Chapter 193
Chapter 193:
Her last rant was about the elders. Not that I was surprised—Lycans couldn’t stand the idea of a werewolf being their superior. It was mostly a matter of ego and status. Ryder, on the other hand, couldn’t make a decision without the elders’ agreement. Even if not all of them supported him, at least a majority had to. My darling daughter wasn’t aware, but I was. Twenty-six years as a Luna hadn’t gone by without me learning about elders and their staunch principles.
Even if Ryder supported her in front of them, he wouldn’t do the same when it came to choosing between the pack and his Luna. I was married to an Alpha—their motto was the same everywhere: “The pack first, everything second.” And by “everything,” they meant everything—including family and love.
If he was foolish enough to choose love over his pack, the elders would strip him of his position and hand it to the next in line. The Ryder I knew would likely think long and hard—no werewolf was worth jeopardizing everything for.
The door creaked open, and Seraphina’s small frame appeared through the narrow space, a tray in her hands. With gentle steps, she curtsied and placed it on my bedside.
“Good day, Luna Anna,” her tone was guarded. I noticed she avoided my gaze as she set out my meal.
“Where’s your Luna?” I wasn’t particularly interested, but for the sake of breaking the ice, I asked, offering a small smile.
“She’s with the Alpha. Do you need her p>
“I was only wondering,” I said airily, my smile softening. “I wanted to have lunch with her. I don’t spend enough time with her.” I knew I’d gotten her attention from the way she moved her wrists slowly.
She tilted her face to me for a moment before she continued her work.
“How’s my daughter faring here? Is there anything bothering her? I suspect she’s holding back a lot from me because she doesn’t want to hurt me.” I sighed, leaning back against a heap of pillows.
“She’s much better now. Isabel seems to be the only one troubling her, Luna Anna.” Her gaze was fixed steadily on me. I pretended to be deep in thought, an expression of concern masking the glee in my heart.
“I’ve heard that name before, but Jasmine never really told me what happened. I hope she didn’t get hurt. She won’t tell me anything,” I whispered, my eyes fixed gloomily on the tray.
𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺: 𝗀Ɐ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝗍𝖊𝗅𝘀﹒ⅽ𝗈𝗺
“Isabel almost killed her. She laced her meal with wolfsbane. We almost lost her p>
This was huge. Whoever this Isabel was, she clearly had it out for Jasmine… The thought made me giddy at the prospect of us forming an alliance.
“Kill her? And Jasmine hadn’t thought about telling me!” I gasped, my right hand clutching my chest as I stared wide-eyed at Seraphina. “Why did she want her dead?” I asked eagerly.
“Forgive her for withholding such information. Isabel has always had her eyes on Alpha Ryder. She was confident that she would become the Luna. Jasmine’s presence was a threat to her p>
“Oh,” I mouthed, my mind racing with possibilities. It was as simple as A, B, C… I had to meet this Isabel.
The elders’ words wouldn’t leave my mind. For two days, they clung to me like a curse. They’d warned me about rogues, about how my decisions endangered the pack—but their real target had been Jasmine. They didn’t understand. I didn’t care if it made me reckless or stubborn—Jasmine was my everything, and nothing they said would change that.
But now, the pack was buzzing with rumors, whispers of rogue movements growing louder each day. I should’ve been on alert, should’ve been focused, but I’d let my anger blind me. I missed the signs, and it was about to cost me everything.
Kade’s howl pierced through the air, sharp and urgent. My heart stopped. That was an emergency call.