The last thing I remember before darkness claims me is her face, brow furrowed with concern as she presses the makeshiftbandage against my wound. And the wild wolves, standing guard over us both.
I jolt awake,my lungs struggling for air. The ceiling above me is unfamiliar—not the ornate moldings of my assigned chambers, but simpler stonework with flickering shadows cast by candlelight.
Pain radiates from my shoulder, but it’s different now. Deeper. Wrong. Something cold and foreign spreads through my veins, a sensation I recognize vaguely. I try to sit up, but my limbs are like lead.
My heart. There’s something wrong with my heart. Each beat feels labored, as if it’s pushing through mud rather than blood.
I close my eyes, focusing inward, calling upon my magic to cleanse whatever invader has taken up residence in my body. The power stirs sluggishly, but when I try to direct it toward my heart, it slips away like water through fingers.
The arrow! The memory slams into me. The forest, Daciana sleeping, the attack, and then…the arrow that struck me. Not just any arrow—a poisoned one.
I force myself to move, gritting my teeth against the pain. I need to neutralize the poison before it—
“Don’t move. You’ll make it worse.”
The familiar voice stops me cold. I turn my head toward the sound, wincing as the movement sends a fresh wave of pain through my chest.
Daciana approaches from the other side of the room, a bowl of steaming water in her hands. The soft candlelight catches the amber flecks in her eyes, the concern etched across her features.
“Where am I?” My voice comes out rougher than normal, barely recognizable.
“My quarters.” She sets the bowl down on a small table beside the bed. “I tried to take you to your chambers, but we ran into Artisem on the way. He said if it became known that you were injured, it would be a blow to the delegation’s standing. He told me to bring you here instead and to keep you concealed.”
I try to process this information through the fog clouding my mind. Artisem’s logic is sound—showing weakness now could undermine our political position. But I also know my right hand well enough to recognize the manipulation. Artisem has been pushing me to pursue Daciana ever since he noticed my interest in her.
“I’m fine,” I say. “I just need to—”
The room spins violently as I attempt to push myself upright. The pressure around my heart intensifies, a vise grip that steals my breath. I fall back against the pillows, unable to hide my grimace of pain.
Daciana’s eyes narrow. “For someone so supposedly powerful and mysterious, you sure were easily felled by a simple arrow.”
“Not simple,” I manage to say through clenched teeth. “The arrow was poisoned.”
Her face drains of color. “Poisoned? Are you certain?”
I nod, fighting to keep my eyes open as another wave of pain washes over me. “I can feel it…spreading. Attacking my heart.”
“I’ll get a healer,” she says, already moving toward the door.
I catch her wrist with more strength than I thought I still possessed. “No.”
She stares down at my hand, then at my face. “You’re scaring me, Kieran.”
I force a small smile, releasing her arm to brush my fingertips against her cheek. “I’m not going to die, little wolf.”
Her eyes widen slightly, a flush spreading across her face. “That’s—That’s not what I’m scared of.”
“Go to the Queen,” I say, dropping my hand back to the bed. “Ask her for three herbs: wolfsbane, silver thistle, and bloodroot.”
She frowns. “Wolfsbane is toxic. And I can just get Astra—”
I shake my head firmly. “Just ask for the herbs. Don’t tell her why.” The last thing I need is the entire court knowing the Snow Mountain alpha has been poisoned. “When you return, crush them into a paste and feed it to me.”
Daciana’s expression says she’s not convinced, but she nods reluctantly. “If you’re worse when I get back…”
“The herbs,” I insist. “Go.”
After one last worried glance, she leaves the room. The moment the door closes behind her, I let the mask of control slip. Pain crashes over me in waves, and I struggle to breathe. The poison is working faster than I anticipated, a sophisticated blend designed specifically for shifters with magical abilities.
