Wolfbound: The Alpha's Chosen Mate

CHAPTER 11

Emilia couldn't stop staring at the tiny mark beneath Queen Mother Alira's wrist.

It was barely noticeable, just a small puncture against her pale skin, but now that she'd seen it, she couldn't unsee it. The realization settled heavily in her stomach. Someone hadn't poisoned Alira by accident.

Someone had been close enough to her to hurt her repeatedly while she slept.

And that meant the poisoner had access to the Queen Mother's private quarters.

Emilia slowly lowered Alira's sleeve.

Across the room, Draven's gaze remained fixed on the mark.

For several seconds, he didn't move. His face had gone completely still, but Emilia could see the tension in his jaw and the way his fingers curled beside his thigh.

"How long?" he asked.

Emilia looked at him. "I don't know."

"Can you tell?"

She shook her head. "Not from this alone. The poison was administered in small doses, so the marks could have been made over several days or even weeks."

Draven's eyes hardened.

"Someone has been entering my mother's room."

"Yes."

"And no one noticed."

Emilia swallowed. "Maybe they weren't supposed to notice."

The words made the room fall silent.

Draven turned toward Captain Rowan. "No one leaves this palace."

Rowan straightened immediately. "Alpha?"

"You heard me. Seal every exit. Anyone who attempts to leave is detained until I authorize it."

"Understood."

"Search the grounds again. Every entrance, passage, servant corridor and garden."

Rowan nodded and moved toward the door, but Draven stopped him.

"And Rowan?"

The captain turned.

"Nobody enters my mother's room unless I know about it."

"Yes, Alpha."

He left.

Emilia looked toward Jaxon. The Beta had been studying the mark with a troubled expression.

"Could the poisoner be one of the missing three?" he asked.

"Possibly," Emilia admitted. "But we can't assume that."

Jaxon frowned. "Why not? They disappeared immediately after the Queen Mother collapsed."

"Because disappearing doesn't prove they poisoned her." Emilia folded her arms. "Maybe they were involved. Maybe they were paid to leave. Maybe they saw something and ran because they were afraid. We don't know yet."

Jaxon looked at her for a moment before nodding.

"She's right."

Draven's gaze shifted toward him.

Jaxon continued, "If we decide they're guilty before we find them, we could overlook whoever actually did this."

Emilia felt a strange flicker of relief.

She had expected everyone to immediately blame the missing staff.

Draven looked toward his mother.

"Find them," he ordered. "Alive."

Jaxon bowed his head. "Yes, Alpha."

He left with Rowan.

The room gradually became quieter.

Only a few guards remained stationed outside, while Doctor Halden and Lyra stayed near Alira's bed to monitor her condition.

Emilia remained where she was.

She should have been relieved. The antidote was working. Alira was alive.

But the small puncture beneath her wrist had changed everything.

This wasn't over.

Someone had been patient enough to poison the Queen Mother slowly, carefully enough to avoid detection.

And now that person knew their plan had been discovered.

Emilia's fingers tightened around the hem of her oversized shirt.

What if they tried again?

What if they went after Alira?

Or Draven?

Or—

She stopped herself.

Her eyes moved toward Draven.

He stood at the foot of his mother's bed, his expression unreadable. He had returned to that cold, controlled version of himself, the Alpha King who could stare down an enemy without allowing a single emotion to escape.

But Emilia had seen him earlier. She'd seen the fear. Not for himself. For his mother.

"You should go," she said quietly.

His eyes moved to her.

"Where?"

"Anywhere that's not here for a few minutes."

His brows drew together. Emilia immediately regretted speaking.

"I mean..." She rubbed her palms together awkwardly. "You've been dealing with this since morning. You should at least breathe."

"I'm breathing."

She stared at him. Draven stared back. Despite herself, Emilia almost smiled.

"That wasn't what I meant."

"I know."

His voice was quieter now.

For a moment, neither spoke. Then Draven stepped closer.

"You were blaming yourself earlier."

Emilia's smile disappeared.

"I wasn't."

"You were."

She looked away. Of course he'd noticed.

"I just thought..." She paused, embarrassed by how foolish it sounded. "Maybe this happened because I became Luna."

Draven's expression changed slightly.

"Don't."

Emilia's eyes lifted.

"Don't do that to yourself."

She swallowed. "How am I supposed to think? I became your Luna last night, and this morning your mother nearly died."

"Those things aren't connected."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

The certainty in his voice made her pause.

Draven stepped closer until there was barely any space between them.

"My mother's poisoning began long before you became Luna."

Emilia stared at him.

His eyes softened, just a fraction.

"Whatever happened here was planned before you ever walked into that ceremony."

Something inside Emilia loosened a little. She looked down at her hands.

"I just don't want to make things worse for you."

"You haven't."

She looked up again. Draven's expression was serious.

"You saved my mother's life."

The words struck deeper than they should have. Emilia didn't know what to say.

She had spent years hearing what she wasn't beautiful enough. Not thin enough. Not strong enough. Not worthy enough.

Now this man was looking at her as though saving his mother was enough to make her presence valuable.

Her throat tightened.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Draven held her gaze for another moment before looking away. The sudden distance made Emilia breathe again.

A guard appeared at the doorway.

"Alpha."

Draven turned.

"Speak."

"Captain Rowan has ordered the palace exits sealed. The northern and western gates are being searched."

Draven nodded. "Good."

The guard hesitated.

"There's another matter."

Draven's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"The palace staff are asking whether the Luna's attendants should be restricted as well."

Emilia's stomach tightened. There it was. Her first taste of what being Luna really meant.

Every person around her could become suspicious simply because they served her.

Draven's face hardened.

"Everyone is restricted until this is resolved."

The guard bowed. "Yes, Alpha."

"And nobody touches the Luna's staff without my authorization."

The guard glanced toward Emilia before lowering his head.

"Understood."

He left. Emilia watched the doorway close.

"They're suspicious of me too."

Draven turned back.

"They're suspicious of everyone."

"That's not the same thing."

"It is for now."

Emilia gave a small laugh without humor.

"That's comforting."

Draven's mouth twitched. It was barely there. But Emilia caught it.

She stared at him.

"Did you just almost smile?"

His expression immediately went blank.

"No."

"You did."

"I didn't."

Emilia's lips curved despite herself. "You did."

Draven stared at her for a long moment. Then he turned away.

"You're tired."

She nearly laughed.

"That's your escape?"

"Yes."

For the first time since the morning began, Emilia's chest felt a little lighter.

Then a groan came from the bed. Both of them immediately turned.

Emilia hurried toward Alira. The Queen Mother's fingers moved faintly against the sheets.

"Her pulse," Emilia murmured.

Doctor Halden stepped forward.

"Stronger."

Emilia checked Alira's temperature and then watched her breathing.

The fever was still high, but the bluish tint around her lips had faded considerably.

"She's responding."

Draven came closer.

"Can she hear us?"

"Maybe."

His eyes dropped to his mother.

"Mother?"

Alira didn't respond. Emilia gently adjusted her blanket.

"Let her rest."

Draven remained beside the bed. For once, he didn't argue. Emilia watched him for a moment.

This was the man everyone feared.

The Alpha King who had apparently fought battles since he was barely an adult. The ruthless ruler people whispered about. The man who could make an entire room go silent simply by walking into it.

And yet, beside his mother's bed, he looked like a son waiting for his mother to wake up.

Emilia quietly stepped away. She didn't know what she was doing here anymore.

She had saved Alira. She had discovered the poison. She had become Luna. And somehow, none of it felt real.

She was still Emilia. The omega who had been rejected in front of everyone.

The girl whose wolf had awakened for a few minutes before disappearing again.

The healer who still wasn't entirely sure how she had ended up wearing a crown.

Her fingers moved unconsciously toward her shoulder, where the faint mark beneath her clothes rested.

Solara.

She closed her eyes.

Are you still there?

She heard nothing and her chest tightened.

She had barely known what it felt like to have her wolf before Solara disappeared again.

She'd spent years believing something was wrong with her because her wolf was dormant. Then, just when she finally awakened, she'd lost her again.

Maybe the Moon Goddess really was against her. Maybe becoming Luna without a wolf was some cruel joke.

"You're doing it again."

Emilia opened her eyes.

Draven was looking at her.

"Doing what?"

"Thinking too loudly."

Her eyebrows lifted. "I wasn't aware you could read minds."

"I can't."

"Then how do you know what I'm thinking?"

His eyes lingered on her face.

"I've been watching you."

The words made her heart stumble.

Draven seemed to realize how they sounded because his expression shifted.

Emilia quickly looked away.

"That's slightly unsettling."

"Good."

She glanced at him. His face was completely serious. Then she realized he was teasing her. A small smile escaped her.

It vanished when Doctor Halden approached.

"Alpha."

Draven's attention immediately shifted.

"How is she?"

"Stable for now. But we need to continue monitoring her closely."

"Do whatever you need."

Halden nodded.

Emilia watched him return to Alira.

She felt strangely caught between two worlds. She was still a healer. But now she was also Luna.

And everyone was beginning to expect her to behave like one.

The thought made her stomach twist.

Draven looked at her.

"Go eat."

Emilia frowned.

"I can stay."

"You've already done enough."

"I don't think that's your decision."

His eyebrow rose.

Emilia immediately realized what she'd said. But instead of backing down, she lifted her chin.

"I'm still a doctor."

"You're also my Luna."

"And?"

Draven stared at her. She stared back. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes.

"You're going to be difficult."

Emilia's lips twitched.

"Maybe."

For a second, the tension between them changed. It was not gone or softened completely. Just different.

Then Draven looked toward his mother again.

"I'll see you later."

Emilia nodded.

She turned toward the door.

Just before she stepped outside, she glanced back.

Draven was still standing beside Alira. The cold Alpha King had lowered his head slightly, his hand resting against the edge of his mother's bed.

Emilia watched him for a second before leaving.

Outside, two guards immediately straightened. She stopped.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, Luna."

The title still felt strange. Emilia nodded awkwardly.

"Right."

She walked down the corridor.

For the first time, she noticed how different the palace felt when she wasn't hiding behind the identity of Emira the healer.

People bowed now. They moved aside for her. They watched her.

She could feel their eyes following her even though she couldn't hear what they were saying.

Her wolf would have heard. Solara would have caught every whisper.

Emilia's chest tightened.

Come back.

Still nothing.

She kept walking. She had spent years being overlooked because she was an omega.

Now everyone saw her. And somehow, that was almost more frightening.

By the time she reached her quarters, her mind had returned to the same thought.

Someone had poisoned Queen Mother Alira. Someone inside the palace. Someone who had been close enough to enter her private room repeatedly.

Someone who had known exactly how much poison to administer.

Emilia stopped before the door. Her hand tightened around the handle. She had become Luna less than twenty-four hours ago.

Already, someone had tried to kill the Queen Mother. Someone had vanished.

And somewhere inside the palace, there was a person who knew exactly what they had done.

Emilia slowly opened the door.

For the first time since Draven placed the crown on her head, she understood the truth.

Being Luna wasn't about wearing a crown. It was about surviving everything that came with it.