The Alpha Queen Returns – Episode 15
Jessica carried Caroline into the royal medical wing without breaking stride. Healers waiting inside the chamber rushed forward at the sight of black veins spreading above the girl’s collar. Orders collided through the room as attendants opened the Moonstone Chamber and assembled every known antidote.
Silver runes brightened beneath a crystal treatment bed. Jessica laid Caroline upon it with hands made gentle by terror, then stepped back just far enough for the healers to work. Her daughter’s breathing remained thin and irregular, each pause lasting longer than the one before it. Moonlight gathered inside the crystal, searching for injuries ordinary eyes could not see.
An elderly healer placed two fingers against Caroline’s wrist while moonstone light moved over her body. His expression grew increasingly grave. At last, he lowered his head. “Your Majesty, this poison is unlike anything in our archives.”
“Speak plainly,” Jessica ordered. “Is it killing her?”
“Death may be a consequence, but it was not the poison’s original purpose.” He indicated the dark energy coiling in the crystal projection above Caroline. “The compound is designed to suppress her wolf and prevent it from reaching consciousness.”
Silence settled over the healers. Sarabeth and Mina exchanged a worried glance. For years, everyone had assumed Caroline’s wolf was merely late to awaken. Now it appeared that something—or someone—had been forcing it to remain dormant.
Jessica studied her daughter’s pale face. Had the poison begun recently, or had smaller doses been hidden in Caroline’s food for years? The possibility made rage rise beneath her guilt. “Stabilize her. Test every ingredient separately and send samples to the Oracle’s healers.”
Back at the banquet estate, the Russo family remained under heavy guard. Rex paced within the ring of soldiers as if outrage could restore his authority. “You have no proof of treason. Reva panicked and repeated whatever Sarabeth wanted to hear.”
General Sarabeth approached him with the patience of a drawn blade. “We have recordings, financial transfers, and Darkmoon’s coded instructions. You offered the princess to an Alpha while she was drugged. Which part do you imagine requires your confession?”
Rex forced a smile. “Darkmoon manipulated my sister. If his agents moved money through our accounts, then we are victims too.” Melissa nodded frantically, while Reva stared at the floor and understood that her brother was preparing to blame her.
Alpha Hunter stepped away from the remaining guests. “I heard enough with my own ears.” He moved toward Rex one measured step at a time. “You told me Caroline came willingly. You claimed she admired me and wished to serve.”
Rex retreated. “My lord, I was misinformed. Give me a chance to explain.”
Hunter’s second blow sent him through a row of chairs. Wood splintered beneath Rex’s body, and blood spilled from his mouth as he struggled to breathe. “You expected me to accept an unconscious child and become part of your treason. I do not tolerate traitors.”
Deep inside Darkmoon’s ancient fortress, rogue commanders knelt before a throne carved from black stone. Killian watched a magical mirror showing Jessica carry Caroline toward the royal palace. The child’s darkened veins shone clearly in the reflection.
“The poison has finally revealed itself,” he said. Satisfaction softened none of the cruelty in his face.
One commander raised his head. “Should we strike the capital before the Queen discovers how to remove it?”
“Not yet. They still believe Caroline is merely ill.” Killian rose, his crimson eyes fixed on the mirror. “Jessica thinks she is protecting her daughter. In truth, she guards the only living vessel capable of awakening the Moon Wolf Bloodline.”
The commanders bowed lower. Legends described the Moon Wolf as power older than the packs, bound to blood and celestial ritual. Some stories claimed it could command every shifted wolf beneath a full moon; others warned it could tear apart the bonds holding packs together. Most wolves considered it a myth. Darkmoon had spent years building an army around the certainty that it was real.
“Gather every rogue Alpha,” he ordered. “Prepare the Blood Moon Ritual. When the girl’s wolf reaches for freedom, we will be ready to claim what awakens with it.”
At the palace, hours passed without improvement. Jessica remained beside the crystal bed while healers changed infusions and adjusted the moonstone runes. She held Caroline’s hand, refusing food, reports, and every suggestion that she rest. Outside the chamber, commanders waited for battle orders, but no one dared interrupt the vigil.
