“It was just a scratch!” one of the others protests, her voice rising with panic. “We didn’t mean—”
“Shut up!” Celeste snaps at the woman, but it’s too late.
My control finally snapping, I move toward Celeste, ready to show her exactly what happens to people who hurt what’s mine.
But a hand closes around my wrist.
“Kieran.” Daciana’s voice is steady despite the tremor I can feel in her grip. “Don’t.”
I freeze, every muscle in my body coiled tight. My wolf is snarling, demanding blood, insisting on retribution. But Daciana’s hand on my wrist anchors me, pulls me back from the edge.
“They’re not worth it,” she continues, her voice quiet but firm. “Let the Queen handle them.”
I look down at her, at the poison darkening her cheek and the blood seeping through her uniform, and the look in her eyes makes me pause. It’s not fear. It’s not weakness.
It’s trust.
She’s trusting me to pull back. To let justice take its course rather than tear these women apart with my bare hands.
I take a breath. Then another. Slowly, the red haze recedes.
“You’re right,” I say finally, my voice still rough from trying to contain my violence. I turn back to the noble daughters. “Get out. Now. Before I change my mind.”
They don’t need to be told twice. They flee, their ostentatious gowns rustling as they run, their sobs echoing off the garden walls.
The moment they’re gone, I turn back to Daciana. She’s still standing, still holding her side, but her face is even paler than before. The poison is spreading.
“We need to get you to the—”
I don’t get the opportunity to finish my sentence because she has reached into her pocket and is drawing out a small container. She unscrews the lid and applies the contents to the scratch on her face, looking disgruntled. “Wolfsbane. So typical.”
“What is that?”
“Astra came up with a cure for wolfsbane poisoning.” Daciana explains. “She gave Selena and me some of it in case of an emergency. Luckily, the wound isn’t very deep, so this will draw out the toxin.”
I see the cut begin to heal and am filled with relief. I knew Queen Astra was incredibly skilled in medicine and herbs, but I didn’t know she had found the cure for wolfsbane.
“Why did you lie?” I suddenly ask Daciana.
She frowns at me. “I’m Astra’s friend before I’m her guard. My job is to make sure the waters aren’t stirred. You think this is the first time something like this has happened? I’ve beentargeted before. If Astra gets angry on our behalf and tries to help us, the Umbra Council will pounce on her.”
“Why did you come out here?” I ask her, leaning close to inspect the wound. Her face turns red, and she pulls away, avoiding my eyes.
“I’m not in a position to say no to a noble. I’m just a guard. In the capital, in the Wolf Kingdom, status is everything.”
“You’re the Queen’s guard!” I say furiously. “Surely you have some status.”
“I’m not guarding Astra these days.” Daciana tucks the medicine back in her pocket and meets my gaze. “I’m just a soldier and a liaison, Kieran. If they summon me again and hurt me, I can’t retaliate. It will only make things difficult for Astra.”
My jaw tightens. “You’re my mate. That gives you status above those females.”
Daciana looks me square in the eye. “I’m your fated mate, Kieran, not your mate.”
Her words make me flinch.
She shrugs. “It’s fine. I’ll talk to Astra. She’ll make sure they don’t call on me again.”
I watch her brush off her clothes, and I feel a hollowness within me. I’m her mate, the alpha of a powerful pack, and she’s seeking protection from someone else. Because I’m…unreliable.
