Rejected And Reborn As The Alpha King's Luna

Chapter 29: The Poison Revelation

POV: Xavier

Pain was the first thing I felt. Sharp, burning pain radiating from my chest through every nerve in my body. Then I heard Thelma's voice, distant and panicked, calling my name through the mate bond.

"Xavier! Stay with me! Xavier!"

I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. My body was shutting down, system by system. The poison Neon had been feeding me was finally taking full effect.

"What did you give him?" That was Theo's voice, filled with rage.

"Just a little wolfsbane compound." Neon sounded so casual, like he was discussing the weather. "Mixed with silver dust and a few other ingredients. Nothing immediately fatal, but over three days, it accumulates in the system. Very difficult to detect. Very effective."

"You bastard!" Thelma's scream was followed by the sound of flesh hitting flesh. She'd hit him. Good.

"Now, now," Neon said, still infuriatingly calm. "Violence won't help your mate. In fact, nothing will help him now. The poison has reached his heart. He has maybe ten minutes before organ failure."

"There has to be a cure!" Thelma's voice cracked. Through the bond, I felt her terror, her desperation. It hurt worse than the poison.

"There is," Neon admitted. "But I don't have it with me. It's back at the Tee pack. You want to save him? Come with me willingly. I'll make sure he gets the antidote."

"Liar!" Theo snarled. "You'd kill him anyway!"

"Maybe. Maybe not." I could hear the smirk in Neon's voice. "But this way, he at least has a chance. If you refuse, he definitely dies. Your choice, Thelma."

I tried to speak, to tell her not to trust him, but I couldn't make my mouth work. The poison had paralyzed me. All I could do was lie there, dying, while Neon used me as bait.

"Thelma, don't listen to him," Luna's voice cut in. "There might be another way."

"What way?" Thelma demanded. "He's dying! I can feel him dying through our bond!"

"Alpha blood," Luna said urgently. "You have your father's healing abilities. If you transfer some of your life force through the mate bond, you might be able to neutralize the poison."

"Might?" Theo asked sharply. "What are the chances?"

"Fifty-fifty," Luna admitted. "It's never been done with this particular poison combination. It could save him. Or it could kill you both."

"Then she definitely shouldn't do it," Neon said cheerfully. "Much safer to just come with me. At least that way, only Xavier dies instead of both of them."

I felt Thelma's hand on my chest. Her skin was warm, and through our bond, I felt her power stirring. That dangerous, beautiful Alpha gift that made everyone want to use her.

"Don't," I finally managed to whisper, forcing the word out through paralyzed lips. "Don't... risk yourself... for me."

"Shut up," Thelma said, but her voice was gentle. "You fought your own father for me. You've been protecting me for three years. You think I'm going to let you die because I'm too scared to try?"

"Smart girl," Theo said quietly. "Do what Luna says. Save him. We'll handle Neon."

"No one's handling anyone," Neon replied, and I heard the sound of a weapon being drawn. "Thelma, if you start that healing process, I'll kill your brother. If your brother moves against me, I'll kill the healers trying to help Xavier. Everyone stays still, and we all walk away from this."

Through my barely open eyes, I saw Thelma look between me and her brother. The impossible choice. Her mate or her twin. The family she'd just found or the love she'd just begun to trust.

"I'm going to save him," Thelma said finally. "And Theo, you're going to let me. Both of you. No fighting. No heroics. Just... let me do this."

"Thelma.." Theo started.

"He's my mate," she said firmly. "And he came here for me, knowing it was dangerous. Knowing Neon might betray him. He came anyway because he loves me. I won't let that sacrifice be for nothing."

Warmth flooded through me, and I wasn't sure if it was the poison or her words. She'd said I loved her. She understood.

"This is very touching," Neon said. "But I need an answer. Come with me, or watch him die."

"I'm saving him first," Thelma said. "Then we'll discuss terms."

She placed both hands on my chest, and power erupted between us. Not the gentle healing I expected, but a violent surge of pure life force. It felt like lightning in my veins, burning away the poison but also burning through Thelma's strength.

Through our bond, I felt everything she felt. The strain as she pushed her Alpha blood through our connection. The pain as the poison fought back, trying to kill us both. The determination that kept her going even when her body screamed at her to stop.

"Thelma, that's enough!" Luna shouted. "You're going to kill yourself!"

"Just... a little... more..." Thelma gasped.

The poison was being pushed out of my system, but at a terrible cost. I could feel Thelma weakening with every second. Her life force was depleting faster than mine was recovering.

"Stop," I managed to say, my voice stronger now. "You're dying. Stop."

"Not yet," she whispered. "Not until you're safe."

"Stubborn woman," I said, but I felt tears in my eyes. She was killing herself to save me.

Finally, Luna physically pulled Thelma away from me. "Enough! Any more and you'll both die!"

Thelma collapsed beside me, her breathing shallow and rapid. I tried to sit up, to reach for her, but my body still wasn't fully recovered. We lay side by side, both weak, both vulnerable.

"Well," Neon said, stepping into my line of vision. "That was unexpected. I didn't think you actually had the strength to pull it off, Thelma. Congratulations. You saved your mate." He crouched down between us. "And now you're completely defenseless."

Theo lunged at him, but Neon was faster. He threw something at Theo, some kind of powder that exploded in a cloud of silver dust. Theo dropped like a stone, paralyzed.