Seized by the guards, Seline is forced to her knees on the cold marble floor of the courtroom. Hundreds of eyes, from every pack in the region, are fixed on her, burning with judgment. Days in a dark cell have left her disoriented, her silk dress hanging in ruins, her feet bare. The whispers are a constant, cruel hum.
*Is this really Luna? *
Then she sees him. Leo, her mate, her Alpha, sits on his throne, golden hair catching the light, his face carved from stone. He doesn’t look at her with the love she once knew; his gaze is pure, cold fury.
“Luna Seline,” his voice thunders, silencing the hall. “You stand accused of the crime of murder. You are accused of poisoning Bella, my consort, and our unborn child. My heir.
”
The accusation hangs in the air like poison. The whispers explode into open murmurs. They all believe it. Her pack, their allies, and worst of all, her own mate.
They truly think her capable of this. Seline realizes with a certainty that settles in her bones like ice that she will not survive this trial. She has only one true regret: losing her one true love forever. “How do you plead, Luna?
”
Seline opens her mouth, tasting copper and tragedy on her tongue. **Six Months Earlier**
For two hours, Seline had been waiting. The morning sun streamed through the dining room’s floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across the untouched place setting opposite her. Her mate’s place.
Empty, as it was always empty nowadays. She had specifically requested this meeting, prepared all of his favorite dishes herself. She was even wearing a pink gown, a color she abhorred but Leo found fetching. All for nothing.
As usual. “Any word from the Alpha? ” she asked Sarah, her private secretary. Sarah hesitated.
The pause told Seline everything. “I’m afraid not, my Luna. ”
A knot tightened in Seline’s stomach. Even this small request for his time was ignored.
She handled a stream of staff questions about the evening’s diplomatic dinner with practiced grace, but the mounting anxiety was a constant thrum. The dinner itself was a potential disaster. Alpha Michael of the panther shifters had just sent his regrets, making the meeting a direct slight to Leo. His younger brother, Jace, would be coming in his stead.
“Where is my mate now, Sarah? ” Seline asked, her voice carefully level. “And please don’t spare my feelings. ”
Sarah shifted uncomfortably.
“The Alpha was last seen heading to the east wing, tending to Lady Bella. ”
Tending to Bella. Seline pushed aside the fresh sting of betrayal. If the mountain wouldn’t come to Mohammed, she would have to go to the mountain.
Duty had to come before her own pain. Bella’s voice, light and breathy, carried through the heavy oak door of Leo’s office. Seline’s steps didn’t falter. She had dedicated herself to molding into the perfect Luna, the ideal partner for a powerful Alpha.
Lately, it felt like she was the only one who remembered that pledge. She opened the door without knocking. The scene before her was exactly what she expected, yet it still struck like a physical blow. Bella was perched on Leo’s desk, wearing only his shirt—the one Seline had tailored for him in London.
With a playful laugh, she fed him a strawberry. Leo’s eyes met Seline’s, and it was like watching summer turn to winter. “My Luna,” he said formally, not moving to push Bella away. “My Alpha,” she greeted him, forcing her voice steady.
“Alpha, we need to discuss tonight’s arrangements. ”
“The matter requires privacy,” she insisted, ignoring Bella’s mocking offer to join their breakfast. Leo sighed and sent Bella away, nipping at her ear. The moment the door closed, his anger turned on Seline.
“Was it necessary to send her away like that? ” he snapped. “Bella was having a difficult morning. ”
“You say that like it’s a crime to ask for a private audience with my own mate,” Seline replied.
For an hour, they circled each other. She tried to explain the diplomatic crisis with the panther shifters, but Leo was more interested in defending Bella, extolling her sweetness, her fun-loving nature. The implication hung heavy between them: Bella was all the things Seline was not. Finally, he dismissed her concerns.
“I think someone more neutral would be better,” Leo declared, a cruel smile curving his lips. “Someone young and charming. Bella will handle the Emissary tonight. ”
The humiliation burned hot in Seline’s chest.
To have a mistress, barely eighteen and completely ignorant of pack politics, handle such delicate negotiations was unprecedented. But she merely nodded, already planning how to manage the damage in the background. Seline left his office, her head held high, only to find Bella leaning against the wall outside. “Wait up, Seline,” the girl called out, her voice sugary sweet.
“I think you and I need to talk. ”
“I’m afraid I have preparations to oversee,” Seline tried to excuse herself. “See, that’s exactly what I mean,” Bella exclaimed, reaching for her hand. “We barely spend any time together, and it makes me so sad.
You and I are practically sisters after all. ”
“I beg your pardon? ” Seline raised an eyebrow. “Sisters,” Bella beamed.
“Do we not share everything as only true sisters would? Our mate, our pack. ”
The sheer audacity stole Seline’s breath. “A mating is formed between two people, not three.
”
“I know it must be hard,” Bella pressed on, lowering her voice in a parody of a conspiratorial whisper. “Being unable to give Leo an heir. The pressure must be terrible. But you’re not alone anymore, sister.
I can help take that burden from you. ”
Seline swallowed a gasp as Bella’s words slid between her ribs like daggers. “You may be barren, but I’m not. I will give Leo an heir, so you don’t have to worry.
”
“Lady Bella,” Seline said carefully, fighting to maintain her composure. “There’s been a misunderstanding. Should you bear Leo a child, it would be illegitimate and therefore not an heir. Only Luna can bear an heir, and there can only be one Luna.
Me. ”
Tears welled instantly in Bella’s eyes, as if Seline had struck her. “How cruel,” she sniffled. “My baby would be just as special, just as loved.
”
Seline gentled her tone, trying to guide the girl through the complexities of pack law. “This isn’t about love. It’s about legitimacy and succession. ”
Then, so quickly Seline almost missed it, Bella’s lips curved into a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“We’ll see about that,” she whispered, before spinning on her heels and heading back toward Leo’s office. The moment Seline’s hand touched the ornate doors of the grand ballroom, her wolf’s instincts screamed danger. The air was charged with a predatory stillness. As the doors swung open, two hundred pairs of eyes snapped to her at once.
They were all watching, waiting, like sharks hungry for blood. The whispers started—soft, then building. Then she saw it. At the head table, on Leo’s left, sat a third chair.
And in it, draped across Leo’s arm, was Bella. The girl wore pink silk that clung to every curve, practically sitting in Leo’s lap and feeding him morsels. They looked like teenagers at their first dance, not an Alpha and his mistress. The whispers grew louder as Seline slowly advanced.
A group of young wolves didn’t even bother to lower their voices as they speculated about what this meant for their Luna’s position. “They say the Luna of the Silver Wolf pack is as beautiful as she is cold,” a voice cut through her thoughts. “I see they were right on both counts. ”
Seline turned, a diplomatic deflection ready, only to find herself momentarily speechless.
The man before her was devastating, with dark waves of hair, and eyes the deep blue of twilight, crinkled with barely suppressed mischief. He moved with a predator’s fluid grace. “Forgive me, sir,” she said, finding her composure. “But since we’ve yet to be properly introduced, I’m not quite sure how cold I should be when putting you in your place.
”
His grin widened as he executed a formal bow. “I’m here on King Michael’s behalf, representing the panther pack. And please feel free to always put me in my place in whatever way you see fit. ”
“You must be Jace,” she observed.
A smile tugged at her lips despite herself as they exchanged banter. He was refreshingly honest and playful, a stark contrast to the tension around them. Remembering her predicament—Leo hadn’t even acknowledged her presence—Seline made a split-second decision. “Come to think of it, how would you like to get better acquainted now?
”
Jace’s eyebrow lifted as his gaze flicked briefly toward Leo before returning to her. “Why, my queen, I’d be honored. ”
She signaled for her chair to be moved beside his, and for the first time, Leo’s gaze found hers. His expression was unreadable, distant.
All the while, his hand settled possessively on Bella’s thigh. The dinner was a disaster. After everyone was served, Leo stood to give the opening speech. But instead of yielding to Seline, he turned to Bella with exaggerated gentility.
“Darling, the speech if you please. ”
Seline’s nails dug into her palms as Bella stood and began to speak, a parody of a Luna. “Excuse me,” Jace’s voice cut through the stunned silence, smooth as silk. “Shouldn’t the Luna of the pack give the speech?
”
The room erupted into murmurs. Leo rose slowly, his eyes blazing. “Before the speech, there’s an announcement I’d like to make. ” Seline’s stomach plummeted.
She let none of it show. “As many of you know,” Leo continued, his voice carrying easily, “Bella has become very dear to me. Tonight I wish to officially recognize her as my consort. ”
The position of consort hadn’t existed in their pack for generations.
To resurrect it now, for this girl, was a deliberate humiliation. Seline merely inclined her head. “Of course, Alpha,” she murmured. “Whatever pleases you.
”
As the pack began to adapt to this new reality, Jace quietly observed from beside her. “The new consort seems to be taking it well. ”
“If you wish to pay your respects, don’t let me stop you,” Seline replied. “I said nothing about paying respects,” Jace smirked.
“Merely observing an interesting political maneuver. Though I wonder if your Alpha realizes exactly what kind of precedent he’s setting. ”
The music swelled, and couples filled the dance floor. Then Leo was before her, his scent a familiar blend of pine and raw power, now tainted with traces of Bella’s perfume.
“Would you honor me with a dance? ” The invitation was a command. They moved together with the ease of long practice, though the space between them felt vast. Leo’s conversation was barbed, asking about Jace, questioning his motives.
“Did you find him attractive? ” he asked, something dangerous lurking in his voice. “I haven’t noticed,” Seline replied, avoiding the question. Leo’s laugh held no warmth.
“The perfect Luna, as always. Tell me, do you ever let that mask slip? ”
“Did you expect anything less? ” she challenged softly.
His attention drifted to where Bella danced, her movements becoming more provocative. “She’s so young,” he murmured, more to himself than to Seline. “So innocent. ”
As the music ended, Leo’s lips brushed her forehead in a gesture that felt more like marking territory than affection.
“Thank you for the dance, my Luna. ”
Just as he was about to leave, he turned back, giving her a strange, assessing glance. “You can be quite oblivious yourself, Seline. Remember that.
”
The evening devolved from there. Seline was abandoned to work the room, soothing ruffled feathers and containing the political fallout from Leo’s shocking announcement. She was in the middle of reassuring a trade minister when Sarah materialized at her elbow. “My Luna, there’s a situation that requires your attention.
It’s about Lady Bella. ”
A scent hit her nose—the unmistakable, cloying sweetness of impending heat. Two Alphas had Bella cornered, their postures predatory. The girl was laughing, oblivious to the danger.
Worse, her bodyguard was watching with eyes glazed over with need. Seline moved without conscious thought. “Bella,” she called out, authority radiating from her. “There’s an urgent matter we must discuss.
”
But Bella just giggled, jerking away from her touch. “Everyone wants to dance with me! ”
The situation was a powder keg. An unmated, in-heat female at a diplomatic function could trigger territorial disputes, challenge fights, even blood feuds.
Seline drew herself up, letting her power flow freely. “The lady,” she snapped, “is coming with me now. ”
Her dominance was absolute. The young Alphas backed down, and even Bella’s bodyguard was subdued, his judgment clearly compromised.
Seline wrapped an arm around Bella, supporting the girl as her heat scent grew stronger. “You’ve ruined everything! ” Bella complained. “Everyone was having a wonderful time until you got jealous about Leo’s announcement.
”
“You’re in heat,” Seline cut in flatly. “If I’d left you there another minute, we’d have had a riot on our hands. ”
Bella froze. “What?
No, that’s impossible. ”
By the time they reached Bella’s chambers, the girl was burning with fever, her earlier belligerence melting into pitiful moans. “Since this is your first heat and you’re unmated,” Seline explained, “it falls to your Alpha to decide who will help you through it. ”
“No one but Leo!
” Bella gasped, grabbing Seline’s wrist. “He’s the only one! He loves me above all others. ”
The door crashed open, and Leo filled the doorway, his scent a storm of protective fury.
“What happened? ” he demanded, his eyes flashing gold to Seline as if this was somehow her fault. He gathered Bella into his arms, cooing soft reassurances, his hands sliding down her bare shoulders as her heat scent spiked. The wave of raw desire that crashed through their mate bond nearly brought Seline to her knees.
“Seline,” Leo’s voice stopped her at the door. “No one comes near these chambers until further notice. ”
She managed a nod before escaping into the hall, her mate’s arousal still burning through their bond like acid in her veins. She barely made it to her own quarters before her composure cracked.
A soft knock made her jerk upright. “My Luna? ” Sarah’s worried voice came through the door. “The guests… with both you and the Alpha absent, things are getting out of hand.
”
Seline drew a steadying breath and rebuilt her walls. “Absolutely not,” she commanded. “We must make them forget this incident. Remind them of who we are.
”
She changed into a midnight blue silk dress, a calculated risk. As she entered the ballroom, it hushed. She lifted her champagne glass and gave a speech that was a masterclass in political maneuvering, a veiled threat to their critics. The applause was enthusiastic, if slightly nervous.
Then came the last dance, traditionally the Alpha and Luna’s moment. Leo was absent. Seline stood, feeling like a fool. “I believe you’ll be needing a new partner,” a familiar voice cut through her thoughts.
Jace extended an elegant hand. As the first notes swelled, he drew her into his arms with a fluid grace that perfectly matched her own. During their dance, he unapologetically denigrated Leo’s behavior, calling his infatuation with Bella baffling. Later, in the gardens, as fireworks exploded overhead, their conversation turned more personal.
Jace confided in her about the pressure to produce a pure-blooded leopard heir, a near-impossible task. “We leopards are born with our soulmate’s name marked on our skin. We call them soul marks. ”
The intimacy of the revelation startled Seline.
She found herself opening up, admitting that her marriage to Leo was arranged, lacking in passion. His laugh was infectious, a bright, genuine sound that felt like a lifeline. “Well, some men just don’t know how to please a woman,” he had joked. For the first time in years, she felt something real.
Leo was absent from their lives for the next two months, consumed by Bella’s heat. Seline, in turn, spent every day with Jace, strengthening ties with the leopard pack. Their morning meetings in the gardens became the best part of her day. He was a balm for her wounded spirit.
His presence made her wolf sit up and take notice. The rumors about them were growing bolder, a situation not helped by a confrontation with Bella and her sycophantic ladies-in-waiting. Bella’s cruel taunt about secret lovers was quickly deflected by Jace’s sharp wit, but Seline knew the conflict was growing. She kept telling herself that Bella was just a child, acting out, that she couldn’t truly harm her.
She held onto that thought until Leo’s birthday celebration. At the Grand Plaza Hotel, before the party even began, Leo cornered her. “We need to discuss your behavior this morning. Bella was quite upset.
”
They argued. He accused her of being cold and cruel for not defending Bella against Jace. “As if Jace would be interested in you,” he laughed. “He’s young, full of life.
You’re…” he looked her up and down, his meaning clear. The words hurt like punches, but Seline refused to show it. Inside, the party was a garish display, and then Bella appeared in a dress like liquid gold, cut so low it was almost shocking. She threw herself into Leo’s arms, announcing, “I wanted to wear it while I still could.
Soon I might not fit such tight things. ”
“I am to be a father! ” Leo declared from the center of the room, his smile predatory. “I am to be a father.
Bella is the mother of my son. ”
The words hit Seline like a slap. Years of unfulfilled hope, of watching her cycle start each month, of dealing with Leo’s growing anger and everyone’s judgment, crashed over her. Leo dropped to one knee before Bella, his eyes locking onto Seline with dangerous intensity.
“Aren’t you going to congratulate your sister? ”
She stepped forward, her mask of composure firmly in place. “Congratulations,” she managed, the word tasting like ash. Bella’s confidence grew with every stolen look.
“I’ll be counting on you to help look after her,” Leo added, making it clear this was not a request. “After all, what could be more important than the future of our pack? ” His gaze was a clear threat. Seline escaped to the hotel’s roof garden, the cool night air hitting her face.
She hadn’t been there long before Jace found her. “It’s not like I could bear a child myself,” he said softly. “But I do know what it’s like to worry you’ll never be a parent. ”
Seline’s carefully constructed walls began to crumble.
She confessed to Jace the truth of her barrenness, the crushing disappointment each month. He listened, his conviction unwavering. “You’ll be a mother someday. I’m certain of it.
”
Their moment was shattered by Bella, who appeared on Leo’s arm. “I was hoping we’d find you both here,” she gushed. “I was just telling Leo how wonderful it will be having Seline as an aunt to our baby. And of course, Jace can be uncle.
We should all go out together sometime, a double date. Since everyone knows about Seline and Jace anyway. ”
A growl cut through the night air. “My Luna knows exactly what I expect regarding her fidelity,” Leo snarled.
Jace’s voice turned silk-smooth. “If you can have a consort, surely Seline is entitled to the same privileges. ”
The tension was explosive. “She is my Luna!
” Leo roared. “Nobody else will touch her! ”
“Why would she even think of straying,” Jace countered, his voice deadly, “when you’ve done nothing but flaunt a poor replacement in her face? ”
It was too late.
The two males circled each other, their power rising, ready to draw blood. In that charged moment, Seline realized she had to stop them. “Enough! ” she cried, her voice cracking like thunder.
“I won’t stand here and watch this ridiculous display of male posturing. You would know through our bond if I’d taken a lover, Alpha, just as I’ve been acutely aware of your activities. As for you, Jace, I can speak for myself with my Alpha. ”
Bella burst into tears, clutching her stomach.
“The baby…” she gasped. Leo swept Bella into his arms and left, his gaze locking with Seline’s in a clear warning. Jace’s smirk finally faltered under her furious gaze. Their argument was sharp, raw.
He accused her of not being angry enough at Leo; she accused him of starting a war. “Why does it all fall on you? ” he demanded, his face inches from hers. “You deserve so much better.
”
“You assume to know what I deserve,” she snapped. “Am I not your friend? ” he challenged. “And I suppose you think you’re being a good friend right now?
”
“Yes,” he whispered, his voice ghosting across her lips. “Actually, no. ” His hand slid into her hair as he pulled her against him, and then his mouth claimed hers. Her wolf howled in triumph as his scent mingled with hers.
The kiss was fire and starlight, need and desperation. Then she stepped away and slapped his face, hard. Seline stumbled through the hotel lobby, his taste still lingering on her lips. She had sworn an oath of fidelity, not just to Leo, but to the pack.
The chaos that would follow a shattering of their leader’s bond was unthinkable. Back in her room, she finally allowed herself to break, sobbing into the silence. Then Leo was there. He was in her room, drunk, accusing her.
He had felt her elation through their bond when she was with Jace. “Well played, Luna,” he slurred. “I felt every moment of it. You wanted me to feel it, didn’t you?
”
He thought she had kissed Jace to make him jealous. To get his attention. “Perhaps Jace is simply a better kisser,” she said, a rash, sharp retort she instantly regretted. Leo’s reaction was a mix of anger and predatory desire.
He crowded her space, trying to reassert his dominance, to “remind her what a real man can do. ” But Seline felt nothing but a bone-deep weariness. She guided him to her bed, tricking him into passing out, a performance she was only too willing to give to him in return. As he lay unconscious in her lap, mumbling about his plans, Seline felt disgust.
And then she saw something from her window. A figure in white, moving through the gardens. Bella. Who was supposed to be asleep.
She was looking around, as if expecting someone. Seline followed her through a hidden servant’s passage. Emerging near the rose garden, she searched for Bella’s scent, but it was masked, deliberately. She followed the faint trail, then something massive eclipsed the moon.
A leopard, huge and sleek, moving across the mansion’s roof. Jace. In the garden, he communicated with her mind-to-mind, a talent of his kind. He was agitated, and Seline knew why.
“Leo wants you gone by morning. ”
“He felt it,” she confessed. “Our kiss. Through the bond.
”
The pain in his mental voice was palpable. “It doesn’t have to be like this. ”
“It does,” she insisted. “I cannot risk a war between our packs.
”
He begged for one minute, moving close, breathing her in as if committing her scent to memory. “Is this truly what you want? ” his breath ghosted across her skin. “Yes,” she whispered, the lie tasting like ashes.
As he turned to leave, she called out, “I hope you find your fated mate, Jace. ”
“I wish it was your name I’d been marked with,” his mental voice caressed her, and then he was gone, melting into the shadows. Seline stood frozen, fighting the urge to run after him. She turned back to the task at hand, seeking Bella’s trail.
She needed to escape, to not think about Jace. But what she found in the forest froze her blood. Through a tangle of branches, Seline watched Bella pressed against an ancient oak. With a man.
Not Leo. It was Ian, Bella’s bodyguard. Seline watched, horrified, as their intimacy unfolded. Ian was possessive, and Bella was dismissive.
“Shut up and hurry,” Bella whispered. “Before someone comes. ”
“Leave him,” Ian growled. “Be with me instead.
”
“And what? ” Bella laughed breathlessly. “Trade everything I’ve worked for for your penniless ass? ”
Seline turned to leave, disgust churning in her stomach.
Then she heard Bella’s voice, clear as a blade. “For now. But that won’t last. Just wait and see.
I’ll be Luna soon enough. ”
A twig snapped beneath her foot. She froze. They hadn’t heard.
Seline slid silently into the cover of the underbrush, her heart pounding, weaving through the forest to escape. She was nearly free when strong arms encircled her from behind, a hand clamping over her mouth. “Well, well. What do we have here?
” Ian’s voice held no warmth. “So you can run straight to the Alpha with what you’ve seen? I think not. ”
Bella emerged from the shadows, her lips swollen.
“My, my, I didn’t think you were such a voyeur, Seline. Though I suppose with no one to entertain you these days…”
Seline’s calm cut through Bella’s mockery. “Actually, your Alpha is currently passed out in my bed. ”
The color drained from Bella’s face.
“You wouldn’t dare tell him. ”
“Or I’ll tell him you hired Ian to assault me,” Bella shot back, a cornered animal. “To terrorize his precious consort. I’d crack under torture,” Ian added, his voice low and dangerous.
“I’ll tell them exactly how you approached me, offered me money to sully the Alpha’s consort. ”
The pure, calculated evil of it stole Seline’s breath. “You’d really do this, even knowing she’s carrying another man’s child? ”
“I do anything for Bella,” Ian snarled.
“And our child. ”
Bella stepped close, patting Seline’s cheek with mock affection. “See you at breakfast tomorrow, sister. And stay away from Leo.
I don’t like sharing my things. ”
Four months passed. The seasons turned, and Seline woke each morning with the ghost of sandalwood and midnight air lingering in her dreams. Bella’s baby shower was a pastel wonderland, but the joy was hollow.
Seline had barely seen Leo, and it was both a relief and a fresh ache. The only thing that kept her going was work, and the thought of Jace, smiling somewhere far away. The letter arrived during the festivities. The leopard pack’s seal, red wax, unbroken.
A death notice. Her heart stuttered as she read the first line. *We regret to inform you…* The words blurred. A terrifying image of Jace flashed in her mind—his eyes closed, his smile silenced.
“My Luna,” Sarah said, “it’s about Alpha Michael’s death. Your mate will be expected to comment. ”
Michael. The relief made her dizzy.
Jace was alive. But he must be devastated. And now he was Alpha. Seline moved toward Leo’s office to inform him, but paused at the partially open door.
She heard Leo’s voice, tense with anger. “I’d like the matter clarified before I tell her. ”
“I’ve never heard of mating being broken without the second party’s approval,” Kendrick, the Beta, was saying. “You mean there’s no way around getting Seline on board?
” Leo snapped. Broken bonds. They were talking about breaking their bond. Leo wanted to reject her to legitimize his child with Bella.
“Luna Seline would have to accept your rejection,” Kendrick explained. “And reject you back. ”
“The sooner you speak with her and secure her approval, the better. ”
Seline fled, her mind whirling.
In her chest, an unexpected feeling bloomed: hope. Freedom. The possibility of seeing Jace again, without this crushing weight. It was an intoxicating thought.
But when she returned to the gardens, the tranquility had shattered. A crowd had formed around Bella’s seat. The scent of distressed and death filled the air. Fiona, Bella’s lady-in-waiting, saw her.
“It was you! ” she screamed, her eyes crazed. “She touched that cup and collapsed! You killed her!
”
Seline froze. There was Bella, lifeless, her face pale and still. In her hand, glinting accusingly in the afternoon sun, was the silver cup chosen carefully by Seline. She could feel the judgment radiating from the crowd as they turned to look at her.
No one moved to defend her. And then she heard it—Leo’s thundering roar, cracking through the air like a whip. In the healer’s chamber, the verdict was swift: poison. Leo dismissed everyone but her.
The silence was charged with years of accumulated grief and fury. “Did you do it? ” he barked, his eyes insane with grief. “Did you kill her?
”
“How can you even ask me that? ” she breathed, stung by his suspicion. “You think I did this because you planned to reject me? ”
“I know you’d do anything for this pack,” he snarled.
“And that includes murder. ”
She tried to reason with him, pointing out a lack of proof, but he cut her off. His accusation had become his truth. “Your cold truly knows no bounds,” he spat.
“She’s barely cold and already you’re strategizing. ”
In a flash of clarity, Seline saw it all. This wasn’t about her. It was about Leo’s ego.
He needed the formidable Luna to be the culprit because the alternative—that his consort was murdered under his own protection—made him look weak. “Hold on,” a guard burst in, his face ashen. “We found this hidden beneath the Luna’s floorboards. ” He held out a delicate crystal vial.
Seline caught the acrid scent of nightshade. “The healers confirm it’s the same poison. And there’s more. ” He produced a leather-bound journal filled with precise notations about toxins.
“This was in the Luna’s room too. ”
“I’ve never seen that before in my life,” Seline whispered, shaking her head. “Leo, you have to believe me. ”
But Leo’s eyes had already turned to molten gold, his wolf rising with murderous intent.
“Seize her,” he ordered.
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