Corwin's POV
"You're wrong."
I stare at Elder Rowena like she's lost her mind. We're in my office, away from Elowen's hearing, and Rowena just told me something impossible.
"Dual-nature wolves don't exist," I continue, pacing. "They're legends. Stories to scare pups. There's never been a documented case—"
"Until now." Rowena's voice is firm. She pulls out a vial of Elowen's blood—now clearer after three days of treatment. "Look at this under moonlight."
She holds it up to the window where the moon shines through. The blood glows with two distinct colors: silver for Luna healing gifts and gold for Alpha dominance.
Two colors. Two natures. One wolf.
"Moon Goddess," I breathe.
"Exactly." Rowena sets the vial down. "The poison was specifically designed to suppress the gold—the Alpha half. That's why she only manifested Luna abilities. Someone knew what she was and made sure she never discovered it."
"Vesper," I growl. "The woman who framed her."
"Most likely. But here's what troubles me—" Rowena pulls out an old leather book, flipping to a marked page. "Creating a poison this specific requires deep knowledge of rare wolf genetics. Vesper didn't do this alone. Someone taught her. Someone who knows about dual-nature wolves."
"Who?"
"That's the question, isn't it?" Rowena closes the book. "But right now, our priority is healing Elowen. Once the poison is completely gone, her Alpha nature will emerge. And Corwin..." She looks at me seriously. "It won't be gentle. Suppressed power coming to the surface is violent. Painful. She'll need support."
I nod. "She'll have it. Whatever she needs."
Rowena studies my face. "You care about her already."
It's not a question. I don't deny it.
"Thaddeus Silvercrest is a fool," I say quietly. "He had a mate who was loyal, gifted, and powerful beyond measure. He threw her away for a pretty face and fake destiny. If that's not the definition of a fool, I don't know what is."
"Just remember—she's fragile right now. Broken. Don't push too hard."
"I won't," I promise. "But I will make sure she knows she's safe here. That she matters. That she's not the nothing she thinks she is."
Every day, I visit Elowen's room.
At first, she flinches when I enter, like she expects me to hurt her. It breaks my heart every time. What did they do to her in Silvercrest to make her so afraid?
"Just bringing breakfast," I say on day four, holding up a tray. "Rowena says you need to eat more."
"I'm not hungry," Elowen mumbles. She's sitting up in bed, looking stronger than before but still too thin, too pale.
"Eat anyway." I set the tray on her lap. "Your wolf needs fuel to heal."
She picks at the food halfheartedly. I settle into the chair beside her bed—the same chair I've occupied every morning this week.
"Tell me about Silvercrest," I say.
She freezes, her fork halfway to her mouth. "Why?"
"Because I want to understand what happened. You don't have to if you don't want to. But sometimes talking helps."
For a long moment, she's silent. Then, slowly, she starts speaking.
"I met Thaddeus seven years ago. I was nobody—an orphan who joined Silvercrest looking for a home. He was the Alpha, strong and confident and... he chose me. Not because of destiny or bonds, but because he wanted to. He said the Moon Goddess made a mistake not binding us, but it didn't matter. He chose me every day."
Her voice cracks on those last words.
"I believed him," she continues. "I became his Luna. I dedicated everything to that pack. I healed their sick, mediated their disputes, loved their children like my own. I thought I was building a forever home."
"Then he went to the Alpha summit," I prompt gently.
"Three years. He was gone three years." Elowen's hands shake. "I waited. Kept the pack strong. Wrote him letters. Planned our reunion. And when he came back..."
"He brought Vesper."
"He brought his fated mate," she corrects bitterly. "The bond he thought was dead suddenly activated. And just like that, seven years meant nothing. He moved her into our room. Gave her my duties. Spent every moment with her while I... I faded."
"The poison," I say, understanding. "That's when it started."
Elowen nods. "I got weaker and weaker. Dizzy. Sick. My wolf disappeared. I thought it was heartbreak, but it was wolfsbane. Vesper was putting it in my food, my tea, everything. And when I finally figured it out, she framed me for poisoning children."
Her voice breaks completely now, and tears stream down her face.
"They all believed her. Every single person I'd helped, healed, loved—they turned on me. Called me jealous. Said I tried to murder babies. And Thaddeus..." She sobs. "He just stood there. Didn't defend me. Didn't believe me. Let them drag me to exile."
Rage burns through me like wildfire. I've never met Thaddeus Silvercrest, but right now, I want to rip his throat out.
"He doesn't deserve you," I say fiercely. "He never did."
Elowen looks at me with red, swollen eyes. "Then why does it still hurt so much?"
"Because you loved him. Real love doesn't just disappear because someone betrays it. It takes time to heal." I lean forward. "But you will heal, Elowen. You'll become stronger than you ever were. And when you do, Thaddeus will realize what he lost."
"I don't want him to realize anything," she whispers. "I just want to stop hurting."
"You will. I promise."
For the first time since I found her, Elowen smiles. It's small, broken, but real.
"Why are you being so kind to me?" she asks. "You don't know me. I could be exactly what Silvercrest said—jealous, dangerous—"
"You're not," I interrupt. "I've seen jealous wolves. I've seen dangerous ones. You're neither. You're just someone who was betrayed by people you trusted. That's not your fault."
"Corwin..." She says my name softly, and something in my chest tightens. "Thank you. For saving me. For believing me. For... everything."
"You don't need to thank me for basic decency."
"In my experience, decency isn't basic anymore."
The sadness in those words cuts deep.
On day seven, Rowena runs more tests. I wait outside Elowen's room, pacing like a nervous father.
Finally, Rowena emerges, her expression troubled.
"The poison is leaving her system faster than expected," she reports. "Her body is fighting it aggressively now that we're supporting her wolf."
"That's good, right?"
"Yes and no. The faster it leaves, the sooner her Alpha nature emerges. But there's something else, Corwin." Rowena's voice drops. "I examined the magical signature in the poison more closely. It's not just a tracking spell."
"What is it?"
"It's a trigger," she says grimly. "When the poison reaches a certain low level in her system—when Elowen gets strong enough—it will send a signal. A magical alarm. Whoever created this will know immediately that she's recovering."
My blood runs cold. "Vesper will know she's alive."
"Worse. Vesper will know she's getting powerful. And based on the effort that went into suppressing Elowen's Alpha nature, I'd say they're terrified of what she'll become."
"How long do we have?"
"Days. Maybe a week. Then the alarm triggers, and whoever's behind this will come for her."
I look at Elowen's closed door. She's in there, healing, finally starting to believe she might survive this.
And somewhere out there, her enemies are waiting for the signal that she's becoming dangerous.
"Double the guards on this wing," I order. "No one gets near her without my permission. And Rowena—speed up the treatment. If they're coming anyway, I want Elowen strong enough to fight when they arrive."
Rowena nods and hurries away.
I open Elowen's door quietly. She's sleeping, finally peaceful for the first time since I found her.
"They're coming for you," I whisper. "But I won't let them take you. I swear it."
As if hearing me, Elowen stirs in her sleep. Her body glows faintly—silver and gold mixed together, the two natures finally starting to merge.
Then her eyes snap open.
But they're not gray anymore.
They're glowing pure Alpha gold.