"I heard he slashed the Luna's skin, and the wound wouldn't heal."
"What on earth is he?"
The palace had been buzzing with gossip ever since everyone heard that Axel had been arrested.
"But then, isn't it too cruel to arrest a pup in such a way? He's just fifteen, for Moon's sake," one maid said as they all gathered around.
Different versions of the rumor had spread through the palace, and since neither the Alpha nor Dre, his head guard, were currently around, no one was stopping them.
The current version was that the Luna had gone to Axel's chamber to coax him, but he had suddenly flipped, using his inhuman strength to dig his claws into her arms.
"Can't you hear that the young prince dug his claws into the Luna's arm? A pup isn't meant to have a wolf yet, let alone manifest claws! So where did they come from?" another maid answered sharply.
"I might request a transfer to another pack if things aren't handled. How can one stay in this type of environment? And worst of all, the Alpha isn't here to do anything about it."
The gossip kept spreading like wildfire. Soon, it would get out of the palace and trickle into the packs: the concubine's son was demonic. They would demand he be cast out, and Darius would be the one and only heir. Sharing his title with such a creature was unacceptable.
The thought made Elsa smile, and she stroked her chin. Her wounds had already healed—a Luna's regenerative abilities were strong—but she had still requested the bloodied bandages be kept as evidence.
She smiled wider as she remembered her resolve when she agreed to take care of Axel.
Did the Alpha truly think she would accept another she-wolf's pup? Just like that? And the way he used to stare at Serena with so much admiration had irked her beyond measure.
She had eavesdropped on the Alpha's conversation with Serena while she was still alive.
"How's my pup doing?" Alpha Kaden had asked, touching Serena's protruding stomach.
"Doing very well. I can tell he'll grow up to be as strong and charming as you, My Alpha," Serena had laughed.
"By the way, Your Majesty, are you sure the Luna isn't upset with me? She's been acting nice, but honestly... I don't feel comfortable around her," Serena had said worriedly, unconsciously rubbing her hands over her belly.
"Why are you worrying about that? She accepted you into the pack. She isn't a wicked woman," the Alpha had chuckled, and Serena smiled.
"If that's the case, then I appreciate her kindness. I can't wait for both of us to give birth. Her pup and mine will be inseparable, considering we are both five months along." She giggled, and that sound had made Elsa's blood boil as she watched them from the shadows.
The Alpha had never laughed that heartily with *her*. One thing was clear: she was the Alpha's chosen mate, but Serena was his love.
She had tried for years to make the Alpha love her, and she thought the Moon Goddess had answered her prayers when her wolf was found to be mated to his. But that was all; the Alpha liked and adored her as his Luna, and nothing more. He respected her because she was his Luna. He smiled with her because she was his Luna. There was no further admiration.
It was as though the Alpha had claimed her out of pure duty. And she had coped with it; at least she was still the only woman he looked at. But then, this witch had come from nowhere, claiming to be carrying his pup.
The Alpha hadn't even denied it. He had accepted her gladly, and he thought everything would be fine?
One thing she could never and would never accept was the Alpha favoring another woman over her.
She was his Luna, and no other she-wolf deserved his affection. So, she would get Serena out of the way.
Right there, right then, she made her decision. She would get rid of Serena, accept the pup, and then kill him. It was that simple.
But the plan hadn't fallen into place. It had been going well until Axel spoiled it.
She had planned Serena's death, but it seemed the Moon Goddess had worked in her favor, because Serena died of natural causes immediately after giving birth. She had then accepted Axel, but somehow, the whelp had always managed to escape death.
She had once planned to poison his milk, but the tainted bottle was poured out mistakenly by a careless maid. That had infuriated her, but she tried again.
She had once laced his clothes with wolfsbane dust, so that once worn, he would suffocate and die... but that was the exact same day the Alpha ordered that all the pups' clothes be replaced with new ones.
She had thought the Alpha knew of her plans, but after investigating, she discovered he knew nothing; it was just pure coincidence.
She had tried many more times, but still, he always seemed to escape death.
So, she decided to let him be. She would make him a servant to her own son, and if he didn't pose a threat to her pup's birthright, she would refrain from killing him.
It had all been going smoothly until the Alpha started showing more affection to Axel than to any of her princes.
It only got worse as Axel proved smarter and more gifted than any of them. This earned him even more praise from the Alpha. And that—she would never accept.
So, she resumed her plan to get rid of him, and yet, he still always escaped. When she discovered that rumors were spreading about him because of his strange eyes and behavior, she decided to fan the flames.
She would instill so much fear in the pack that the Alpha would be forced to do something about Axel.
She hadn't given much thought to Axel's strange behaviors before, but what she experienced today changed everything.
That boy... he was definitely not normal. She had seen the bloodlust in his eyes, how he longed to attack her, how his eyes glowed with a feral light.
And he obviously knew of her schemes. She had no idea for how long. The Alpha believed and cherished him immensely, so if he were to report her, she wasn't sure who the Alpha would believe.
That was why she needed to act as fast as possible. She needed to get rid of the little devil before he became a solid threat.