Gunnar’s POV
I had just returned from that ridiculous Rite of the Borrowed Moon and Riley should be back anyti soon.
The entire thing had been long and exhausting, and the mont I stepped inside the pack house all I wanted was a mont to breathe and wash the dust off from my body.
I walked through the corridor slowly, loosening the collar of my shirt as I moved. The halls of the royal pack house were never completely quiet, so the faint sound of whispers between servants did not surprise at first.
But then I heard the words clearly.
"I cannot believe the king would poison his own granddaughter."
The sentence reached my ears sharply.
I stopped walking.
For a mont I thought I had heard wrong.
Two maids were passing by the end of the hallway and they were whispering to each other quietly, but neither of them had noticed standing there.
One of them spoke again, her voice shaky.
"They said she collapsed right after eating."
My heart dropped violently inside my chest.
Collapsed?
Who collapsed?
The second maid lowered her voice even further.
"The healer said it was poison."
That was when they finally noticed .
Both of them froze the mont their eyes landed on my face.
The color drained from their faces instantly.
One of them nearly dropped whatever she was carrying.
I walked toward them slowly.
Neither of them moved.
Their bodies trembled like they were standing in front of death itself.
"Repeat what you just said," I ordered.
My voice ca out low but dangerous.
One of them looked like he was about to faint.
"Alpha... I..."
"Speak," I growled impatiently.
The man swallowed so hard I could see his throat move.
"It is your daughter, Alpha," he stamred.
The words felt like a knife being pushed straight into my chest.
"What about my daughter?" I demanded.
"She was rushed to the healer’s chambers."
For a second my mind went blank.
Then suddenly my body moved before my brain could even catch up.
I ran.
I ran through the halls faster than I had ever moved inside this building before.
Servants jumped out of the way as I passed them.
Doors slamd open as I rushed through the corridors.
My heart was beating violently against my ribs and every step felt heavier than the last.
When I finally reached the healer chambers I pushed the door open so hard it crashed against the wall.
Leslie turned toward imdiately.
And then I saw her.
Sumr.
She was lying on the bed completely still. Her small body looked pale and fragile.
My legs suddenly felt weak.
I did not even realize when I dropped to my knees beside the bed.
"Sumr!"
My hands grabbed her imdiately as I pulled her into my chest.
Her body felt cold. Too cold.
"Wake up," I said desperately. "Sumr, wake up."
She did not move. Panic exploded inside my chest.
I looked up at Leslie. "Fucking do sothing!" I shouted.
My voice filled the entire room."Fix this!"
Leslie looked terrified.
Her hands were shaking as she stood beside the table.
Everyone was afraid of . They always were. But right now I did not care.
"She has been poisoned with Morveth Draught," Leslie said quickly.
My entire body went rigid."Morveth Draught?"
The word sounded like sothing unreal.
"Yes," she answered nervously.
My arms tightened around Sumr.
"Then cure it," I demanded harshly.
Leslie hesitated for a second.
Then she spoke again.
"Cane has already gone to get the antidote."
My eyes snapped toward her."Cane?"
"Yes," she said quickly.
"He went to the Tithers town to get Silvarin, it’s the only cure for it."
For the first ti since I entered the room I felt a small sense of relief.
If there was one person I trusted more than anyone else, it was my brothers.
Cane would not fail.
He never did.
I slowly lowered Sumr back onto the bed and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.
Then I turned toward Leslie again. "Who did this?" I asked coldly.
Leslie hesitated again.
"I do not believe Sebastian would poison Sumr," she said carefully.
My jaw tightened imdiately at the ntion of my father.
"No matter how wicked he is," she continued slowly.
"And no matter how much he hates you."
Her words were calm but serious."There is only one way she could have been poisoned without anyone noticing."
I stared at her."What way?"
Her eyes t mine directly."A witch."
The word made my brows pull together.
"A witch could poison the al and make herself invisible while doing it," she explained.
"And there is only one kind of witch who could move around here without raising suspicion."
My chest grew tight."A witch who is close to the king himself."
For a mont I could not understand what she ant.
A witch close to the king?
My mind began searching through every face in the pack house.
Every person who stood near Sebastian.
Every person who had access to the royal hall.
Then suddenly a mory appeared in my head as I rembered a voice.
My mother’s voice.
It was sothing she told years ago.
A secret she had shared only with long ago.
She had warned about soone.
She had said that Sapphire was not what she seed.
She had told that Sapphire was a half witch.
The mont the mory surfaced my body went completely still.
Sapphire.
My father’s fucking mistress? She dares?!
My hands slowly curled into fists.
Without saying another word I stood up and walked out of the healer chamber.
My mind was burning with anger now.
If what I suspected was true then there was only one thing left to do.
The royal hall was already filled with people when I entered.
Servants.
Guards.
Pack mbers.
They were all whispering to each other nervously.
Then suddenly they noticed . The room went completely silent.
Sapphire was standing in the center of the hall.
Her posture looked calm. Almost confident.
I walked straight toward her.
She noticed approaching and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Alpha Gunnar," she said smoothly.
But I did not respond.
I stopped directly in front of her."You poisoned my daughter."
The accusation left my mouth without hesitation.
Her smile disappeared slightly."I have no idea what you are talking about," she replied.
I did not say anything else.
Instead my hand shot forward. My fingers wrapped tightly around her neck.
Gasps filled the room imdiately.
"What are you doing?" soone shouted.
But I ignored them.
Her eyes widened as she struggled against my grip. "You poisoned my daughter," I repeated coldly.
Her hands clawed at my wrist."You are insane," she gasped.
My grip tightened."Confess it."
She shook her head weakly."I did nothing."
For a mont I stared at her face.
Then my hands moved and grabbed her neck as a loud crack echoed through the hall and her body went limp instantly.
The room beca silent.
I released her and her body dropped lifelessly onto the floor.
Then I turned around and walked away.
I did not say anything to anyone. I did not even look back.
All I cared about was returning to Sumr. I moved quickly through the corridors again.
But just as I turned the corner soone stepped directly into my path.
Caden.
"Gunnar," he said urgently.
"You need to co right away."
My brows pulled together."Why, I need to go to sumr?"
"There is no ti," he said quickly."Just follow ."
Sothing in his voice made move without arguing.
He led through a quiet hallway that very few people used.
Soon we reached a darker section of the pack house.
The p
The walls here were older. I already knew where we were going.
This was the part of the building where my mother stayed.
Caden pushed the door open and we stepped inside.
A few dim lights was lit and it felt strange because my mother usually liked it dark.
The mont we entered my mother rushed toward us.
"Oh my God, Gunnar," she said quickly."When did you co back?"
She grabbed my shoulders anxiously."We have to be fast right now."
Her voice sounded urgent.
My eyes narrowed slightly."What’s going on?"
"Sebastian is gathering the council of elders right now," she said quickly.
"To bind your wolf."
My chest dropped imdiately at the reveal. Wtf?
But before I could respond sothing strange suddenly happened.
A sharp pain exploded inside my head. It felt like sothing had struck my skull from the inside.
"Damn!" Caden growled.
My legs suddenly gave out beneath and I crashed onto the floor.
Pain spread through my entire body.
It felt like fire was burning through my veins.
"It is starting already!" Caden shouted.
My mother’s eyes widened with fear.
"Mother you have to be quick," Caden said urgently.
"They cannot bind his wolf."
His voice grew more desperate."It is going to make things worse!"
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