Luna To My Ex Mate

Chapter 10: A lie

POV: Roxana

As soon as we got to Magnus' chamber, he backed me to the wall.

He stood so close I could feel the heat coming off his body. His dark eyes searched my face, waiting for an answer I did not have ready.

"I asked you a question, Roxana," he said, his voice low and dangerous in the empty hallway. "What is happening between you and that witch?"

I forced my chin up, refusing to let him see the panic building in my chest. "I already told you, Alpha," I said. "I am trying to convince her to share fertility remedies. It is not easy. She does not trust wolves."

Magnus studied me for a long moment, his jaw tight. "I only kept quiet after you lied because it was valid, if you had told them the truth, you would have been beheaded immediately. But my concern now is that you are also lying to me. Ophelia smelled old magic on you today," he said. "Not fresh magic from touching a cell door, Roxana. Old magic. The kind that comes from years of contact."

My heart dropped straight into my stomach. He was smarter than I gave him credit for. I needed to give him something believable, something close enough to the truth that he would stop pushing.

"When I was younger, before I presented as an omega, my mother used old herbs from a forest healer to help with my health," I said carefully. "Maybe the scent is old, from that time. I do not know how magic scent works, Alpha. I am not a witch myself."

Magnus's eyes narrowed further, but he did not immediately call me a liar. "Your mother used a witch's remedies?" he asked.

"She was desperate," I said, letting my voice soften just slightly. "I was a sickly child. She did whatever she could to keep me alive." It was not entirely false. My mother had used remedies once, though not from Hestia's family.

He was quiet for a moment, his eyes still locked onto mine like he could pull the truth out through sheer will alone. Finally, he stepped back, releasing some of the tension in his shoulders. "Do not go to that dungeon again without me," he said. "If the Elders catch you alone with her one more time, I might not be able to protect you."

"I understand, Alpha," I said, letting out a small breath of relief I tried to hide.

Magnus turned to walk away, then stopped and looked back at me. "Two days," he said. "If she gives you nothing useful by then, she burns, and you stop wasting your time in that dungeon."

I nodded, watching him disappear down the hallway before I allowed my knees to shake. That had been too close. I needed to find that silver key faster than I planned, before Ophelia's suspicion turned into something Magnus could not ignore.

*****

The next morning, I dressed carefully and made my way toward Magnus's private study, my heart pounding the entire walk. I had watched him unlock that drawer once, the day he pulled out our contract. If the silver key existed anywhere in this house, it had to be there.

I knocked twice before entering, finding the study empty. Magnus was likely out with his guards, checking the training grounds like he did every morning. I had maybe an hour before anyone noticed I was gone from my usual routine.

I moved quickly to his desk, my fingers trembling as I pulled open the top drawer. Papers, old maps, a dagger with a wolf carved into the handle. No keys. I pulled the second drawer, finding nothing but ink bottles and broken quills.

The bottom drawer was locked.

I pulled a hairpin from my crown and knelt down, fumbling with the tiny lock the way I had seen servants do once when a maid lost her key. My hands shook so badly I nearly dropped the pin twice.

Finally, the lock clicked open.

Inside sat a small wooden box, carved with silver runes along the edges. My heart raced as I lifted the lid, finding a single key resting on dark velvet. It glowed faintly silver, just like Hestia described.

I grabbed the key and shoved it into the pocket of my dress, closing the drawer and locking it again with the hairpin as best I could. I stood up just as the study door opened behind me.

Victoria stood in the doorway, her eyes narrowing the moment she saw me standing near Magnus's desk.

"What exactly are you doing in the Alpha's private study, Roxana?" Victoria asked, stepping inside and shutting the door behind her. "This room is forbidden to anyone but Magnus himself."

My mind raced, trying to think of an excuse fast enough. "I was looking for parchment to write a letter," I said, gesturing toward the empty desk. "I did not think it would be a problem, since I am his Luna."

Victoria's eyes moved slowly around the room, searching for something out of place. "You seem nervous, girl," she said, stepping closer. "What are you really hiding in that pocket of yours?"

I kept my hand still at my side, refusing to let my fingers twitch toward the pocket where the key sat heavy against my leg. "Nothing, Victoria," I said, forcing my voice to stay flat and bored. "Unless you would like to search me yourself, in which case I will happily tell Magnus you laid hands on his Luna without permission."

Victoria's face twisted with anger, but she did not move closer. She knew exactly what Magnus would do to her if she touched me without cause. "Watch yourself, Roxana," she hissed instead. "You may wear that crown today, but crowns fall. And when yours does, I will be there to watch."

She turned and walked out of the study, leaving the door open behind her. I let out a shaky breath, my hand finally moving to feel the shape of the key through the fabric of my dress.

One key. One tunnel. One chance to save Hestia's life, and mine along with it.

I only had two days left to use it.