Chapter 23

Kieran

I ran around the border of the Alpha House property. I'd told Lucian I was going to patrol in case there were more Rogues around. The truth was, I couldn't stand to sit still another minute.

I didn’t know what had happened between Lucian and Zara. He’d said he had some questions for her after the Mate Ball. I knew that meant he wanted to check on her and make sure she was okay after being taken hostage. If he had questions because he suspected her of something, she would be in the dungeon with all the others.

Oh, right, those women. We were going to have to deal with them soon. Figuring out who was in league with the other Alphas and who was actually a Rogue plant and who was just a little too desperate and stupid was not going to be fun.

I ran until my lungs burned and my legs shook. And then I shifted to wolf and ran more. If I was running I didn’t have to think.

I was somewhere in the back woods of the property when Lucian’s voice echoed across our bond.

“She’s awake. The healers have asked us to come in for a consultation,” Lucian announced.

I skidded to a stop, reversed direction, and bounded for the healers’ house. I’d never been there. Lucian inspected the properties after we took over. I was busy looking over the pack’s finances, which were a mess, and making friends among the women. Someone had to form bonds with the packs we conquered and it surely wasn’t going to be the ice statue I called brother.

Healer Esmeralda met us in her office. Her face was grave, and I was afraid something really serious was wrong with Zara. I knew I wasn’t supposed to get attached. She was just a tool.

But she was a tool who’d repeatedly calmed mine and my brother’s wolves. For the first time I’d been able to sleep on the full moon without hearing the screams and the voices. I didn’t want to lose that, and I didn’t want to lose her. She was a challenge.

“What’s wrong with Zara?” I asked.

“Exhaustion, mostly,” Healer Esmeralda informed us. “She’s working too hard, and pushing herself too hard when she trains.”

“We’ll adjust her workload and monitor her training sessions,” Lucian declared.

“That would be for the best. Also, I noted some signs of malnutrition. You’ll need to check that she actually takes meals on her meal breaks, rather than sneaking more training time,” Healer Esmeralda added, raising one eyebrow when she said ‘malnutrition’.

I winced. That was our fault. We’d locked her in a tower for days with no food. But a wolf would be fine after that, and she seemed okay.

“She fainted because she was tired?” I asked.

“Partially, but mostly I imagine it was due to shock. Remember that Zara is partially human, and they’re more fragile than we are. You need to be careful or you’ll cause her permanent harm.”

“I understand,” Lucian said. “May we see her?”

“Yes, but try not to upset her. Stress is a major factor in a collapse like that, she doesn’t need any more. Also I’d like to keep her overnight to make sure her vitals have stabilized,” Healer Esmeralda said.

“Of course,” Lucian said. “We’ll come collect her tomorrow.”

“I recommend at least a weak of reduced duties,” Healer Esmeralda added. “Just to be safe.”

Lucian nodded and left to find our personal attendant.

I followed Lucian into Zara’s healing room. How could stress and shock have made her collapse?

I knew humans were relatively fragile, but I never really thought much about them. I had honestly forgotten that Zara was part human. She was so stubborn and strong willed. It was strange to think of her as vulnerable.

Zara sat up in her bed when we entered. She looked fine, if a little tired. She crossed her arms and tilted her chin up instead of making any effort to bow or acknowledge that her Alphas had just entered the room. I smirked.

“The healer tells me you will require a week of rest,” Lucian said.

“Healer Esmeralda worries too much, I’m fine,” Zara insisted.

“Regardless, I will be taking her advice,” Lucian announced.

You will stay in your room,” Lucian ordered, voice and eyes like ice.

“I’m being punished again?” Zara asked. “For what? Fainting? Not satisfying your lust?”

Lucian turned away. “You will not be starved. But you do not accept food from anyone besides me or Kieran. Do you understand?”

“No,” Zara said. “Why are you doing this?”

Lucian shrugged. “I do what I must. Obey or learn the full price of disobedience.”

I could have told him that was the wrong way to handle her, but Lucian wouldn’t listen once he’d made his mind up. He never did.

As we walked back to the Alpha House, I asked Lucian, “What was that about not taking food from anyone but us? She’s supposed to serve us not the other way around.”

Lucian shrugged. “Someone slipped her a vial of poison to use on us. The Rogues think she’s a vulnerability they can exploit.”

“They what?” I yelped.

Sure, people tried to kill us pretty much constantly. But asking some young, innocent girl to do it was a new low even for the Rogues.

Lucian shrugged. “She assures me she would never poison us. I think I actually believe her. I caught her in the process of pouring the vial down a sink.”

“She tried to dump it?” I asked.

“Yes,” Lucian said. “I stopped her.”

“Why?” I asked.

Lucian shrugged. “Seemed like a good idea in the moment.”

“Sure it did,” I grumbled. “You tell me to keep my hands off of her then corner her in the shower.”

“I was…” Lucian sighed. “Never mind. Go be sure the bathroom was cleaned, and track down the vial.”

“Right,” I sighed. I’d get the story out of him sooner or later. Something had happened between him and Zara in that bathroom.

I found the servants who cleaned the Alpha House. One of them, Maple, had cleaned the bathroom.

“I cleaned Zara’s dress,” she said, “and placed it in her wardrobe. It required a little repair, there were some small tears.”

I recalled the way she’d tossed the Rogue holding her hostage. It made sense the dress would’ve torn during that. Or had it happened later? What had gone on in that bathroom?

“Did you find anything else?” I asked. “Any personal effects, maybe?”

I figured a vial of poison could be mistaken for a perfume bottle.

Maple tilted her head, thinking, and then her eyes widened. “Oh! The, ah, the collar. Yes, it was there. I, ah, also left it in Zara’s room. Was that not correct, Alpha Kieran?”

Oh, right, her collar. I figured the healers had removed it. But of course she’d have taken it off to shower. I couldn’t even be annoyed about that.

“No, that’s fine, don’t worry about it,” I said. “Is that all?”

“Just some towels, Alpha. Is something missing? I can have the other servants keep an eye out.”

“Hm. Don’t worry too much about it,” I said, “but if anyone finds a small vial that they don’t recognize, bring it to me or my brother.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Maple said with a bow. “Is anything else required at this time?”

“No, that’s all, thank you Maple,” I said. “Oh, do us a favor? Zara’s being kept overnight by the healers. It would be very nice if her room was aired out and her linens changed before she returns.”

“Oh. She does that herself, usually,” Maple said, “but if she’s been ill, of course I’ll be happy to do it for her. Clean sheets do make a person feel more comfortable.”

I nodded and went to find my brother. I could tell that Maple wasn’t lying about the poison vial. I could smell it when people lied, and I could feel it through the bond all wolves had to their Alphas.

I’d report the missing poison to Lucian, but I refused to worry about it too much. If a tiny vial of poison was enough to take us down, then we deserved to lose everything.