Chapter Twelve
Louise's POV
The moment the pain from the bond threatened to overwhelm me, I forced it down.
I closed my eyes briefly, blocking it out with my powers and clearing my mind. Panic would not help Kyle. Panic would only waste time and time was something we did not have.
Lypon running to fetch the royal physician was pointless.
The poison spreading through Kyle's body was Shalroce poison, something werewolves knew absolutely nothing about. It was ancient witchcraft, crafted long ago to kill demons.
Only witches knew of it.
Luckily for me, my best friend Johnny back in my former pack was a hybrid half werewolf , half witch. He had taught me several witch brews and potions over the years, partly for fun, partly for survival.
And because of him, I knew exactly what poison Kyle had been given.
More importantly…
I knew the antidote.
Seeing the green patches spreading across his skin earlier had confirmed it. The poison was moving fast. If I didn't act quickly, even with Kyle being the alpha King he would not survive it.
Without a word, I grabbed Tess's hand and pulled her out of Kyle's office, leaving Dave cradling Kyle's body while Lypon searched for the physician.
"Louise! Wait!" Tess protested as I dragged her down the hallway. "Where are we going? Kyle is dying we should be with him!"
I didn't answer immediately. My mind was already racing ahead, calculating ingredients and measurements.
We reached the packhouse pantry, where the kitchen staff stored herbs, spices, and medicinal ingredients. I began opening shelves, grabbing jars and examining them one by one.
Tess stared at me in disbelief.
"Louise, what are you doing?" she demanded. "Kyle is dying! Even if you hate him, he's still your mate! Shouldn't you feel something?!"
I continued searching through jars, ignoring her ranting. Basil leaves. Ground bark. Dried herbs.
Not enough.
Tess kept talking, her voice rising with panic.
After several moments of her questioning, I accidentally knocked a jar off the counter. It shattered on the floor.
I sighed heavily.
"Tess," I said finally.
She stopped mid-rant.
"I know the poison."
Her eyes widened instantly, shock and fear flashing across her face.
"Wait… what?"
"For Goddess's sake, Tess," I said quickly, seeing the suspicion forming in her mind. "Just because I don't like Kyle doesn't mean I poisoned him. Yes, I didn't want to consummate the mate bond, but I'm not evil."
The colour slowly returned to her face.
"I… I didn't mean..."
"It's fine," I said, already returning to my work.
"But how do you know the poison?" she asked cautiously.
I grabbed a wooden bowl and began grinding herbs together.
"It's a witch poison," I explained. "Shalroce poison. Witches used it during the Kolovian War of Supernaturals. They coated their weapons with it knives, arrows, swords. It was specifically made to kill demons."
Tess stared at me like she was seeing me for the first time.
"My friend Johnny is a hybrid wolf and witch," I continued. "He taught me a few things before I left my former pack. That's why I recognize it… and why I know the antidote."
Understanding slowly dawned on her face.
"Oh," she said quietly.
Then her eyes widened again.
"Wait… so you're making the antidote?"
I nodded.
"Exactly. Now pass me that bowl."
She handed it to me quickly.
While I crushed the ingredients into a thick paste, Tess paced beside me.
"But who would poison the Alpha King?" she muttered angrily. "Who would dare do something like that?"
"That's something we'll figure out later," I replied calmly. "Right now, saving his life comes first."
I nearly finished the mixture before something suddenly clicked in my mind.
Moon lilies.
I froze.
"What's wrong?" Tess asked immediately.
"I'm missing a key component," I said.
"What?"
"Moon lily petals."
Tess blinked.
"Oh! There's a patch near the stables!"
"Go!" I said instantly.
She ran out without another word.
A few minutes later she returned, slightly breathless, holding a handful of delicate silver-blue flowers.
I quickly crushed the petals into the mixture. The paste darkened into a thick purplish color the final stage of the antidote.
"Done," I said.
Without wasting another second, we hurried back to Kyle's office.
When we entered, the scene inside was exactly what I expected.
The royal physician stood beside Kyle's bed, looking completely lost.
"I don't understand what's wrong with him," the man was saying nervously. "I've never seen symptoms like this before. Perhaps we should call physicians from other high packs"
"Useless!" Dave snapped furiously. "You're the royal healer! Do something!"
The elders were shouting over each other, demanding answers.
I stepped forward.
"Silence!" I commanded.
To my surprise, the entire room obeyed.
I walked towards Kyle, holding the cup containing the antidote.
Elder Mareth immediately stepped in front of me.
"What is that?" she demanded.
"The antidote," I replied.
"I don't have time to explain. The Alpha King needs this now."
Instead of stepping aside, the questions began.
"How do we know that's not poison?" Bella asked sharply.
"You expect us to trust you?" Kappa added coldly.
Accusations flew from every direction.
I clenched my jaw, struggling to keep my temper under control.
Then a deep voice cut through the chaos.
"Enough."
Elder Oslo stepped forward, his expression firm.
"The mate bond would never allow her to harm him," he said calmly. "Let her continue."
The room fell silent again.
He looked at me.
"Proceed."
It wasn't exactly comforting, especially when he added, "And if anything happens to the king… you will answer for it."
Noted.
No pressure at all.
I walked to Kyle's side and lifted his head slightly.
"Come on, asshole," I murmured quietly. "Don't die on me now."
I poured the paste carefully into his mouth.
At first…
Nothing happened.
Mareth scoffed loudly.
"You see? She's trying to kill the King"
Suddenly Kyle's body jerked.
He coughed violently.
A thick, dark purple liquid splattered onto the bedsheets.
The green color on his skin began fading rapidly.
Gasps filled the room.
Color returned to his face, and his breathing steadied.
Slowly, Kyle's eyes opened.
Elder Oslo dropped to his knees.
"Praise the Goddess," he whispered, looking up at me. "You saved him."
Relief washed through the room like a wave.
Bella forced a smile, but something about it felt… off.
If there was one thing I was good at, it was reading people.
And that smile was fake.
But that was a problem for later.
Right now, all I cared about was the man lying in front of me.
Even if he was an insufferable asshole…
He was still my mate.
I stepped back and allowed the physician to examine him.
After a moment, the man nodded.
"His vitals are stabilizing," he announced. "The poison is gone. He simply needs rest."
One by one, everyone left the room.
But as we stepped into the hallway, all eyes turned toward me, waiting for an explanation.
So I told them exactly what I had told Tess.
Most of them seemed relieved.
Tess.
Dave.
Lypon.
The physician.
Oslo.
Even Mareth.
But Bella and Kappa…
Something about them felt strange.
Maybe they were just shocked by the miracle.
Or maybe…
Just maybe…
They were hiding something.
And as I stood there wondering who could possibly poison the Alpha King…
One question echoed in my mind.
Could it be one of his elders?