The Alpha's Betrayal Rise Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 2 Trust No One Finished Later at night , as I'm pacing the length of my chamber , Nyx's voice still lingers in my head . After six years of silence , she finally spoke to me . Leave . The word haunts me through every step . I can't ignore it , not when my body has felt weaker with each passing day , and my heart just as hopeless and miserable . There's only one person I can trust with this : Brin . Our pack healer. My oldest friend . The only one who still calls me Luna when no one else dares . The only one who bows with respect , not mockery . If anyone can explain what's happening to me , it's him . The pack's conservatory smells of damp earth and strange flowers . Glass walls hold in the heat , and vines crawl over iron arches . I find Brin bent over a tray of herbs , hands stained with soil . He looks up when I enter . " You shouldn't be here , Luna Freya , " he says in a hushed voice , bowing low . " The Alpha doesn't like you wandering ." I fold my arms . " Then why does he leave the door unlocked ? " Brin sighs , pouring water from a jug on his hands before wiping them with a cloth . " Still stubborn . Despite everything . " I raise my chin . " I have to be , " I say in my defense . Then I draw in a breath , clasping my hands together to prepare myself to speak . Brin already knows something is up . He patiently waits for me to speak . " Something happened earlier . During the Masquerade Ball ... " my voice trails off , paranoia suddenly flooding me . Did I really hear Nyx ? " What is it , Luna Freya ? " Brin nudges when I let the pause lengthen too much . " My wolf ... Nyx . I think I heard her speak . She told me to leave the pack . It's been six years , Brin . Why now ? And why do I feel weaker every day ? I thought it was because of my difficult pregnancy ... with Ivy . But - now I know that just isn't the reason . Why does it burn just to breathe ? " Brin glances around the glass garden , as if the vines themselves might be listening . " It burns to breathe ? That seems to be - but it can't be . Your wolf's loss was because of your mother's tragic death . And then you had Finn . " I shake my head . " What does it seem to be ? " Brin swallows hard . " Weakness . Difficulty breathing . Frail mind connection with the pack . Loss of a wolf . All those are signs of ... wolfsbane poisoning . " 1/4 21:31 Wed , Oct 15 Chapter 2 Trust No One My breath catches . " Impossible . I'd know if someone was poisoning me ." ( 16 Finished Brin looks around in search of something , then crouches down and plucks out a few leaves from a shrub . " Here , " he says . " Keep these on your tongue for ten seconds . If they turn black , it means- " " Someone has been poisoning me ? " " Yes . " I take the leaves , spare a second to study their odd texture , and then place them on my tongue . I count to ten , but only open my mouth when Brin asks me to . He reaches past my lips and pulls out blackened leaves that were a bright green seconds ago . " Not the old way , " he says . " Not a blade , and not a cup . In your food . In your drink . Slowly . Small doses , hidden well . It dulls your wolf , weakens your blood . Over time ... " He hesitates . " It kills . " Nyx stirs faintly inside me , growling low . " Who ? " I whisper , feeling my knees weaken with disbelief and shock . Brin shakes his head . " I can't prove it . There's no way to know . But the hand behind it is close . It must be . " I step back , heart pounding . My children's laughter resounds in my mind . I feel sick . " You're saying Kade- " Brin cuts me off . " I said nothing . I only warn you : trust no one . " Before I can push him further , a shadow moves behind the glass . A servant's face , quickly gone . Brin tenses . " Go . If they see us together too long , it'll bring trouble ." I nod , though my throat burns with questions . I leave the garden . 444 The corridor is dim , lit by oil lamps . My steps echo against stone . That's when I hear boots behind me . " Freya , " a voice calls . Beta Jax . Captain of the guard . He has broad shoulders and a scar over his brow from a wound that almost cost him his eye . He was loyal once - to me . Now ? I'm not sure . " What do you want ? " I ask , not caring to keep my voice polite . I was being poisoned . I'm slowly dying . I have the right to be mad . 2/4 21:31 Wed , Oct 15 78ple Trust No One " To warn you . " He keeps his tone low . " Watch the staff . They answer to her now . " My chest tightens . " Izel ? " He nods once . " The cooks , the maids , even half the guards . Orders slip from her mouth , and they obey before yours . The Alpha doesn't stop it . And now that she's been titled lady of the house , they'll be more compelled to follow her . " I clench my fists . " And you ? Do you answer to her ? " His jaw works . " I answer to the Alpha ." I swallow . He steps closer . His eyes search mine . " Stay careful , Freya . You're being pushed out , you have understood that now , yes ? Some want you gone quietly . Some not so quietly ." Nyx growls again , restless in my chest . " I won't go quietly , " I say . " Then prepare yourself ." Jax straightens , glances down the hall . " You didn't hear this from me . " He turns , boots fading into the dark . I'm left alone in the corridor , counting down to steady my breath . *** Later , my feet carry me mindlessly into Kade's study . The room smells of leather and smoke , just as I remember . Books line the shelves , maps scatter the desk . We'd sit here , talking about politics , strategies ... and our lives . He'd kiss me , sometimes pull me against the edge of that desk , and make love to me . The memories flash now , bringing bitter tears to my eyes , making me almost choke on them . But I swallow the pain , the anger , the betrayal . My eyes scan the room . And there - against the far wall - I spot the iron safe . I stare at it too hard , and then by some force I don't understand , its door opens . I gasp , my eyes widening due to what they've just witnessed . But the show subsides when I see inside - glinting in the lamplight , lies my diadem . The silver crown I once wore as Luna . I hold my breath and step closer . The jewels shimmer , deep blue sapphires against cold metal . Kade's voice cuts through the air . " Looking for something ? " I spin on my heels , gasping . He leans in the doorway , arms folded . His beautiful eyes track me 3/4 21:31 Wed , Oct 15 Chape Trust No ne like a hunter . Then they move past me and widen . " How did you open the safe ? " #Finished I don't answer his question because I don't understand it myself . " That belongs to me , " I say instead , stubbornly , closing my hands into fists . " Correction , " he answers , calm returning to his voice , edged with cruelty . " It belonged to you . Now it stays where I decide . " My jaw clenches . " You lock it away , but it doesn't change what I am . " " What you were , " he says . Those words cut me deep , making my heart bleed . I can't believe this was the man who once loved me so much he'd fight any war , no matter how bloody , if it meant I'd smile . Izel's laughter echoes faintly down the hall , disrupting the silence between us . Kade's gaze flickers toward the sound , softening . I face the safe again . I can still see my crown , trapped behind iron . Like me . Nyx whispers , low and certain : ' Thirty days .' I close my eyes as I walk away from the study . " Then I'll count faster ." Send Gifts 。 A