I stared at the fake , Jasmine, on the ground. Warren was still leaning over her. His eyes were half-lidded, but I could see underneath the tears brimming in his eyes. I couldn’t deny that I felt mortified, too. I promised we’d protect her, and I failed to honor my word.
“Everyone! We have all been fooled by the imposter!” Raymond announced, waving dismissively at Jasmine’s lifeless form. He had shifted back and soone had quickly dressed him with a cloak. “The Moon Goddess has sent us the real Ciana just in ti. The pack can finish preparing for the arrival of our esteed guest.”
“Show so remorse!” I snapped, turning to glare at him. “You just murdered a young girl, one that you were using for horrible cris.”
Raymond scoffed and rolled his eyes at , he whispered, “She understood the risks of disobeying . If she wasn’t going to do her part, she was no longer useful.” His voice was so casual and uninterested.
“You’re a monster! Moon Goddess above, in the na of Lord Lycaon, you’ll get what you deserve!” Warren said, finding his voice. He stood and balled his hands into fists.
I didn’t think I’d ever seen Warren so mad, but he was ready to fight for Jasmine’s mory and keep his promise to always rember her.
“That is more corruption coming from a mber of the royal family. You can’t just co in here and throw your weight around. We don’t bow down to royal tyranny,” Raymond scoffed loudly. “Take him into custody.”
“You can’t! You have no jurisdiction over the royal family,” I argued.
Warren added, “You claid that the crown are tyrants that lord over Alvar. What’s your evidence?”
“Seize him!” Raymond didn’t answer, only gave his order. His guards pounced on Warren.
“Now, what do you think the king is going to do to Alvar pack when he finds out what you’ve done to his son?” I asked. I glanced at the rest of the pack.
No one spoke up at all. They wouldn’t look at either.
“Hold him down. If he twitches, knock him out,” Raymond demanded. He stood over Warren, smirking and leering in front of the captured prince.
Rage pumped through my veins and my hand tightened around the feather. I’d knock that smug, arrogant look right off his face!
“Your decoy is dead. There’s no way you’ll complete the alliance with Luther now,” I said, pointing a finger at Raymond.
He smirked and chuckled darkly in a tone only audible to . “I see you haven’t let go of the feather, Ciana dear.”
“The feather?” I asked, creasing my brow.
Suddenly, a tingle shot up my arm and it dropped limply at my side. I couldn’t move it! I kept telling my fingers to release the feather, but they wouldn’t respond.
That sa tingle spread through my shoulders.
What was happening?!
Then my legs wobbled. I staggered to the side, catching myself on a nearby pillar.
“You’re so predictable. I knew you’d co for the feather, so I made sure it would work to my advantage,” he said with a toothy, wolfish grin. His eyes lit up.
My knees buckled and I fell to them on the ground. The tingling numbness kept spreading through my body. I couldn’t feel my legs anymore and my mind was getting fuzzy. I fought to keep my eyes open and to stay alert.
I couldn’t let Raymond win like this!
“I coated the feather with a paralytic. The effects will wear off soon. But until then, why don’t you take so rest?” His smile was malicious.
Then he turned to the crowd and announced loudly, “Don’t worry! Ciana has been overco by fatigue. But she is prepared to honor our alliance with Alpha Luther.”
My stomach turned as his grin broadened from ear to ear. He was a snake! I half expected him to unhinge his jaw to devour whole.
“This... this whole thing was a trap?” I muttered, trying to force my legs and arms to move.
Warren and I had planned everything out so carefully. He’d gained Jasmine’s trust and we’d set this plan up without revealing it to anyone, but Raymond had been one step ahead of us.
My mind got woozy, but I blinked rapidly, forcing myself to stay awake.
“That’s right. I always planned to capture you,” Raymond taunted in a low voice.
He snapped to so of his guards and they stepped up to Jasmine’s body. Warren watched with horrified eyes, still unable to move against the guards that were holding him back.
I was poisoned, and Warren was being held prisoner. After all, Warren was only one person, how could he defeat the entire pack?
In our plan, I’d trusted the pack to go against Raymond by now. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way.
Murmurs spread amongst the crowd, it was noisy, but no one dared to speak out again.
Ice crept down my spine. I wasn’t sure if it was from the paralyzing poison or if it was because I realized how bad this situation was. Soon, I’d pass out from the poison and Raymond could do whatever he wanted with . Even give to Hawke...
Was this the end of my endeavor to save my pack? It couldn’t be... Father, Mother, what should I do? What else could I do?
“You’ll be okay.” I heard a deep, smooth voice utter beside as my body finally collapsed onto the floor.
I couldn’t turn my head anymore, but I flitted my eyes to see Tallis a few steps away from .
“Do sothing, help ,” I mouthed silently, I was no longer able to make a sound.
Tallis shook his head.
My heart sank. Tallis wasn’t my biggest fan, but I couldn’t believe that he was just going to let get taken by Raymond for whatever horrible plan he had.
People soon ca to the agreent that it would be for the best to believe Raymond’s explanation.
Raymond’s guys carried off the stage. People parted to make way. As I moved through the crowd, I heard, “Just play along. This is your chance to find out what is really going on,” Tallis’ voice whispered.
Was he kidding? I was about to faint and be completely helpless. Raymond could do anything... I would have shaken my head if I wasn’t almost entirely paralyzed.
“You’ll be fine. I’ll follow and I won’t let anything happen to you,” Tallis promised.
Sothing in how sure he was that he could keep safe made believe him. That kind of confidence only ca from the certainty that he’d succeed.
He was wearing a sweatshirt over his shirt and I could see an imprint of sothing pressing against the sweatshirt. It was familiar. I tried to place the familiar shape but my mind was slipping fast.
“Trust . I’ll make sure you are safe,” he said again, lowering his voice so he wouldn’t draw attention.
A lapel pin. The shape on Tallis’ sweatshirt was a lapel pin. It was familiar because it was the sa shape of the pin that I’d made for Theo.
I blinked again, my eyelids almost too heavy to lift, now. If Tallis was wearing a lapel pin I’d made for Theo, that ant Tallis was Theo!
I knew it!
A mont of relief swept through as he stepped back before Raymond could notice him. I gave myself over to it, trusting that Theo would keep safe. One last thought went through my mind before darkness consud ...
Who in the world would wear a lapel pin under a sweatshirt anyway?
***
When I blinked my eyes open, the first thing that I realized was that I was moving. My ears pricked up with the whirr of car tires and the gentle hum of an engine.
I was in a car, getting driven who knows where.
Sitting up, I rubbed my temples as a massive headache imdiately pounded against my skull.
“Ugh,” I groaned, leaning forward and resting my forehead on the driver’s seat in front of .
It was a luxury car with real leather seats and the leather was cool, helping my headache.
“Would you care for so water, Miss?” the driver asked. She was a young girl. I was sure she wasn’t anyone from my pack.
I looked up, eting her eyes in the rearview mirror.
“Where are you taking ?” I asked. “Stop the car, let out right now!”
“Apologies, Miss, but I can’t do that.” She smiled, handed a water bottle and then closed the partition between us.
I knocked on it. “Hey! I’m not done talking to you. This is kidnapping. Let out right now.”
There was no response. The car was probably soundproofed. I turned my attention out the darkly tinted window and looked for any familiar surroundings. I didn’t see anything that I recognized.
I drank my water. Partially because my throat was so extrely dry and partially to cool the fire in my head. It helped, but as soon as I finished it, my throat parched again and no amount of swallowing made a difference.
Quickly, I darted my eyes around the car. I was definitely alone, except for the driver. It was a nice town car, the kind that Alphas and royalty were driven around in.
How long had I been passed out? How far from the pack had Raymond gotten ?
I glanced down at my hands as they nervously twisted the plastic water bottle. That was when I saw I wasn’t in the clothes I wore when I’d gone to the alliance ceremony.
Soone had changed into a dress. Not just any dress, a very nice evening gown.
The dress was a rose-gold color. Strapless, it clung to my bosom and made my cleavage pop out. My neck, shoulders, chest, and a large portion of my back were bare with how low-cut the dress was in the back.
It had corset lacing in the back and it was tied snuggly, but not uncomfortably. The dress was floor length and had a small train off the back. It was a very elegant and shiny dress, silk if I wasn’t mistaken.
My shoes had changed, too. I was wearing a pair of stilettos that had light pink, sandal straps with sparkling rhinestones in them.
My heart sank. Who changed ? It better not be a man.
Hawke’s face flashed through my mind and I almost couldn’t suppress my desire to puke. It couldn’t be him! I dare not imagine his nasty eyes seeing my body. No, Tallis, Theo better not have let that happen...
The car pulled up in front of a large mansion I’d never seen before.
“We’re here,” the driver girl smiled professionally, “Sorry that I changed you without your permission, but you look gorgeous, Miss.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Thank the Goddess...
Lights were on inside but there was soone standing in the driveway where the car was pulling up.
He was dressed in a nice suit and wearing a bright, friendly smile on his face.
Luther.
He ca to my door when the driver pulled to a stop. Luther opened the door and held his hand out.
“Welco, Ciana. You finally made it,” he said, his eyes flashing in the darkness.
I slid away from him in the car, but then Theo’s voice in the back of my head reminded that I was here to figure out what was going on.
Taking Luther’s hand, he helped out of the car. He lifted my hand and kissed the back of it. Inwardly, I cringed, but I didn’t show it on my face.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” Luther said, smirking at . “My dear Ciana Black.”
#
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