3 Wed , Oct 15 The Alpha's Betrayal Rise Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 11 Scraps Of Defiance . " Luna Freya ." 16 Finished Brin bows when I enter the glass garden of the pack's conservatory . Sunlight shines on the jars of herbs on the walls . His hands shake as he sets a steaming cup of the antidote in front of me . " I've traced it , " he says . My pulse stumbles . " Traced what ? " " The wolfsbane in the meals you've been given . The tea . The bread ." His jaw tightens . " It all comes from one hand in this keep . Mistress Vanya ." The head housekeeper? She's the one responsible for setting up the dining table for every meal ... " She's been slipping the poison into your food for years , " Brin continues . " Just enough to keep your wolf muzzled . On Mistress Izel's orders . " My nails dig crescents into my palms , reopening the cuts . All this time , I'd suspected Kade . But I should've known it was Izel - the witch who's glamoured my children to no longer recognise my scent was also the one poisoning me . Brin leans forward . " Vanya runs the kitchens . No one questions her . If you strike at her , you strike at Izel ." I breathe hard , fighting the rage threatening to spill over . Nyx presses against my skin , snarling . " She tried to erase me ," I whisper . " Now I erase her . " *** The kitchen smells of broth and bread , fire crackling in the great oven . Servants move fast , knives clatter , ladles stir in humongous pots enough to fill the stomachs of our large pack . The chatter dies the moment I step inside . Their eyes rise to the sapphire crown I wear on my head and widen in shock and admiration . I see a few of them force themselves to bend their knees in curtsies and bows . I ignore all of them and make my way towards Vanya . She stiffens on seeing me . She has run this place for years , and under Izel's shadow , she has turned every spoon and skillet against me . " Luna Freya ," she says smoothly , though her black eyes gleam with contempt as she glances at my crown . " We weren't expecting you ." 1/3 21:33 Wed , Oct 15 Chapter 11 Scraps Of Defiance k : ( 16 # Finished " Clearly ." I let my gaze sweep over the rows of servants . " But I've learned to stop asking permission in my own house . " A few maids glance at one another . Most stand frozen . I step closer to Vanya , whispering so only she can hear me, " You've carried out Lady Izel's orders faithfully , haven't you ? " Her breath catches , but she tilts her chin . " I obey the one the Alpha favors ." Gasps ripple . The insult hangs heavy . I let Nyx stir in my chest , my voice carrying steel . " Then hear me now . By Luna's right , I strip you of your post . Pack law gives me that power , and I wield it . Gather your things . You are dismissed . " Vanya's face pales , then flushes red . " You can't- " " I can ." I don't blink . " And I have . Guards ." Two soldiers step forward , uncertain , but I nod once . Nyx's power flows through my gaze . Authority sharpens the air . They move to flank her . Her hands shake as she snatches off her apron , tossing it at my feet . " The pack will not follow a ghost of a Luna . " " Then let them watch and remember . " I meet every gaze in the room . " I am Freya Vale - Thorne . This is my house . And I will not be poisoned , mocked , or erased ." Silence stretches . Then one servant kneels . Another follows . Half the room bows . The other half clutches their spoons tighter , eyes hard with Izel's loyalty . I turn , skirts brushing the stone , and leave the kitchen with my head high , the crown's weight only giving me strength . The split has begun . *** Night drapes the keep . I slip into the healer's chamber where Brin keeps the antidote stores . Shelves line the walls , jars glowing faintly with herbs and tinctures . I run my hand along the row , whispering , " At least this remains safe . " A door creaks open suddenly , and I see white silk glide over stone . Izel . Her braided red hair glows against her white gown , her smile sharp as glass . " How bold you 2/3 21:33 Wed , Oct 15 Chapter 11 Reaps of Defiance looked in the kitchen today . A shame you've mistaken courage for suicide . " I stiffen . " You overestimate yourself , Izel . " ( 16 Finished She drifts closer , eyes gleaming an icy blue . " Do you think firing one servant changes anything ? These walls are mine . The children are mine . And soon , your precious healer's concoctions will be ... mine . " Her fingers trail across a jar , nails tapping the glass . I step between her and the shelves . " Touch them , and- " " You'll what ? Tell Kade ? " She laughs , the sound light and cruel . " He will listen to me before he listens to you . " Her words cut deep , but I hold firm . " The pack saw me take back power today . They'll remember it . " " They'll remember you as desperate . " She leans in , her breath sweet with roses and almond oil . " Enjoy your scraps of defiance , Freya . Soon , your wolf will choke on poison again ." She slips past me , her skirts whispering like smoke on the stone floor , and disappears into the dark corridor . I whirl to the shelves , heart pounding . A jar is missing . Another lies open , the purple liquid inside darker than it should be . Nyx growls within me , " The antidotes are tainted . Send Gifts ( ) 3/3