Chapter 5: The Royal Summons
751 Words
Three days had passed since the Lycan King left the Bloodwood Clan, taking a triumphant Tanya with him in a lavish royal carriage. For the pack, it was a historic honor. For Elena, it was a return to peaceful normalcy.
With Tanya gone, the kitchen was slightly quieter, and Elena spent her free hours slipping away to her hidden stone cabin in the ravine. She meticulously restocked her shelves, grinding dried aconite and filtering fresh batches of nutrient-dense serums. The memory of King Ethan’s piercing golden eyes still haunted her dreams, but she convinced herself she was safe. The masquerade had worked.
That peace shattered on the fourth morning.
Elena was in the middle of sorting a fresh delivery of winter berries in the pantry when the heavy wooden door was kicked open. Two of Alpha Bloodwood’s highest-ranking warriors marched in, their expressions unusually grim.
"Elena," the lead warrior barked. "Drop the baskets. The Alpha wants you in the great hall immediately."
Elena wiped her stained hands on her apron, a sudden chill settling in her stomach. "Did I do something wrong? The kitchen floors were scrubbed—"
"Quiet. Just move," he ordered, grabbing her roughly by the elbow and pulling her out of the room.
When Elena was thrown into the grand hall, she realized the entire pack elders' council was gathered. At the center of the room stood an official messenger from the Lycan Capital, dressed in pristine silver and black armor. Alpha Bloodwood was pacing the floor, looking incredibly stressed, holding a crumpled piece of parchment in his hands.
"There she is," Alpha Bloodwood said, pointing an accusing finger at Elena. He looked at the royal messenger. "Are you absolutely certain the Lady Tanya requested her? She is just an unshifted Omega. A kitchen maid. She has no skills worthy of the royal palace."
The royal messenger stood perfectly rigid. "Lady Tanya’s orders were absolute, Alpha Bloodwood. She stated that her transition into the King's court requires familiar staff. She specifically demanded that the Omega servant named Elena be sent to the Capital immediately to act as her personal handmaid in the royal laboratory."
Elena’s heart stopped. The royal laboratory.
It all clicked instantly. Tanya had arrived at the capital, boasting about her brilliant medical mind, and King Ethan had immediately put her to work. He had likely demanded she recreate the complex nightshade counter-agent to prove her worth—and Tanya, who couldn't tell the difference between a medicinal root and a common weed, was in a state of absolute panic. She needed her "useless kitchen rat" to do the actual science for her before the King realized she was an imposter.
"Why are you staring like a fool?" Alpha Bloodwood snapped at Elena. "You should be kissing the floor. Thanks to Lady Tanya’s generosity, a useless wolf like you gets to see the capital. Pack a single bag. The royal carriage leaves in an hour. If you embarrass our pack in front of the King, I will personally ensure you are exiled to the rogue territories."
"I understand, Alpha," Elena whispered, bowing her head to hide the fierce, calculating spark in her eyes.
An hour later, Elena sat in the back of a covered transport wagon, watching the gates of the Bloodwood Clan fade into the distance. She clutched her worn canvas satchel tightly against her chest. Inside, hidden beneath her ragged spare tunic, were three small, concentrated vials of her specialized herbal formulas and her most valuable research notebook.
She knew she was walking directly into a lion's den. Tanya was going to try and use her as a ghostwriter for her medical lies, treating her like a slave while taking all the credit and wealth. And worse, King Ethan would be there—a man whose predatory instincts were sharper than a blade, still hunting for the fated mate whose scent he couldn't forget.
As the carriage crossed the border into the majestic, towering spires of the Lycan Capital, Elena tightened her grip on her bag. She had spent her entire life surviving in the shadows of a brutal pack. Tanya thought she was bringing a helpless servant to do her dirty work, but Elena was a scientist.
If she had to play the game of thrones in the King's court, she would use every ounce of her intellect to play it to win.
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