The Alpha’s Claim

Episode 2

Sloane…

The main hall was filled with the smell of incense and flowers, a strange shove for the gathering where Rowan would be present. Two guards led me to my chair, positioned opposite that of Tyra and her siblings.

The feast…or meeting, as Tyra had called it was already in motion. I mistook it for a feast considering the large amount of food occupying every nook and cranny at the table. I set myself in, ready to get down when a servant began pouring wine into my cup.

“Ohh…no…no…I don’t want that…”I muttered, holding his hand and stoping the wine from traveling into my cup. “Water would be just fine,” I added.

“Looser. You haven’t sat with great minds before?” One of Tyra’s sisters purred, sipping from her glass right after. I ignored, took a deep breath and picked up my cutleries.

“She has. But only with great minded monsters. Tell us, Sloane— How does it feel denouncing your family every minute before taking the alpha?” Her brother chirped in with a mocking tone.

He and his other sister burst into a pearl of laughter before they were silenced by Tyra.

“We don’t want to send Sloan away before the main meal,” she whispered, shooting a look of concern at me before turning back to Rowan who was having a conversation with some men by his side.

She knew how bad it hurt me. Watching her play love with my mate. Even if I didn’t want to feel hurt, my wolf couldn’t help it. I had begged Rowan to reject the bond, so I’ll go through the pain of severing the bond just once. But Rowan refused.

The drinks went round again, and I refused a second time because of the baby growing in me. I was being careful with what I ingested according to the instructions of the doctor.

Everything was going fine, the Alphas making deals round the table while some helped themselves with the casino when the entrance door opened with a dramatic noise. It was loud enough to draw everyone’s attention.

The doctor ran in immediately, switching from a little jug to a quick walk back to a little jug. My heart sank that instant. I thought he was coming toward me. Probably to stop me from eating what I was eating.

I stole a glance at my plate. Its contents weren’t among the meals he asked that I avoided. Then why was he here, looking all scared and tensed. By the time I looked back at him, he had gone round the table.

My pulse raced with every step he took, until he got to Tyra. He snatched her glass cup from her hand.

“It’s poisoned!” He yelled, passing it to the guard who quickly ran up to the scene. Poisoned? I felt my heart take a deep dive into my stomach as I stared at my plate and glass cup.

Luckily, I had nothing to drink aside water. My wine glass still had that little drop from the waiters bottle. But what if the food was poisoned too? My hand rested protectively on my stomach, my eyes as lost as those around the table.

By now, everyone’s attention was on him. I joined those who were taking their feet and quickly got the guidance of my personal guards.

“What do you mean poisoned?” Tyra asked, her hands fidgeting as she stood up. I was beginning to feel bad for her after realizing she had drank up to half of the wine in her glass.

The innocence in me wanted to yell at the guards to rush her to the clinic so the doctor would attend to her. But there was something about the silence growing in the room that kept me mute. Rowan hurriedly walked to Tyra and took her hands.

“Are you okay?” He asked, checking her face and trailing his hands all over her body. Tyra was numb, just nodding with fear written all over her face. I would be in a worse situation if I was in her shoes. “Poisoned. By who? Lock the gates! Make sure no one leaves!” Rowan yelled.

The alarm went off, blaring and throwing every member present in the house into fear. I heard the electronic gates shut down and the windows lock on their own too. Every guard was thrown into a fit of emergency, running from pillar to post to secure the perimeter.

“There’s no need for the hassle, alpha Rowan. For the culprit sits among us,” the doctor chirped in. My eyes traveled to the man who had been staring at me since I walked into the main hall. I did notice him, but I did my best to avoid looking back at him.

Could it be him? My heart sank, my fingers curling over the flesh of my stomach. Was I his prey?

“Speak or I’ll have your tongue fed to my hounds,” Rowan ordered, resisting the urge to leave Tyra’s side.

“Look around you, alpha. Everyone is in merry. Everyone has had something to eat. Everyone has had something to drink..but one,” he replied. I watched everyone’s eyes travel round the table. How dumb I was to have joined them in searching.

The doctor was referring to me. It dawned on me right before it dawned on them.

“The Luna, Sloane, has had nothing to drink. Sloane…did you try to poison me?” Tyra cried, her voice all shaky and feeble. I saw the mischief behind her pretense. It was clear and glaring. All I couldn’t understand was how she got the doctor into this.

“I…I…I have no hand in this, Tyra. Why would I want to poison you?” I asked a question whose answer was was obvious. She was my mates mistress. Of course I got jealous and poisoned her. Tears trickled down eyes as I turned to Rowan.

He looked disappointed, filled with anger.

“Then drink from the cup,” Tyra said. She grabbed her cup, poured the content in it immediately and got a quick refill from a bottle being held by another servant. Before I could speak a word, she was standing beside me, holding the cup to my face.

“Prove your innocence, Sloane. Prove to everyone that you didn’t try to kill me!” She cried with trembling hands. I looked away from her, unto Rowan who was now approaching me.

“Drink it,” he muttered.

My heart shattered hearing him speak. “How stupid you are, Rowan,” I blurted with a sob, taking the cup from Tyra. A part of me hoped for something less negative. No part hoped for a positive result after drinking from a cup obviously poisoned by Tyra.

I gulped the content of the cup which left a stinging feeling at the back of my throat when I was done. The cup was taken from me, and I looked up at the who was standing behind them.

“What does she have on you?” I mind-linked him, watching as tears trailed down his eyes. Or was I mistaken? Was that a tear on Rowan’s cheek?

I wasn’t sure of what I saw because my vision became blurry.

“She’s…innocent,” a voice said from the table, clapping ahead of tragedy. I stumbled back, trying to find my feet, but it had kicked in. The actual poison. This was a time when I wished I completely accepted everything about my family’s legacy.

The darkness in our blood would have fought the poison off if only I embraced it. But that darkness was hiding somewhere, locked forever. I clutched my stomach, the world spinning around me as I tried to stay upright.

But it was no use. My legs buckled, and the last thing I saw was Tyra’s cold satisfied smile.

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