CHAPTER 2: VENOM
1322 Words
CHAPTER 2: VENOM
The woman, Thalina stood so close I could smell her perfume, expensive nothing like the clean cedar scent that clung to Lucian.
"Well?" she prompted, her emerald eyes boring into mine. "Do you really think you can survive what's coming?"
My throat went dry but I forced myself to hold her gaze. "I survived worse than you."
Thalina's smile widened, sharp as broken glass. "Did you now?"
"Thalina," Roman's voice cut through the tension. "The King didn't summon you."
"I don't need a summons to walk through my own castle," she said without looking away from me. "My family has served the throne for generations, which is more than I can say for this human."
The word human came out like an insult.
Something hot flared in my chest, the bond reacting to the threat, and for a second I felt something else underneath, something that whispered I could make her regret those words.
I shoved it down.
"Your family serves the throne," Roman said carefully. "Not the other way around."
Thalina finally turned to look at him and her smile never faltered. "Of course, I'm just concerned about our King's wellbeing."
"What I understand is that you need to leave," Roman said and there was steel in his voice now. "Before Lucian finds you harassing his mate."
"Harassing?" Thalina laughed. "I'm simply introducing myself."
She turned back to me and her eyes traveled over me slowly, taking in my borrowed dress and bare feet.
"Tell me," she said softly. "What makes you think you're special enough to break a curse that's killed every Queen before you?"
"I don't," I said honestly.
That seemed to surprise her because her smile faltered for just a second.
"Then why agree to the ceremony?" she asked.
"Because I have nothing to lose."
"Nothing to lose," Thalina repeated and something flickered in her eyes. "How tragic."
"Thalina," a new voice cut through the room, cold and commanding.
We all turned.
Lucian stood in the doorway and his silver eyes had gone completely dark, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"Lucian," Thalina's voice went warm, almost purring. "I was just meeting your mate."
"You were told to stay away from her," Lucian said and each word was hard.
"I thought you were being dramatic," Thalina said with a light laugh.
"That's exactly what I expect."
The air got heavier and I realized Lucian was using that Alpha aura Roman had mentioned, but Thalina just smiled wider.
"You can't keep her locked away forever," she said. "Eventually she'll have to face the pack, and when she does, they'll tear her apart."
"Then I'll tear them apart first," Lucian said simply.
Something passed between them, some old argument I wasn't part of, and then Thalina looked at me one more time.
"Good luck, little human," she said and her voice was soft, almost kind, which somehow made it worse. "You're going to need it."
She walked past Lucian without another word and her footsteps echoed down the corridor until they faded completely.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
"Are you alright?" Lucian asked and his eyes were back to silver now, fixed on me.
"Fine," I lied.
"She didn't hurt you?"
"Just talked," I said. "Who is she?"
Lucian's jaw tightened. "Thalina Marcus, daughter of the High Elder, she's been trying to position herself as Queen for years."
"She wants you," I said and it wasn't a question.
"She wants the crown," Lucian corrected. "She doesn't care who wears it."
Roman cleared his throat. "I should have stopped her from getting in."
"It's not your fault," Lucian said but his voice was still tight. "She has access to most of the castle, I can't revoke it without the council's approval."
"So she can just walk in here whenever she wants?" I asked.
"Not anymore," Lucian said and he looked at Roman. "Post guards outside Isolde's chambers, no one gets in without my permission."
"You don't need to do that," I started but Lucian cut me off.
"Yes I do, Thalina is dangerous and she's not the only one who'll try to test you."
Test me, like I was some kind of challenge they all wanted to overcome.
"I can handle myself," I said.
"I know you can," Lucian said and his voice softened slightly. "But you shouldn't have to."
"I need some air," I said suddenly.
"I'll take you to the gardens," Lucian offered.
"Alone," I said quickly, then softer, "please, I just need a minute alone."
Something flickered across Lucian's face, hurt maybe but he nodded.
"Roman will show you the way," he said. "Don't leave the castle grounds, there are rogues in the forest."
I wanted to argue but the look on his face stopped me, so I just nodded and followed Roman out.
The gardens were beautiful in a wild, overgrown way, with stone paths winding through roses and ivy. Roman left me at the entrance with a promise to come back in twenty minutes.
I walked until I found a bench hidden behind a wall of climbing flowers and sat down hard.
My hands were shaking.
Everything was shaking.
I'd agreed to die in three weeks for a man I barely knew, I was tied to him with a bond I didn't understand, and apparently there was a whole castle full of people who wanted to see me fail.
What was I doing?
The bond hummed in my chest, warm and insistent, reminding me I wasn't alone anymore but caring wasn't love and a bond wasn't a choice, and I'd learned the hard way that neither of those things meant safety.
Footsteps crunched on the gravel path behind me and I turned, expecting Roman.
It wasn't Roman.
A woman stood there, small and delicate with violet eyes and silvery-blonde hair pulled back in a braid. She looked nervous.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean to disturb you, I can leave."
"It's fine," I said.
She hesitated, then smiled slightly. "You're Isolde, the King's mate."
"That's what they tell me."
"I'm Selene," she said. "The healer, I'm the one who treated your injuries when you first arrived."
"Thank you for that," I said.
Selene moved closer and sat on the other end of the bench, careful to leave space between us.
"How are you feeling?" she asked. "The bond can be overwhelming at first."
"That's one word for it," I said.
"I know it's a lot," Selene said gently. "Being thrown into this world, but you're stronger than you think."
"Everyone keeps saying that," I said. "But I don't feel strong, I feel terrified."
"Good," Selene said and when I looked at her in surprise, she smiled. "Fear means you understand what you're facing, only fools walk into danger without fear."
"Then I must be the smartest person alive."
Selene laughed and it was soft and genuine, and something in my chest loosened slightly.
"Can I tell you something?" she asked after a moment.
"Sure."
"I've been the court healer for five years," Selene said. "I've seen three women attempt the Blood Moon Ceremony and all of them died, but none of them had what you have."
"What's that?" I asked.
"A reason to live," Selene said simply. "They came here for power or status or because their families forced them, but you came here because you chose to."
I wanted to tell her she was wrong, that I'd chosen this out of desperation not strength, but before I could speak, the bond in my chest pulled tight.
Something was wrong.
I stood up fast and Selene did too, her eyes going wide.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I don't know," I said
but my heart was racing and the bond was screaming at me that something was very, very wrong.
Then I heard it.
Lucian's voice from a distance, and he was calling my name.
I ran.
- Writer
