Chapter 40

[ 1,253 words ]

Ivy’s Point of View

The realization hit me like a bucket of cold water.

Luna Helena only had one son. Dominic.

If I became infertile, there would be no children from Dominic’s bloodline. No heirs to continue Luna Helena’s legacy. No grandchildren for her to dote on.

The silvervine root wasn’t just about preventing pregnancy. It was about ending a family line entirely.

*Someone wants to make sure Dominic’s branch dies with him.*

Even if I healed Dominic, even if he woke up and reclaimed his position, what good would it do if I couldn’t bear his children? The heir title would eventually pass to Bastian’s line anyway. Just delayed by a generation.

It was a long game. A patient scheme.

And I had almost fallen for it.

I pushed away my breakfast plate, my appetite gone.

“Are you feeling alright, dear?” Luna Helena looked concerned. “You’ve barely eaten.”

“Just tired.” I forced a smile. “The bond-breaking ceremony took more out of me than I realized.”

“You should rest more. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

*If only she knew what I was really doing at night.*

I excused myself and returned to my residence with new urgency.

“Ash,” I called the moment I walked through the door. “I need to speak with all of you.”

The guards assembled quickly. Nell joined them, sensing the seriousness in my tone.

“From now on, I want extra security around this residence,” I said. “No one enters the kitchen without supervision. All food deliveries are to be inspected. Nothing gets to my plate without being checked first.”

“Has something happened, Young Madam?” Stone asked.

“Someone is tampering with the Alpha family’s meals.” I didn’t elaborate further. “I want every precaution taken. Understood?”

“Understood.”

Over the next few days, I focused on Dominic’s recovery.

The nightly treatments continued. Each session drained me completely, but the progress was undeniable. More clots dissolved. More bone fragments shifted. The color slowly returned to his cheeks.

But he was still unconscious. Still trapped in that endless sleep.

I needed to do more. Push harder.

And I needed people to see him.

“I want a wheelchair,” I told Nell one morning. “Something comfortable. With good wheels.”

She looked confused. “A wheelchair, Young Madam?”

“For Dominic.” I glanced at his sleeping form. “He’s been confined to that bed for six months. It’s not good for his body or his spirit.”

“But he’s unconscious…”

“His body still needs movement. Fresh air. Sunlight.” I met her eyes. “And the pack needs to remember that their heir is still alive.”

Nell nodded slowly. “I’ll find one.”

By afternoon, a sturdy wooden wheelchair sat beside Dominic’s bed. It had been crafted for a noble who had broken his leg years ago. Well-made. Comfortable. Perfect.

Ash and Stone carefully lifted Dominic from the bed and settled him into the chair. His head lolled to one side. His arms hung limply. But he was upright. Dressed in proper clothes. Looking almost like himself.

“Let’s go for a walk,” I said.

We made quite a procession. Me pushing the wheelchair. Four guards flanking us. Nell following behind with blankets and water.

The moment we stepped outside, the staring began.

Servants stopped in their tracks. Guards turned to gape. Nobles passing through the grounds froze mid-stride.

No one had seen Dominic outside his room in half a year. Most had probably assumed he was already dead, just waiting for his heart to stop beating.

But here he was. Out in the sunlight. Being wheeled through the gardens like any other recovering patient.

Whispers spread like wildfire.

*”Is that the heir?”*

*”He’s alive!”*

*”I thought he was on death’s door…”*

*”Look at his wife. She’s actually taking care of him.”*

I kept my expression serene. Pushed the wheelchair at a leisurely pace. Let everyone see us. Let them talk.

*Let them remember that Dominic Ashford still exists.*

We had circled the main garden twice when a messenger approached.

“Young Madam.” He bowed hastily. “Alpha Alaric requests your presence in the council hall. Immediately.”

My stomach tightened.

“Did he say why?”

“No, Young Madam. Only that it’s urgent. All family members are required to attend.”

*All family members. This is it.*

I knew what was coming. Had been expecting it since the day Alpha Alaric promised to make a decision about the succession.

“Very well.” I adjusted my grip on the wheelchair handles. “I’ll bring my husband with me.”

The messenger blinked. “Young Madam?”

“He’s a family member, isn’t he?” I smiled sweetly. “Lead the way.”

The council hall was packed.

Elders lined the walls in their formal robes. Pack officials stood at attention. Servants hovered near the doors, ready to serve.

At the center of the room sat Alpha Alaric in his high-backed chair. Luna Helena stood beside him, her face drawn with tension. Margot and Vivienne flanked the other side, barely containing their excitement.

And there, standing tall and healthy, was Bastian. Seraphina clung to his arm, practically glowing with anticipation.

Everyone turned when I entered.

And stared.

Not at me. At Dominic.

Alpha Alaric rose from his chair. “What is this?”

“I brought my husband.” I pushed the wheelchair to the front of the room. “He should be present for important family matters.”

Luna Helena’s eyes glistened. She moved toward us, reaching out to touch Dominic’s face with trembling fingers.

“My son.” Her voice cracked. “I haven’t seen him outside that room in…”

“Too long.” I positioned the wheelchair beside her. “He needed fresh air. I’ve been taking him out every day.”

“You’ve been…”

Margot’s sharp voice cut through the moment.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She strode forward, her face twisted with disapproval. “Dragging a comatose man around like a puppet? Have you no shame?”

“I’m caring for my husband.”

“You’re torturing him!” Margot turned to Alpha Alaric. “This is disgraceful. She’s parading him around to manipulate sympathy. It’s disgusting.”

Alpha Alaric held up a hand.

“Enough, Margot.” His voice was tired. Heavy with the weight of what he was about to do. “The girl means well. Let her be.”

Margot sputtered but fell silent.

Alpha Alaric returned to his seat. His eyes swept across the assembled crowd, lingering for a moment on Dominic’s motionless form.

“I’ve called you all here today because a decision must be made.” His voice carried through the hall. “A decision I have delayed for too long.”

The room went silent. Every breath held.

I gripped the handles of Dominic’s wheelchair tighter.

“My son Dominic has been unconscious for six months.” Alpha Alaric’s jaw tightened. “Every physician has confirmed that he will not recover. Every treatment has failed.”

Luna Helena made a small sound of distress.

“The Silvermoon Pack cannot remain without a functional heir. The uncertainty weakens us. Makes us vulnerable to our enemies.” Alpha Alaric paused, his gaze dropping to the floor. “It is time to accept what I have been refusing to accept.”

Bastian straightened. Seraphina’s grip on his arm tightened.

“Today, before these witnesses, I hereby declare…” Alpha Alaric’s voice faltered for just a moment. “I hereby declare that the heir title will be transferred to my second son, Bastian Ashford.”

The words echoed through the hall.

Margot’s face split into a triumphant smile. Vivienne clasped her hands together in barely concealed joy. Bastian bowed his head in false humility while Seraphina beamed beside him.

And I stood there, my hands on my unconscious husband’s wheelchair, watching everything he had been born to inherit slip away.

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