SHADOWS OF DESIRE

Chapter 4: The Hidden Journal

SHADOWS OF DESIRE

Author: Brian Mutale Sampa

Chapter 4: The Hidden Journal

Dante poisoned my tea ten minutes ago. I am certain of it.

I watched him drop a small white pill into my cup when Julian stepped out to take a phone call. The pill dissolved instantly. No bubbles. No trace. Dante stood there with that snake smile, watching me lift the cup to my lips.

I pretended to drink. He watched. Smiled. Left.

The moment the door closed behind him, I poured the tea into a potted plant by the window. The leaves turned black within seconds. Then curled. Then wilted into dust that crumbled between my fingers.

Wolfsbane. Slow death. Designed to look like a natural miscarriage. Designed to kill my pups without leaving evidence.

Dante wants my babies dead. He does not want heirs threatening his claim to the Alpha throne. He has already stolen Julian's memories with poison. Now he wants to steal my children.

Julian is downstairs in a meeting with his security team. He told me to stay in the penthouse. Do not leave. Do not open the door for anyone except him. He looked me in the eyes when he said it. "Dante is dangerous. More dangerous than you know."

I cannot sit still. I search Julian's bedroom.

The room is cold. Gray sheets. No photos on the walls. No warmth. Just expensive furniture and empty space. A safe sits in the corner—old brass, digital lock, hidden behind a painting of a moonlit forest. The painting is beautiful. Sad. A wolf howling at a full moon.

I try Julian's birthday. Nothing. His mother's name. Nothing. The day he became Alpha. Nothing.

Then I try the date of the moon ceremony. The day he rejected me.

The safe clicks open.

Inside: a leather journal. Old. Worn. The spine is cracked from use. Pages yellowed with age. I open it.

Day 1: She smiled at me today. The Omega with honey hair. She was helping in the gardens, pulling weeds. My wolf howled inside my chest. Mate. I have never felt anything like this. I cannot eat. I cannot sleep. I can only think of her.

Day 30: Father says I cannot claim her. She is too weak, he says. The council will revolt if I bond with an Omega. But she is mine. The moon goddess chose her for me. I will find a way.

Day 365: I rejected her today. Father made me. Dante said it was the only way to save the pack. She cried. I wanted to die. I have never hated myself more than in that moment. I dream about her every night.

Day 730: I watch her scrub floors now. She does not look at me anymore. Good. Safer this way. If she hates me, she will survive. If she stays away from me, Dante cannot hurt her.

Day 1,500: The curse is fading. I remember everything. I never wanted to reject her. Dante poisoned me with wolfsbane. Made me cruel. Made me forget. Made me into a monster. I wrote her letters I never sent.

My hands shake. Tears spot the yellowed pages. I can barely see the next entry.

Day 1,825: I am writing this in case I die before the curse breaks. Mia Torres is my true mate. If I am cruel to her, it is not me. It is the poison. Save her. Please. Someone save her from my family. She deserves better than all of us.

"Mia."

Julian stands in the doorway. His face is unreadable. His eyes are red, like he has been crying.

"You found them."

"The curse? Your brother poisoned you?"

"Dante wanted the throne. Every time I tried to claim you, the wolfsbane made me violent. Made me forget. Made me hurt you. I could not stop it. I could not fight it."

"How do I know this is not another lie?"

He steps closer. Puts his hand over mine on the journal. His fingers are warm.

"Read the last page again," he says. I do. He cups my face with both hands. His thumbs wipe my tears. "I have loved you every day since I first saw you in that garden. The curse is almost gone. But Dante knows. And now he will kill you to keep me weak. I cannot let that happen. I will die before I let him touch you again. Do you understand? I will die for you."