To Choose An Alpha

Chapter4

RAVENNA.

Whispers followed me like shadows in the halls.

I heard them from the other side of closed doors, caught bits and pieces drifting past as maids passed trays and guards leaned in corners. They didn’t say my name, but I didn’t need to hear it.

“She’s the one, right? The healer from Moonspire.”

“His mate? The one he rejected?”

“Imagine being so unlucky. Rejected by the Crown Prince.”

I stayed in my room as much as I could. There wasn’t much to do, and Mistress Thalia hadn’t sent word. I had no duties. Not even the Queen summoned me. It was like I’d turned invisible again. Only this time, I didn’t want to be seen. Not here. Not like this.

I sat on the edge of my bed most hours, staring out the narrow window as the sun moved across the sky. At night, I pressed my face into my pillow and let the silence wrap around me. If I stayed quiet enough, maybe the ache in my chest would fade. Maybe my bond would break clean, like a snapped thread.

But it didn’t. It just stayed burning, heavily in my chest.

Late one evening, my stomach finally growled loud enough to make me move. I hadn’t eaten since the morning before, just sipped water from a chipped cup. The ache in my chest was still there, but my limbs had gone weak, my head light.

I crept through the palace corridors like a ghost, keeping to the shadows. I didn’t want anyone to see me, not the guards, not the servants, not Darian.

Especially not him.

The kitchens were quieter at night. A few helpers bustled near the back, scrubbing pots, muttering to each other. A girl in a dark apron glanced up and gave me a stiff nod. I recognized her from the banquet preparation line. Her name was Mara, I thought. Or maybe Mira. She didn’t seem to care either way.

I cleared my throat gently.

“Is it alright if I have something small to eat?”

She raised a brow. “A bit late for supper.”

“I haven’t eaten today,” I quietly whispered.

She shrugged and turned. “Wait here.”

I sat at a long table near the corner, folding my hands in my lap. The scent of warm bread and simmering broth filled the air, but it didn’t comfort me like it used to. My skin prickled with unease.

She returned a moment later with a small bowl of stew and a hunk of bread.

“Eat it fast,” she said, setting it down in front of me. “I’ve got floors to scrub.”

“Thank you,” I murmured.

The bread was soft and still warm. The stew smelled of garlic and smoked meat. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until the first spoonful touched my tongue.

But a few bites in, something felt off.

The aftertaste was sharp. Metallic. My mouth tingled strangely, and heat crawled up my throat. I stopped chewing, my fingers frozen around the spoon.

My stomach twisted sharply. I pushed the bowl away.

“Mara,” I whispered, my voice hoarse.

She turned back slowly.

“What did you put in this?”

She didn’t answer, only tilted her head.

My heart thudded, a sick panic rising fast.

“You poisoned me.”

“You shouldn’t have come here,” she said softly, almost like a lullaby. “You should’ve stayed hidden in whatever little village district you came from. Draven is kind to no one.”

I stood suddenly, the chair scraping loud against the stone. My legs trembled beneath me, knees buckling. My vision blurred at the edges, colors smearing together.

She took a step forward.

“The Lady Lyra doesn’t like sharing what’s hers,” she said placatingly. “You should’ve known that.”

I didn’t wait to hear more.

I turned and ran, crashing into a shelf of stacked bowls. They scattered to the floor, clattering behind me. Shouts rang out as I stumbled into the hallway, one hand pressed to my stomach.

I didn’t know where I was going. I just ran. Away from the kitchens, away from the poison and the betrayal and the ever-watching walls of the palace. My lungs burned. My chest screamed.

I reached the east corridor,one I’d passed during my walks, and shoved open a narrow side door. Cold air rushed in, stinging my face.

The woods loomed ahead, dark and silent. I kept running. The ground was uneven, full of twisted roots and wet leaves. I tripped more than once, catching myself on tree trunks, panting hard. The poison coursed through me like fire now, each breath harder than the last.

Stars blinked above through branches, distant and cold.

“Please,” I whispered into the night. “Not like this…”

My knees finally gave out. I hit the ground hard, the cold damp earth shocking against my skin.

I tried to crawl, dirt filling my nails. The trees around me blurred, the world spinning.

Somewhere in the distance, a low growl echoed.

Were those rogues?

Oh damn. I’d wandered too far. Too deep. This was rogue territory.

My limbs didn’t want to move anymore. My head dropped to the side.

Maybe this was better. Cleaner. I wouldn’t have to see him again. Wouldn’t have to wake up knowing he didn’t want me.

A crunch of leaves sounded nearby. I blinked once. Twice.

A shape moved closer, tall and dark, cloaked in moonlight. Then a voice, low and sharp.

“She’s still breathing. I’ll get her up.”

Hands gripped me and lifted me, my body jostling.

I didn’t know whose face I saw last, just a flash of a scar across a brow, vibrant golden eyes before everything went black.