“Let’s go.” The fury still simmers beneath my skin, but I channel it into cold determination. “We have what we need.”
I turn back toward the trees, my thoughts churning.
By the time we return to the palace, the sky is beginning to lighten at the edges, revealing the deep blue-gray that comes in the hours before dawn. The halls are silent now, even the night servants having retired. Only the guards remain at their posts, nodding to us as we pass.
I dismiss Aaron and Ferin with quiet thanks and make my way to my chambers. Sleep doesn’t come easily. My mind turns over everything—the mutilated corpse, the targeted poison, the prophecy I’ve kept hidden, and Daciana sleeping mere corridors away, still too weak, still too vulnerable.
When I finally drift off, my sleep is fitful and brief.
A knock at my door awakens me. Sunlight streams through the windows. Morning has come, whether I’m ready for it or not.
“Enter,” I call, sitting up.
A palace messenger steps inside, bowing low. “Alpha Kieran. Queen Astra requests your presence in her herb garden at your earliest convenience.”
My jaw tightens. Of course she does. Lucian has told her about last night, and now, she wants answers.
“Tell Her Majesty I’ll be there shortly,” I say.
The messenger bows again and retreats.
I dress quickly, choosing simple clothing. No need for formal attire for a meeting in a garden. As I make my way through the palace corridors, servants are beginning their morning routines. The smell of fresh bread wafts from the kitchens.
The herb garden is tucked away behind the palace, accessible through a small gate in the stone wall. It’s Astra’s personal sanctuary, I’ve been told. A place where she spends most of her time away from court.
Once I push through the gate, I pause.
The garden is beautiful in its simplicity. Raised beds overflow with plants I recognize immediately. Moonpetal for accelerating shifter healing, silverleaf for poison extraction, wolfsbane cultivated carefully for its medicinal properties when properly prepared. There’s bloodroot for strengthening bonds between mates, nightshade for fever reduction in our kind, and dozens of others whose scents mingle in the morning air.
Astra kneels beside one of the beds, her hands in the soil, her simple dress protected by a worn apron. Her dark hair is pulled back in a practical braid, and there’s dirt under her fingernails. She looks up when she hears my approach, a genuine smile crossing her face.
“Alpha Kieran,” she says, standing and brushing off her hands. “Thank you for coming.”
I find myself admiring the garden again, the careful attention evident in every thriving plant. “This is impressive, Your Majesty. You have species here I haven’t seen outside my own territory.”
Her smile softens, becoming warmer. “Lucian planted most of these for me when we first mated. He built all the beds himself.” She gestures around the garden with obvious pride. “I’ve been growing my collection ever since. Every plant here serves a purpose. Healing, strengthening, protecting our people.”
There’s no pretense here, no royal airs. Just a woman who loves her garden and the mate who helped her create it.
“It’s peaceful,” I say honestly.
“It is.” She moves to a small, wooden bench beneath a trellis where climbing moonvine grows. She sits, patting the space beside her. “That’s why I prefer to have difficult conversations here. The formality of the throne room makes everything feel like a battle.”
I join her on the bench, noting how her fingers absently brush against some silverleaf growing nearby.
“Lucian told me what happened last night,” she says, her tone shifting from warm to serious. “About your ultimatum.”
Of course he did. They’re mates. They tell each other everything.
“Then you know my concerns about Daciana’s safety,” I say carefully.
She nods slowly, her fingers going still on the plant. “I do. And I share them.” She pauses, then adds quietly, “Lucian also mentioned his suspicion about your connection to her.”
My jaw tightens. “That’s—”
“A private matter, yes. You made that clear.” She turns to look at me fully, her eyes direct but not unkind. “But Kieran, Daciana is more than just my guard. She’s my friend. One of the few people in this palace I trust completely.”
“Which is why she needs better protection than she’s currently receiving,” I say, keeping my voice level.
