Chapter 14
ELENA
Mason studied me carefully, his gaze searching for something I wasn’t ready to give. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, “Seeing Derek again…It must have stirred up a lot.”
I sighed and stepped off the elevator, Mason and I were in nearby rooms on one of the higher floors of the venue. As we got to his room he fiddled with the keycard, trying to get it
to work.
I leaned against the wall outside his door. “I’m fine, Mason, Really,”
He looked up from what he was doing, his lips pressed into a thin line, his disbelief clear. “Elena, you’ve been avoiding Logan–a man who would do anything for you–and now this. If you don’t still have feelings for Derek, then what is it?”
I hesitated. It wasn’t that simple. I had no intention of going back to Derek, but Mason was right–something in me had twisted when I saw him.
Not out of love, but out of anger, resentment, and the deep, unshakable pain of betrayal. And maybe what hurt so badly–desire.
“I don’t have feelings for him,” I said firmly. “But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to throw myself into Logan’s arms.‘
Mason studied me for a moment longer, then nodded. “Alright. Just…be careful.”
I gave him a small smile and he tried swiping the key card a few more times, each time the little light on the door lock flashing red.
“I hate these things!” he said. “What was wrong with good, old–fashioned keys?”
“Would you like me to try?” I asked sweetly.
He frowned, but took a step back, handing me the key card. “Good luck,” he said. “It’s probably broken.”
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Chapter 14
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I took the card from him and swiped it once in front of the lock. It gave off a cheerful little beep and the light turned green, unlocking the door.
I handed his key card back with a smirk. “Goddess, you’re hopeless,” I teased, pushing off
the wall to head to my own room.
“I primed it for you!” he called out down the hallway.
I laughed and turned the corner to where my own room sat. There was a housekeeping cart
outside the door.
Popping my head through the open doorway, I called out, “Hello?”
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A maid that had been making the bed jumped, startled. With a hand to her chest, she turned
to me as I stepped inside.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She swallowed thickly. “It’s–it’s okay.”
“I’ll try to stay out of your way,” I said, smiling at her. I lowered myself into the chair in
the corner of the room.
As I settled in, the maid began moving hurriedly, stealing nervous glances my way. When she adjusted my pillows, I noticed that she was wearing gloves. And that her hands were
shaking slightly.
I frowned. “Is something wrong?”
The maid stiffened. “N–no, miss. Just making sure everything is perfect for you.”
Perfect? Something wasn’t right. My instincts sharpened, and I moved toward the bed. When I lifted the pillow, a faint scent reached my nose–one that I recognized instantly.
Acontium.
Wolfsbane.
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Chapter 14
I turned to look at the maid, whose face crumpled into tears.
“I’m so sorry!” she said, her voice wobbly. “I didn’t want to do it!”
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“Show me,” I said calmly, and she walked me over to the housekeeping cart, pulling out a small bag that held a pill casing and its powdery remains. I had seen it before.
Acontium. Wolfsbane is lethal to werewolves in large doses, but it’s often taken orally–in small doses and mixed with an anti–inflammatory–to treat long–term silver–poisoning injuries. But if what’s contained in those pills is exposed to a werewolf’s skin?
It causes a rash.
“Who gave this to you?” I asked, my voice sharp.
a
The maid hesitated, then whispered, “I was paid to do it. By a woman with black hair.”
I didn’t need more details. I knew exactly who had orchestrated this.
I thought back to the day of my wedding, Cassandra cradling her arm, Derek concerned about an injury she’d sustained long ago. Werewolves healed relatively quickly, helped along by the powerful wolves inside us.
The only injuries that tended to be persistent? Chronic? Were those caused by silver.
The pills belonged to Cassandra. And she’d tried to use them to give me an embarrassing rash. To humiliate me in front Derek and the other gathered Alphas and Lunas.
If she thought she could make a fool of me, she had no idea who she was dealing with.
A’slow smile curled up my lips. “Thank you,” I said softly. “And don’t worry. I’ll take care
of this.”
The next morning, Mason and I got to the restaurant early at my insistence, the grand dining hall gradually becoming alive with chatter as the tables filled up. I had spoken with the hostess when we arrived, sending Mason to our table ahead of me.
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Chapter 15
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