Alpha's Poisoned Scheme

The delicate clink of fine china echoed through our rarely used formal sitting room. Victoria Whitman sat across from Alexander, her posture perfect as she sipped her tea, the silver embroidery on her dress catching the afternoon light. I hovered at the edge of the room, not quite a participant, not quite invisible—exactly where Alexander preferred me during these 'political' visits.

Lily fidgeted beside me, her small hand clutching mine. She'd been dressed in her best outfit for this rare appearance, instructed to be silent and still—requirements that went against every instinct of her three-year-old nature.

'Your pack house is magnificent, Alpha Sterling,' Victoria remarked, her voice carrying the cultured accent of the Moonstone territory. 'I can see why my father always admired Silver Moon's architecture.'

Alexander smiled, that public smile that never quite reached his eyes. 'The east wing was built by my grandfather. Perhaps you'd like a tour before you leave?'

The east wing. Where Lily and I were not permitted to go. Where pack gatherings happened without us.

Victoria nodded graciously, then turned her gaze toward Lily. 'And this must be your...'

'My ward,' Alexander cut in smoothly. 'A distant relation.'

My chest tightened at the lie. Lily was his daughter—his blood, his heir. Yet in public, she was reduced to a 'ward,' a charity case.

Lily began to squirm more insistently, her small face flushing with the effort of maintaining the unnatural stillness Alexander demanded. I recognized the signs—her wolf stirring beneath the surface, responding to the stress.

'Perhaps she needs some refreshment,' Alexander suggested, his tone light but his eyes flashing a warning at me. 'Sarah, why don't you take her to the kitchen for some of that herbal broth she likes?'

I nodded, grateful for the excuse to escape the suffocating atmosphere. In the kitchen, I ladled the pre-prepared broth into Lily's favorite moon-patterned bowl. As I turned to bring it to her, Alexander appeared in the doorway.

'Allow me,' he said, taking the bowl from my hands.

Something in his manner made me pause. He positioned himself so his back was to me, blocking my view as he bent over the bowl. A subtle movement of his hand—so quick I might have missed it if I hadn't been watching so intently—and I caught the glint of a small amber vial disappearing back into his pocket.

A sickly-sweet stench, faint but unmistakable, wafted from the bowl. My wolf stirred anxiously inside me, recognizing the danger before my human mind could name it.

'Alexander, what did you—'

'Here you are, little one,' he interrupted, handing the bowl to Lily with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. 'Drink it all down like a good girl.'

Lily, always eager to please her father, took the bowl and began to sip. I stepped forward, my instincts screaming, but Alexander's hand clamped around my wrist, his fingers digging into my flesh.

'Our guest is waiting,' he murmured, his Alpha tone vibrating through his words. 'Let's not be rude.'

* * *

Hours later, after Victoria had departed, I found Lily curled on her bed, her normally rosy cheeks ashen. Her breathing came in shallow gasps, and when I placed my hand on her forehead, her skin felt cool and clammy instead of feverish.

Worst of all, I couldn't sense her wolf. The vibrant, playful aura that usually surrounded her—even in sleep—had dimmed to a barely perceptible flicker.

'Lily?' I whispered, panic rising in my throat. 'Baby, can you hear me?'

She stirred weakly, her eyelids fluttering but not opening. I gathered her small body into my arms, feeling how limp she had become in just a few hours.

I found Alexander in his study, calmly reviewing documents as if our daughter wasn't lying sick just rooms away.

'Something's wrong with Lily,' I said, my voice trembling with fear and fury. 'Her wolf aura is almost gone. What was in that vial, Alexander?'

He looked up, his expression mildly annoyed at the interruption. 'She has a common fever, Sarah. You're being overprotective as usual.'

'This is not a fever!' My voice rose despite the dangerous flash in his eyes. 'Her wolf is fading. I know what I sensed.'

Alexander stood slowly, his Alpha aura filling the room like a physical pressure. 'Are you questioning my care for my own child?'

'If you cared for her, you wouldn't have given her whatever was in that vial.'

His expression hardened. 'You're becoming hysterical. Perhaps you need to rest.'

Before I could respond, a commotion erupted from the main hall. Voices called out in alarm, footsteps thundered through corridors. Alexander's Beta appeared at the study door, his face grave.

'Alpha, we have a situation. The pack is gathering in the great hall.'

Alexander nodded, straightening his jacket. Without looking at me, he strode toward the door, pausing only to announce over his shoulder: 'It appears my ward has gone missing. Alert the pack.'

My blood turned to ice. Lily wasn't missing. She was in her bed, poisoned by her own father's hand. But as Alexander's words echoed through the pack mind-link, I realized with horror what game he was playing.

And I was the only one who knew the truth.