Kael's POV
PACK HOUSE – HEALING ROOM
The moment we returned to the pack house, I knew something had changed for the worse. The healing room was already filled with movement, but beneath it was a silence that did not belong there. It was the kind of silence that came when everyone already knew the outcome but refused to accept it.
The room itself was large and built from cold stone, the walls lined with shelves carrying herbs, folded cloths, and glass containers filled with strange liquids. The scent of crushed leaves and bitter medicine filled the air, thick enough to settle in the lungs. At the center stood a wide wooden bed, and that was where Rohan was placed.
I stood a few steps away, my gaze fixed on him.
He looked worse than before.
His skin had lost all warmth, turning pale while faint dark veins spread beneath it like something feeding slowly from within. His chest rose unevenly, every breath shallow and strained. He no longer looked like the strong Beta of this pack. He looked… fragile.
Damon was quiet, but I could feel his unease pressing against my control.
Beth stood near the bed.
She had appeared without announcement, just as she always did. Her long grey robe draped loosely over her thin frame, and her silver hair fell freely over her shoulders. Her pale eyes held that same distant look, as if she was seeing something none of us could.
She lifted her hand slightly above Rohan's chest, her expression unreadable as the room slowly fell silent.
When she spoke, her voice carried no emotion.
"His time is almost gone."
The words settled heavily.
Lysa froze, her body going still as if she had not understood what she had just heard.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head slowly.
Beth did not look at her.
"The poison has spread faster than expected," she continued. "He will not last long."
Lysa stepped forward, her breathing uneven, her voice rising with desperation.
"How long?"
Beth paused briefly before answering.
"Before the next moonrise, he may be gone."
Twenty four hours.
That was all.
Ariella's POV
HEALING ROOM
The words echoed in my head, refusing to settle no matter how hard I tried to push them away. It felt unreal, like I was standing in a moment that could not possibly be happening, yet it was.
Twenty four hours.
That was all Rohan had left.
My chest tightened painfully, and I could feel guilt settling deep within me, heavier with every passing second. If I had spoken earlier… if I had said something when I saw Celene near that drink… if I had stopped Lysa from going…
Sky's voice came softly.
"We didn't know."
But that did not make it better.
Lysa suddenly broke.
"No!" she cried out, rushing toward Rohan, her movements frantic and unsteady. "No, no, no… you can't say that!"
She grabbed onto him, her hands shaking violently as she held onto his shirt like letting go would make everything worse.
"You said there was a cure!" she shouted at Beth, her voice cracking. "You said there was still a chance!"
Beth's expression did not change.
"I said maybe."
That single word shattered whatever hope was left.
Lysa let out a broken cry, her body shaking as the reality settled in. Then suddenly, she turned, her eyes landing on Kael, and something inside her snapped completely.
"You!" she screamed, rushing toward him.
Her fists hit his chest again and again, fast and uncontrolled, filled with anger, pain, and desperation.
"This is your fault!" she cried. "You stopped us! We could have made it! We could have saved him!"
The sound of her fists hitting him filled the room, but Kael did not move. He did not defend himself. He stood there and took it.
"I hate you!" she shouted, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her face. "I hate you for this!"
My heart twisted painfully at the sight.
"Lysa, stop," I said, stepping forward, trying to pull her back, but she resisted, her strength fueled by desperation.
"You don't understand!" she cried, turning to me briefly. "You don't feel this!"
Her voice broke again as she clutched her chest.
"I can feel him dying…"
Her strength gave out completely.
She collapsed to the floor, her body shaking as sobs took over, raw and uncontrollable.
I stood there, frozen, unable to help, unable to fix anything.
My gaze shifted unconsciously across the room…
And that was when I saw her.
Celene.
She stood at the far end, slightly away from the others, her posture relaxed in a way that did not match the situation. She wore a fitted dark red dress that hugged her body perfectly, the fabric smooth and untouched. Her silver blonde hair fell neatly over her shoulders.
And her face…there was a smirk,Small,quick,but I saw it my chest tightned
Sky stirred immediately.
"She knows something."
I didn't hesitate.
I turned and walked out.
Celene's POV
PACK HOUSE CORRIDOR
I did not expect her to come after me.
Not like this.
The corridor was quiet, the stone walls cold and smooth, lit by low burning torches that cast soft shadows along the floor. The silence should have been comforting, but it wasn't. It felt tense, like something was waiting to break.
Then I saw her.
Ariella Frost.
She walked toward me slowly, her steps steady, not rushed, not hesitant. Her hair was slightly disordered, her clothes no longer neat, but that was not what caught my attention.
It was her eyes.
There was no fear in them.
That alone made something inside me tighten.
That should not be possible.
She stopped in front of me, close enough that I could clearly see her expression.
"Why were you smiling?" she asked.
Her voice was calm, but there was something beneath it that felt heavier than it should.
I raised a brow slightly, crossing my arms as I forced a smirk onto my lips.
"Am I not allowed to smile?" I replied.
But something felt wrong.
She did not react.
She stepped closer instead.
"You were smiling while someone was dying," she said.
Her voice did not shake.
Not even a little.
A brief flicker of unease passed through me, but I pushed it down immediately.
"You're imagining things," I said.
"No," she replied. "I'm not."
Silence stretched between us.
Why was she not backing down?
Why did it feel like she was the one in control?
Then she spoke again.
"I know everything you did."
My breath caught for a second.
It was small, barely noticeable, but it happened.
And I hated it.
I narrowed my eyes, tightening my arms slightly as I forced my expression to remain unchanged.
"You should be careful with your words," I said. "You don't even know who you're talking to."
She stepped closer.
Too close.
The air shifted.
Something about her presence felt… wrong.
"If you try to hurt my mate," she said slowly, her voice low and steady, "or anyone in this pack…"
The torches flickered slightly, shadows shifting along the walls.
And for a moment…
I felt something.
Something deeper than her.
Something dangerous.
Her eyes held mine without breaking.
"You will have to go through me."
The words settled heavily between us.
And for the first time…
I felt it.
Fear.
It came suddenly, sharp enough to make my chest tighten, my heartbeat picking up in a way I could not control for that brief second.
No.
That wasn't possible.
I refused it.
I straightened immediately, lifting my chin as I forced the feeling down, burying it beneath pride and control.
My lips curved into a smirk again.
"You?" I said with a small laugh. "You really think you can stand against me?"
But my voice was not as steady as before.
And I knew it.
Still, I held her gaze, refusing to look away.
Because no matter what I felt in that moment…
I would never let her see it.