05

Kade

The chaos in the hall still hums in my ears, a deafening roar of accusation, disbelief, and fear. The Alpha King and his family—dead. I can’t wrap my mind around it. The sight of them collapsing, one after the other, their bodies convulsing in pain before falling still—it plays on a loop in my head, and my chest feels tight, like I can’t get enough air.

I’m still frozen, standing in place as if my feet are anchored to the floor. I remembered Valeria’s eyes as they looked at me, the pleads in them. Pleading for something, for belief, for trust, for me to step forward and say something, anything. But my throat was dry, and the words had to stick to the back of my tongue.

I just watched dumbly as she was dragged away by the guards. But what was I to do? Defend a murderer?

‘She isn’t a murderer… yet,’ my wolf, Kenny, reminded me.

Valeria was innocent until proven guilty, but why was I convinced that she was already guilty of the crime?

“Are you just going to stand there and do nothing?” Rylan’s voice snaps me out of my daze, sharp and angry. He strides over, his fists clenched at his sides, his eyes burning with frustration. “She needs us, Kade! She needs you, and you just… what? Stand there? And you allowed them to take her without a fight?”

I blink, still trying to pull myself out of the fog. “Rylan—”

“No, don’t ‘Rylan’ me!” he growls, stepping closer, his face inches from mine. “You’re her mate too… in as much as I hate admitting that. You’re supposed to protect her! And instead, you’re standing there like a damn coward.”

The accusation slices through me, sharper than any blade. But instead of backing down, I feel the heat rise in my chest, something dark and angry boiling to the surface. “I’m not going to defend a murderer. Until the judgement is passed and I confirm that Valeria’s hands are clean, I prefer to remain silent.”

The words tumble out before I can stop them, and they hang heavy in the air. Rylan recoils as if I’ve slapped him, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. “You can’t actually believe she did this, do you?”

I don’t answer right away. I don’t know how to. Part of me screams that Valeria couldn’t have done something like this, that she’s innocent, that the bond we share means more than this. But another part—the part that’s been gnawing at me since the moment they collapsed—can’t help but wonder. Wonder if the one who stirred chaos in the pack when she returned might have had a hand in this as well.

The odds that were at stake were high, and I can’t afford to lose anything but at what cost?

Rylan shakes his head, disgust clear on his face. “You’re unbelievable. How can you call yourself her mate if you can’t even stand by her when it matters?”

“I’ll stand by her when I know she’s innocent,” I snapped back, my jaw tight. “Until then, I’m not taking any chances.”

“She’s not guilty!” Rylan’s voice rises, his fists clenching at his sides. “You know her better than that!”

“Do I?” I counter, my voice lower, more dangerous. “We barely know her. This bond—it doesn’t mean we know her secret, or every intention. Think about it, Rylan. We met her last night and suddenly, she is mated to all three of us. This morning, the entire household of royalty is dead. Coincidence? I don’t think so.”

Rylan shakes his head again, disgust in his eyes as he backs away. “It’s obvious that you have already made up your mind. I thought you were better than this, Kade.”

I don’t respond as he storms away, his anger radiating off him like heat. I should follow him, and should say something to make things right, but I can’t. Not when I don’t even know what’s right anymore.

The Beta, standing near the centre of the room, catches my attention as he speaks with one of the Alpha King’s subordinates. He notices me watching and motions for me to follow. Numbly, I obey, walking in step behind him as we make our way to where the Alpha King and his family are laid.

The scent of death hangs thick in the air, mingling with the faint, acrid tang of something else. Of something goingwrong. My eyes scan the bodies, my heart heavy. This shouldn’t have happened. The Alpha King wasn’t just a ruler; he was a symbol of strength, of order. Now, he’s nothing but a lifeless husk, his family laid out beside him.

A healer kneels beside the bodies, her hands hovering over the Alpha King’s chest as she mutters softly under her breath. The room is silent except for the low hum of her voice, everyone waiting, tense.

After what feels like an eternity, the healer straightens up, her face grim. “Their body systems were overwhelmed with wolfsbane. It’s clear they were poisoned. Someone must have overdosed them with the poison.”

Wolfsbane. The word sends a chill down my spine. It’s not a simple mistake. Wolfsbane is lethal in high doses to wolves, and this wasn’t an accident. This was intentional. Calculated.

The Beta’s voice cuts through the silence, sharp and accusing. “Valeria was the only outsider here. She’s the only one who had the opportunity.”

Rylan, who had followed us, steps forward again, defiance blazing in his eyes. “That’s bullshit! She had nothing to do with this.”

But the Beta doesn’t back down. He gestures toward me, his eyes cold. “The house she was isolated in… it had a wolfsbane farm right behind it. She had access to it the whole time. And last night was a perfect time to gather enough wolfsbane, make her way into the packhouse and poison the Alpha king and his family.”

I feel my stomach drop. My mind raced down to my stomach. Could it be true? Could Valeria have had a hand in this? It would explain so much, but at the same time, it feels… wrong. It doesn’t match the woman I’ve come to know, the woman who fought against everything that was thrown her way.

But then again, how much do I really know her?

The doubt that has been growing in me since the deaths of the Alpha King and his family swells, filling every corner of my mind. “It’s possible,” I murmur, my voice barely audible.

Rylan whips around, disbelief on his face. “You can’t seriously be thinking that. This is clearly a fantastical idea that you’re brewing, Beta. How would Valeria get past the guards that are patrolling at night? Is she a ghost or a night crawler?”

I don’t respond right away. I want to believe in Valeria’s innocence, I do. But the facts are stacking up against her, and I can’t ignore them.

Rylan’s voice lowers, filled with frustration and disbelief. “You’re a fool, Kade. You’re letting fear cloud your judgement.”

“Fear has nothing to do with it,” I snapped. “I’m not going to let my feelings blind me to the possibility that she could be guilty.”

Rylan glares at me, shaking his head. “You’re letting your doubt eat you alive. And it’s going to tear you apart.”

Before I can respond, the Beta steps forward, his face hard. “Valeria is found guilty and hence, her punishment is a death sentence.”

I freeze, my heart sinking. Death sentence? That feels too final, too harsh. But what if…?

‘The doubt is killing you from the inside. Stop feeding it more lies,’ Kenny said.

“No!” Rylan steps in front of the Beta, his eyes burning with defiance. “You can’t just sentence her to death based on your cooked suspicions. At least, allow Valeria to come out and defend herself.”

The Beta doesn’t flinch. “Don’t interfere in this case, or you’ll be arrested for obstructing the wolf pack justice.”

Aiden, who had been quiet until now, finally speaks. “We won’t let this happen. You know as well as anyone that Valeria is innocent. You just want her out of the way.”

The Beta’s eyes narrow. “This isn’t a debate. If you want to start a war, fine. But know that standing in my way means turning your back on our wolf pack.”

“And why are you so invested in this? From what I can see, nobody crowned you the new Alpha King,” Rylan snapped.

The Beta’s face hardened and a controversial silence engulfed us all. When he spoke again, his voice sounded dark and dangerous. “Keep your thoughts to yourself.”

Rylan’s fists clench at his sides, his whole body trembling with barely contained rage. Aiden’s jaw tightens, but even he knows the limits. If we escalate this now, it will be bloodshed. But standing by and letting Valeria get a death sentence feels like a betrayal of everything we stand for.

And what is the greatest pain of all… if not betrayal?