Chapter 9: The Heir. The Luna. The Lie.

"My people, I have wonderful news," Maxwell announced, holding Rebecca’s hand while he briefly made eye contact with me. "Rebecca, my mate, is with child."

My chest tightened. The mate mark on my neck burned. Pack members around us rose with murmurs, some of them were happy for the alpha, others simply confused on how they should act.

"We're having a son," he continued, his face lit with joy I'd never seen before. "My heir, from my true mate."

True mate. The words echoed in my head. After years of marriage, years of trying for a child, he stood there calling another woman his true mate.

"Alpha." Amber's urgent whisper pulled me back. "I'm sorry, but this can't wait. The William twins, they're gone. The sickness took them both this morning."

I forced myself to focus. "Both of them?"

"Yes. And we have thirteen new cases since sunrise. Whatever this is, it's spreading fast."

"Goddess help us," I muttered.

"There's something else," Amber hesitated. "The Lycan King's meeting – you missed it. What are we going to do?"

Before I could answer, Maxwell was already walking toward us. My husband. My mate. The man who'd brought an Omega into our home weeks ago and shattered everything.

"Zenobia," he called my name with a smile, Rebecca laying on his shoulder and rubbing his arm. "We need to talk."

"About what? Your heir?" The words tasted bitter.

"About the future. About making things official with Rebecca."

I stared at him. "Official?"

"I'm going to marry her."

"You're already married. To me."

"You know it's different now." He reached for my hand, but I pulled away. "You'll keep your position, your authority as Alpha-"

"How generous of you."

"Let me finish. Rebecca will be Luna, but you'll remain Alpha. She'll learn from you, grow into the role of Alpha. Then maybe you can step down and…"

"Into what role?" I snapped. "I am the Alpha. The only Alpha. Or did you forget the contract you signed when we married?"

Rebecca's voice cut in, smooth as honey. "Oh, that old thing?" She stepped closer, one hand resting on her stomach. "I wouldn't worry about that anymore."

"Excuse me?"

"I had a lovely meeting with the Lycan King yesterday." Her smile widened. "He's quite understanding about these situations. About true mates."

My blood ran cold. "What?"

"When an Alpha's true mate comes along, certain... adjustments need to be made. He's agreed to help lift your rule."

"Lift my-" I couldn't even finish the sentence.

"Don't worry," she said, patting my arm. I jerked away from her touch. "I'm willing to share power. You can still be Alpha, in name at least. I think that's more than fair, don't you?"

Maxwell stepped between us. "Rebecca, maybe we should discuss this privately-"

"Why?" she asked. "The pack should know who their real Luna is. Especially now that I'm carrying their future Alpha."

Amber grabbed my arm. "Alpha, about the sickness-"

"Not now," I growled, my eyes locked on Rebecca. "So you went behind my back to the Lycan King?"

"Behind your back?" Rebecca laughed. "You were invited to the meeting. It's hardly my fault you didn't show up."

“YOU STOLE MY LETTER!’’ I roared, eyes flaming red. Maxwell got in front of me, like he was ready to hold me down. I remained calm, trying to breathe.

"Maxwell," I said, turning to my husband. "Do you support this?’’

His silence was answer enough.

I turned around and walked away. Amber joined me shortly, holding my hand so that I didn’t break down.

“I’m strong Amber, I really am. But I never thought I’d need to be strong because my husband chose another woman. A woman who ruins everything she touches.’’

“Everything will be fine, Alpha.’’ Amber reassured me. “The moon goddess is on our side.’’

I smiled, taking a deep breath. She was right. The moon goddess wouldn’t have given me those dreams if there was nothing I could do to stop them.

“What were you saying earlier, about the doctor? Are the tests out?’’ I asked, and Amber shook her head.

She and I headed to the pack hospital.

"The tests came back negative," the doctor said, sliding the papers across her desk. "There were no traces of poison in your mother's system."

"Run them again." My voice cracked. "There has to be a mistake."

"I ran them three times, Alpha Zenobia. I oversaw each test personally."

"But I saw Rebecca with that liquid. The green vial-"

"Your mother died of heart failure. A natural death."

I gripped the edge of her desk. "Natural? Nothing about this is natural. Rebecca must have tampered with the results. She has access to the labs, she could have-"

"Alpha," the doctor cut in. "I haven't left these samples unattended for a single moment. I know how much this means to you."

"Then what was she doing with that vial?" I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. "I know what I saw. She's planning something. She has to be."

Amber squeezed my shoulder. "Maybe we should-"

"Wait." The doctor stood abruptly. "The green liquid you mentioned – what exactly did it look like?"

"Does it matter? The tests-"

"Please, Alpha. This is important. Was it dark green? Almost black in certain lights?"

I frowned. "Yes. How did you-"

"Come with me. Both of you." She was already moving toward the door. "There's something you need to see."

She led us through the corridors to the sick ward. The smell hit me first – death mixed with something else, something chemical.

"Look at their mouths," the doctor said, gesturing to the nearest bed.

I stepped closer, and my blood ran cold. Dark green residue traced their lips, the same color as the liquid in Rebecca's vial.

"What is this?" My voice came out hoarse.

The doctor's face was grim. "When werewolves are poisoned, our bodies fight back. We reject the toxins, force them out. But this... this is different. In all my years, I've never seen anything like it."

"Different how?" Amber asked.

"This poison... It's like it knows us. Knows our biology. When the body tries to reject it, the poison burns through everything in its path. The throat, the stomach, every organ it touches."

"You're saying someone created this?" I asked. "Specifically to kill werewolves?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. And there's more." She pulled out a tablet, showing us test results. "This isn't affecting the humans in town. Only werewolves. It's engineered, targeted."

My mind raced back to Rebecca's arrival. The first cases appeared the very next day.

"There has to be a cure," Amber said. "Right?"

The doctor nodded slowly. "There is. But it's not something we can easily get."

"What is it?"

"Lycan King's blood."

The words echoed in my head. Rebecca meeting with the Lycan King. Getting him on her side. It all made sense now.

"She planned all of this," I said, my voice shaking. "The meeting with the King, the power play, everything. She's been ten steps ahead this whole time."

"Alpha-" Amber started.

"How am I supposed to ask him for help now?" I laughed bitterly. "After I chased him through the forest like some... some crazy person? After she's already poisoned him against me?"

"The pack needs you," the doctor said quietly. "These wolves – your wolves – they're dying. And more will follow."

I looked at the beds, at my people suffering. At the green stains marking their final moments of agony.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" I turned to Amber. "Even if he refuses to see me. Even if this is exactly what Rebecca wants... I have to try."

"We'll find a way," Amber said firmly. "We have to."

I touched the green residue on the patient's lips, feeling the rough texture. "Oh, we'll find a way. And when we do, Rebecca will learn what happens to anyone who threatens my pack."

I rushed out of the sick ward, my vision blurred with tears. Everything hit me all at once. The walls seemed to spin around me as I ran, barely aware of where my feet were taking me. When I reached the pack house, the tears finally broke free.

Rebecca hadn't just stolen my mate. She'd orchestrated everything – the sickness, the meeting with the Lycan King, all of it. My one chance to expose her, to save my pack, and she'd twisted it away from me before I could even try.

I yanked open my dresser drawers, throwing clothes into a bag.

"Alpha?" Amber appeared in my doorway. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to see him." I stuffed another shirt into the bag. "I have to make him understand what she's done."

"The Lycan King?" Amber stepped into the room. "Zenobia, you can't just show up at his door. Nobody does that."

"Then I'll be the first."

"There are consequences for-"

"For what?" I spun to face her. "For trying to save my pack? For fighting back against someone who's slowly destroying everything I love?"

"You know what they say about those who go uninvited," Amber whispered. "Some never return."

I zipped up my bag. "If I do nothing, my pack dies anyway."

"And if he's already under her influence? Like Maxwell?"

The question hit hard. I hadn't let myself think about that possibility.

"Then at least I tried." I slung the bag over my shoulder. "At least I didn't sit here and watch her win."

"Zenobia-"

"Take care of them while I'm gone." I met her eyes. "And Amber? If I don't come back... don't let them forget who their real Alpha was."

I walked out before she could respond, before my resolve could crumble. Somewhere out there, Orion was either my last hope or another piece in Rebecca's game. I'd find out soon enough.