she replied. “We barely tolerated you staying in the city, Celestine, and you know why.” Celestine chuckled. “Which is exactly why no one would think to look for him there. It’s the safest place for him right now.” The sorcerer, Aldoff, spoke up. “I agree. Whoever did this isn’t just trying to kill Richardson. They want to erase the Warborn Pack legacy. Hiding him in plain sight may be our best move.” I took in their words, letting the realization settle. They were right. Someone was trying to take everything from me. My pack. My throne. My father’s legacy. And if I didn’t play this right, they might succeed next time. Before I could process it further, a knock sounded at the door. Then it was shoved open. The room went still. I sensed the tension shift even before the door flung open, like a sharp change in the atmosphere before a storm. I could feel everyone turning. A woman’s voice cried out in terror. “Please! I swear I didn’t do it!” A pair of guards dragged the trembling maid into the room. “Queen Elise,” one of them said. “This is the last person who served Alpha Richardson his meal.” My mother stepped forward, and I could feel the rage radiating from her. “You… tried to kill my SON!” Her voice thundered, shaking every wall. The maid sobbed. “No! I swear, my Queen! I would never—” “I shall not forgive you,” my mother cut her off, voice like ice. “Lock her up.” I tried to move, to stop them, but my body refused to cooperate. “Wait—” It was too late. Her screams were silenced as the guards dragged her away. My chest tightened. Was she even guilty? This wasn’t justice. This was rage. I hated this—being trapped in my own skin, watching things unfold with no way to stop it. If she was innocent, we’d just punished the wrong person. And if she wasn’t… I should’ve been the one to look her in the eye and demand the truth. “He leaves for the city at dawn,” my mother declared, brushing her fingers over my face before walking out of the room. I exhaled slowly, my body weak but my mind racing. Whoever had done this was still out there and I would find them. And when I did—I’d make them regret ever trying to take me down.