Chapter 5: The Fatal Poison

Evelyn’s POV

It was unusually quiet in the packhouse halls.

There was a problem.

I was awakened by a strange anxiety and an unusual pull in my chest. As I stood near the grand staircase, I observed warriors entering and leaving the main hall, their faces visibly stiffened with sweat.

Then I heard it.

"The Silvercrest Alpha is dead."

My spine tingled at the words.

Dead?

Marcus?

My fingers were cold and rigid as I held onto the wooden railing. My ribs throbbed with my beating heart. No. That isn't possible. He was strong and alive when I last saw him yesterday, alerting Kieran to my value.

How could a person like him simply pass away?

I made a quick turn and almost ran into an omega who was rushing by. "What took place?" I insisted.

The young girl's eyes were wide with fear as she looked up at me. Alpha Marcus was located in his guest room this morning. "H-he—" she swallowed, tightening her throat. Luna, they believe he was poisoned.

Poisoned.

The word made my stomach turn as it echoed in my ears.

This was no coincidence. It was murder.

I gasped and spun around to see Kieran standing behind me as a hand closed around my wrist. His eyes were unreadable and dark. "Come along with me."

I had no time to enquire as to why. His grip was firm but not painful as he dragged me through the hallways. As we went by, warriors moved aside, their eyes uneasy.

The smell of death hit me as soon as we stepped into the medical wing of the pack.

Marcus was lying on a bed with white sheets, and his skin was paler than I had ever seen it. He had dark, nearly black lips. He seemed to have had life drained from him rather than taken, as his body was abnormally still.

With shaking hands, I took a deep swallow.

The pack doctor stood next to the bed, his expression solemn. "It's poison," he said. "Something powerful. Late last night, he must have consumed it.

Kieran's hold on me became more firm. "Are we aware of how?"

The physician paused. "It was in his wine, but we're still looking into it."

Kieran's whole body froze.

Last night, Marcus ate dinner in the packhouse. We had taken care of him while he was a visitor. Had he been poisoned...

I imagine it must have been one of our pack members.

I saw Kiran hoping to get some rest in his expression, but I saw that everyone was angry. He kept the jaw so hard that I was afraid it would break.

I shuddered.

At that moment, I realised that the Bloodmoon Pack would never be the same.

There was an oppressive quiet in the medical wing.

I was unable to look away from Marcus's dead body. Cold and motionless, his lips darkened by whatever poison had taken his life, he had lost his once powerful, commanding presence.

My stomach turned over. Who would act in this way? And why?

Kieran tightened his hold on my wrist. Despite his stone-carved face, I could feel the heat of his rage radiating from him. Not only was he furious, but he was also calculating and mentally assembling the facts.

The pack doctor was silent for a moment. "Alpha, we must move quickly. Poisoning is not arbitrary. The person who did this could attack again.

Through his nose, Kieran let out a sharp exhale. "Has the bottle of wine been located?"

One of the warriors replied, "Yes, Alpha." "It was half-empty in his guest room."

My heartbeat accelerated. “Did it come to him at dinner?”

The warrior paused. "No. Following the feast, Alpha Marcus asked to have a private drink in his chambers. The delivery came from one of the omegas.

The omega.

Kieran tensed. "Who?"

The warriors felt a tremor of anxiety. At last, a young man came forward. Lila Alpha is her name. She works in the kitchen.

Kieran wasted no time at all. "Now find her."

With their boots banging on the stone floors, the warriors hurried out.

A knot formed in my chest. Did Lila have any involvement, if she had brought the wine? Or had someone else taken advantage of her?

I looked up at Kieran, thinking he would brush me off, to do this alone, as he always did. However, something unreadable behind his dark eyes caused his gaze to flit to me instead.

"Remain with me."

I blinked, startled.

Perhaps it was the gravity of the circumstance. Perhaps it was because only yesterday Marcus had cautioned Kieran to value me. In any case, Kieran wasn't shoving me away.

He was allowing me to stand next to him for the first time since our forced bond.

---

After fifteen minutes, a shaky Lila was pulled into the war room of the pack.

Shadows surrounded the stone walls of the dimly lit room. The centre's heavy wooden table, which had seen many war plans, would have a new purpose today.

As a nine-year-old girl, Lila had already fallen to her knees before Kieran. Tears were streaming down the back of my face as I watched her chest rise with ragged breaths and fall to our feet for the first time.

I said, “Alphabetis, please.” She lashed out. "I just followed the instructions and gave you the wine!.".

With his hands on the table, Kieran leaned forward with a perfectly composed voice. "Who did you ask?" He asked.

Through her tears, she hiccupped. They left it in the kitchen. They instructed me to take it to Alpha Marcus's room. That's all, I promise!

Kieran's eyes became gloomy. "Who told?"

Lila gave a headshake. “I—I don’t know. There was a note. It said, ‘Deliver this to Alpha Marcus. No delay.’”

A message.

That was overly cautious. Too exact. This had been carefully planned.

Kieran's eyes narrowed. "Now, where is the note?"

"I tossed it away!" Lila broke down in tears. "I didn't believe—"

There was a deathly silence in the room.

I took a step forward and spoke more softly. "Lila... Was there anyone around the wine? Is anyone suspicious?

She hesitated, sniffling. Luna, not at all. A lot was going on in the kitchen. But…”

“But what?” Kieran's tone was piercing.

Uncertainty flitted in Lila's eyes. "I recall hearing whispers, like voices. As if there were a dispute.

My heartbeat quickened. “Do you remember what they said?”

She frowned, thinking hard. “It was something about… ‘not now’ and ‘waiting for the right moment.’”

A chill ran down my spine.

Someone had planned this murder carefully, and Marcus had been their first target.

But what if he wasn’t the last?

---

The investigation stretched into the night.

The warriors searched the entire packhouse, including the kitchen and the hallways. Examining the wine bottle revealed that the poison had been added after it had been opened, indicating that it had been purposefully poisoned rather than coming from the source.

However, there were no obvious suspects.

Only shadows.

I watched Kieran from across the room. He was speaking to Beta Cedric in hushed tones, his expression severe.

I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to be involved. Maybe because Marcus had been one of the few people who saw me as more than just a Luna in name. Maybe because, deep down, I felt like I owed him something.

Kieran’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Evelyn.”

I raised my head. His piercing eyes were unreadable as he watched me. "Come along with me."

Following him down the dark corridor, we heard echoes of our walk. He led me to his office and closed the door behind us.

He spent a considerable amount of time paying attention to me. Why?

He replied, "You think I don't see you.".

I stiffened. “What?”.

He leaned towards his desk, arms crossed, thinking that you were not paying attention to me. "You seem unintelligent." What does this mean?

Despite swallowing, Kieran never gave me any compliments.

"I—"

He interrupted, "Say what's on your mind." You've spent the entire night contemplating. I see it.

I paused, then let out a breath. “Whoever did this isn’t done.”

His jaw tightened, but he nodded. “I know.”

“The whispers Lila heard,” I continued, stepping closer. “Someone was waiting. That means Marcus might not have been the real target.”

Kieran’s expression darkened. "So who was?"

As soon as he said it, I knew the answer.

And my blood ran cold.

“Kieran…” My voice was barely a whisper. “What if the real target is you?”

A muscle in his jaw twitched.

For the first time since this night began, Kieran looked uncertain.

The Bloodmoon Pack had its enemies. Competitors. Dangers that lurk in the dark. However, this? This was an attempt on our lives within our boundaries.

The poison. The murmurs. The meticulous preparation.

It had nothing to do with Marcus.

This was about power.

A person desired Kieran's death.

And they weren’t going to stop.

---

Hours later, as the packhouse quieted, I lay awake in my room, staring at the ceiling.

I had never seen Kieran so genuinely shaken. Not until tonight.

And I was scared.

I looked around as the door cracked open. The darkened room light partially obscured Kieran's face while he stood in front of it looking up at him and down.

For the time being, he didn't speak.

“Stay on your doorstep tonight,” he whispered.

My back was feeling a chill.

I sat up. “You think—”.

Despite his uncertain thoughts, he reminded someone to be cautious until they resolve the issue.

This was not a request for affection. It was an order.

I was filled with emotion as he spoke it, his voice picking up slightly.

When he finally left, I found myself whispering, "Be careful, too." Just in case.

Kieran paused.

Then, without looking back, he closed the door behind him.

I locked it.