Rhiannon's POV
"She poisoned him!"
The accusation rang through the hall as guards leveled their weapons at me. Caspian's unconscious body was heavy in my arms, his breathing shallow and labored.
"No—I'm trying to help him!" I pressed my glowing hands against his chest, pushing healing magic into him desperately. "Someone gave him another dose. At dinner. I can feel it—"
"Step away from the Alpha!" A massive guard lunged forward, grabbing my arm and yanking me back.
Caspian hit the floor hard. Through the bond, I felt his pain spike even in unconsciousness.
"Don't touch him!" I screamed, fighting against the guard's grip. "He needs healing or he'll die!"
"You're the only one who wants him dead, Silverfang." The guard's hand went to his blade. "Convenient that he collapses the moment you arrive."
"I didn't—" But what could I say? That I'd been carrying poison in my boot? That a mysterious woman had given it to me? That I could feel through our bond that someone else had done this?
They'd never believe me.
More guards poured into the hallway. A tall man with cold eyes and dark hair pushed through them—Caspian's Beta, I realized through the bond. Theron Darkwater. Caspian trusted him completely.
"What happened?" Theron demanded, kneeling beside Caspian.
"The Silverfang girl poisoned him," the guard holding me said. "We caught her standing over him."
"I was trying to save him!" I struggled harder. "Please, just let me heal—"
"Silence." Theron's voice cut like a blade. He checked Caspian's pulse, his face grim. "Get her to the cells. And someone fetch the pack healer immediately."
"No! Your healer won't know what poison this is—I can feel it through the bond!" Desperation clawed at my throat. "Please, he's dying. Let me help him!"
Theron stood slowly, his eyes meeting mine. Through the bond, I felt... something. A flicker of satisfaction quickly hidden.
He wanted this.
The realization hit me like ice water. Theron wanted Caspian weak. Maybe even wanted him dead.
"You're the poisoner," I breathed. "You've been dosing him for months, and now you're—"
His fist caught me across the face before I could finish.
Pain exploded through my skull. I tasted blood.
"Take her away," Theron ordered. "And if she tries to use magic, kill her."
They dragged me down stone corridors as I fought and screamed. Behind us, I felt Caspian's life force fading through the bond. The poison was spreading faster now, shutting down his organs one by one.
He was dying, and they wouldn't let me save him.
The cells were deep underground, cold and dark. They threw me into one and slammed the iron door shut.
"Please," I begged through the bars. "Please, just let me try. I can heal him. The bond—"
"The bond is exactly why you wanted him dead," Theron said, appearing at my cell door. "A Silverfang mated to our Alpha? You probably planned this from the start. Seduce him with the bond, then poison him when his guard was down."
"That's not—" I stopped. Through the bond, I felt Caspian's heartbeat stuttering. "He's dying. Right now. Can't you feel it? Don't you care?"
"I care about my pack." Theron leaned close to the bars. "And I won't let some Silverfang witch destroy everything we've built. If Caspian dies, it's because he was weak enough to bind himself to an enemy."
Understanding crashed through me. "You wanted him dead before I got here. The bond healing him—that wasn't part of your plan, was it?"
Something flickered in Theron's eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You've been poisoning him for months. But when the bond formed, it started healing him. That's why you gave him another dose tonight—you're trying to kill him before the bond can save him."
"Prove it." Theron smiled coldly. "Oh wait—you can't. Because you're locked in a cell, and even if you could, no one would believe the mate who benefits most from his death."
He was right. The bond made me the perfect suspect.
"Why?" The word came out broken. "He trusts you. He thinks you're his friend."
"He's weak. He's always been weak—he just hid it better before you." Theron straightened. "A true Alpha doesn't need a mate to be strong. A true Alpha doesn't feel guilt over necessary deaths. Caspian has been compromised for years. I'm just finishing what should have been done long ago."
"The pack will figure it out. Someone will—"
"No one will question me. I'm his loyal Beta who tried to save him from his treacherous mate." Theron turned to leave. "Enjoy the cell, Silverfang. When Caspian dies, you'll follow shortly after."
He disappeared into the darkness.
I was alone.
Through the bond, I felt Caspian's consciousness flickering like a dying candle. His pain. His confusion. And somewhere deep inside, his wolf crying out for mine.
I'm here, I thought desperately at him. I'm trying to help you. Please hold on.
No response. Just his fading heartbeat, getting slower with each pulse.
I slammed my hands against the bars, letting healing magic flow. But the iron was spelled against magic—old pack wards that made my power fizzle uselessly.
I couldn't reach him. Couldn't save him. Could only feel him dying through our bond while locked in a cell.
Hot tears streamed down my face. This couldn't be how it ended. Not like this.
Kieran, I thought. What do I do?
And like an answer, I felt it—a tiny spark of Caspian's consciousness reaching back through the bond. Not words. Just... awareness. He knew I was trying to help. Knew I wasn't the one who'd poisoned him.
He believed me.
The trust hit me like a shockwave. After everything—after Kieran, after the hatred, after the forced bond—he believed me.
Don't you dare die on me, I thought fiercely. Do you hear me? Don't you dare.
His heartbeat stuttered again. Weaker now.
I had to get out of this cell. Had to find a way to reach him before—
Footsteps echoed in the corridor.
I tensed, preparing for another guard. Instead, a hooded figure appeared at my cell door.
Senna.
"You're not very good at staying out of trouble, are you?" She pulled out a key and started working on the lock.
"How did you—"
"Questions later. Right now, we have about three minutes before the guards change shift." The lock clicked open. "Can you save him?"
"If I can reach him in time, yes."
"Then we run. Fast." Senna grabbed my hand and pulled me from the cell.
We raced through dark corridors, Senna navigating like she knew every passage. Behind us, shouts echoed—they'd discovered my escape.
"Where are we going?" I gasped.
"The Alpha's chambers. Theron will have him moved there to 'save him' in front of witnesses. Classic power play."
We burst into the main fortress and sprinted up stairs. Guards spotted us, yelling for backup. But Senna moved like smoke, always one step ahead.
Finally, we reached ornate double doors. Caspian's chambers.
Senna kicked them open.
Inside, Theron stood over Caspian's bed, a dagger in his hand.
Not healing him.
About to finish him.
"Step away from him," I snarled, power flooding through me.
Theron spun, his eyes widening. "How did you—"
"Doesn't matter." I moved forward, magic crackling around my hands. "Touch him again and I'll kill you myself."
"The guards are coming," Theron said. "They'll see you attacking me while I tried to save the Alpha. You'll die a traitor."
He was right. But I didn't care.
I lunged past him to Caspian, pressing my glowing hands to his chest. The bond roared to life, and I felt the poison clearly now—shadowroot mixed with nightshade and something else, something ancient and deadly.
"Hold on," I whispered, pouring everything I had into healing him. "Please hold on."
Behind me, Theron raised his dagger.
Senna's blade met his throat. "I don't think so."
Guards burst through the door. At least a dozen, weapons drawn.
"The Alpha's mate is trying to kill him!" Theron shouted. "Defend your Alpha!"
"Actually," a weak voice said from the bed, "she's trying to save me."
Everyone froze.
Caspian's silver eyes opened, finding mine. Through the bond, I felt his gratitude, his trust, and something else—something that terrified us both.
"Arrest Theron," Caspian ordered, his voice gaining strength as my healing magic worked. "He's the poisoner. She just saved my life."
The room erupted into chaos.
But as Theron was dragged away, screaming threats and denials, I kept my hands on Caspian's chest. Kept healing him. Kept feeling our bond grow stronger with every heartbeat.
"Why?" he whispered. "Why save me after everything I've done to you?"
I looked into his eyes and told him the truth. "Because like it or not, we're bound now. And I don't let people die if I can save them. Not even you."
His hand covered mine. "The poison's not all gone. I can still feel it."
"I know. Someone helped Theron. Someone powerful enough to make a poison that even the bond struggles to heal." I met his gaze. "This isn't over."
"No," he agreed quietly. "It's just beginning."
And through our bond, I felt it—a dark presence watching us from somewhere in the fortress. Someone who'd wanted Caspian dead but had other plans now that he'd survived.
Plans that involved me.