"Tell me," I crouched before her. "Victoria, before you do something irreversible—tell me. Who made you do this?"
She looked up, eyes brimming with tears.
"Kayden, you were right all along." Her voice shook. "The exposure, Lucas—that was me. I just hated her so much, hated that she took everything that should have been mine... So I—"
She suddenly pulled a small glass vial from inside her clothes.
No!
I lunged to grab it, but she was faster. Victoria threw her head back and poured all the black liquid down her throat.
"No!"
I seized her jaw, trying to force her to spit it out, but the black liquid had already slid down her throat.
"Damn it! Healer!" I roared toward the door. "Get the healer!"
Footsteps thundered down the corridor.
Victoria's body began convulsing, her limbs jerking uncontrollably. Black blood spilled from the corners of her mouth, mixed with white foam.
"What did you take?" I gripped her shaking body. "Victoria, spit it out!"
"Too... too late," she whispered, her voice fading, eyes losing focus.
The healer burst through the door and immediately dropped to his knees beside her.
"The toxin is too potent..." He shook his head. "Alpha, she won't last three minutes..."
"Use an antidote!" I roared. "Try everything!"
"We don't know what poison this is," the healer said helplessly.
I looked down at Victoria in my arms. Her face was rapidly turning blue-purple, the light in her eyes dimming moment by moment.
"Why did you do this?" I demanded. "Victoria, tell me why."
"I'm sorry..." Her lips trembled, black blood still flowing. "Kayden... I-I just... Loved you too much..."
Loved me?
No. Her eyes were wrong. In those dying eyes—it wasn't me she was seeing. It was as if she were looking through me at someone else entirely.
Her lips moved again, as if trying to say more. I leaned close to her mouth, but there was only the whisper of escaping breath.
Until Victoria's hand fell limply to her side. Her head drooped. Her eyes remained open, tears frozen in them.
No sound remained.
The healer checked her pulse, then shook his head. "Alpha... she's gone."
I released her. Victoria's body slumped to the floor. Morning light streamed through the window, falling across her pale face.
She was dead.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Layla
