Poison and Passion

~FREYA~

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" Elise’s voice chirped, cutting through the quiet evening air of my bedroom.

She stepped through the doorway, her bright face illuminated by the soft ambient light. She balanced a silver tray in her hands, holding a steaming porcelain cup of herbal tea and my nightly medicine tablets. The delicate cup clinked softly against the saucer as she walked toward me. "Luna Freya Voss of the Ironbark Pack is the fairest of them all," she added, her tone dripping with that familiar, sickening sweetness.

I stared at her. My stomach churned, twisting into violent knots. A wave of nausea hit the back of my throat, but I bit the inside of my cheek and forced my facial muscles into a practiced, grateful smile. Elise had always served me. Every pack member knew about our bond. They thought of her as my loyal shadow, a rescued girl devoted to the Luna who had saved her. She was the one who always served my tea and medicine each night, so tonight was supposed to be no exception. Gael was downstairs in the courtyard right now, busy discussing border patrols and pack matters with his beta. I had just finished washing up after a long, exhausting day spent mediating disputes with my fellow Lunas.

I reached out and accepted the tray from her hands, resting it on my lap. "Thank you, my dear," I murmured softly. My voice stayed even. I had made a firm decision to keep my emotions locked away under strict wraps until I could uncover the full extent of what was going on. I needed irrefutable proof. Until then, my only hope was that I could hold myself together and play the part of the clueless, loving wife.

Elise stepped behind my vanity chair. Her hands descended onto my shoulders. She began to knead the tight muscles there, pressing her thumbs into my flesh with a gentle, rhythmic squeeze. She used to do this all the time. I used to close my eyes, let my head fall back, and enjoy her massages, believing her love and respect were genuine. Now, the friction of her palms made my skin crawl. It took every ounce of my self-control not to flinch, stand up, and shove her hands away.

"You seem worn out these days," Elise cooed softly, working her fingers down my neck. "Let me give you a soothing massage to help you relax and bring a smile to your face."

Our gazes locked in the clear reflection of the dresser mirror. I maintained the fake smile, looking directly into her lying eyes. I reached up and covered one of her hands with my own, stopping her movements. "I can't thank you enough for all that you do for me, Elise."

"No, it's I who should be thanking you, my Luna," she replied without missing a beat, her tone dripping with feigned humility. "You risked your life for me, bringing me to this pack where I've found nothing but happiness and love. I don't know where I would be without you."

To anyone else—anyone who hadn't caught their husband in the act with this deceitful girl—Elise's words might have felt touching. But I understood their sick, hidden meaning all too well. She had found happiness and love by stealing mine. Despite the burning fury in my chest, I maintained my smile and let go of her hand, allowing her to continue the massage. Shortly after, she halted her gentle motions and patted my shoulder.

"Luna, you should take your tea and medicine now. I'll just go and complete my chores."

"Goodnight, Elise."

With those words, Elise turned on her heel and left me alone. As soon as the heavy oak door closed behind her, I let out a long, shaky sigh. My smile dropped instantly. I glanced down at the tea she had prepared for me. Steam curled up from the dark amber liquid. I picked up the cup by its delicate handle. Just as I was about to bring the rim to my lips, a chilling thought struck me, paralyzing my arm.

What if this tea was poisoned?

It was a dark, paranoid thought. The kind of thought I never had a reason to entertain before yesterday. But the recent events made me question everything and everyone around me. My reality was shattered. I trusted no one. Without hesitation, I grabbed the teacup and the small cup of medicine tablets. I walked straight into the attached master bathroom. I dumped the hot liquid and the pills directly into the toilet bowl. I hit the flush lever, watching the swirling water swallow whatever concoction she had prepared. Then, I rinsed the cup in the sink, returned to my chair, and set the empty porcelain back on the tray. I climbed into bed, acting as if everything was normal.

That night, sleep eluded me. I remained stiff and motionless on the right side of the mattress, wrapped in the heavy duvet, while Gael lay just inches away from me. Overwhelmed and unable to face either of them at the dinner table, I had retired to bed early. I had naively hoped sleep would envelop me and offer some brief respite from the pain gnawing at my insides. But as the antique grandfather clock down the hall struck midnight, there was still no escape from my racing thoughts.

Then, the mattress shifted.

I felt Gael stir beside me. His movements were incredibly slow, careful, and measured. I kept my eyes shut and regulated my breathing, making it deep and rhythmic to mimic slumber. I sensed him drawing nearer. The heat radiating off his large body washed over me. He hovered his broad hand directly over my face, testing the air current, checking if my eyelashes fluttered. I remained dead still. I didn't twitch a single muscle. Satisfied that I was unconscious, he gripped my shoulder and gave me a gentle shake. I let my head roll lifelessly against the pillow.

He withdrew his hand. The bed springs groaned softly as he quietly got out of bed. He slid his bare feet into his slippers and tiptoed toward the door, painstakingly ensuring the brass handle turned and the heavy wood made no sound that might wake me up. The door clicked shut.

I held my position in the dark for a few minutes longer, fighting the overwhelming urge to cry. Then, gathering my courage, I pushed the covers aside and sat up, drawing a deep, steadying breath into my lungs. In the dead silence of the night, I debated my next steps. My heart felt incredibly heavy with the crushing knowledge of where he had just gone, even though a pathetic part of my soul still wished I could be wrong.

Our living quarters were secluded, nestled alone on the top floor of the pack house, offering absolute privacy from the rest of the members. Servants and pack warriors came up here only when summoned, leaving the goings-on of our floor a secret to all but me. I grabbed my cane from the nightstand. With cautious, uneven steps, I limped down the dim hallway, approaching Elise's door.

I had personally assigned her this specific guest room so she could be near me. I had hoped to offer her comfort and a quick response as she battled the severe nightmares that haunted her from past traumas when she first arrived at our borders. Bracing myself against the wall, I swallowed the bitter irony. I knew that what I was about to witness would be the crucial, undeniable evidence I needed to bring their deception to light.

As I neared her door, I noticed a sliver of golden light spilling onto the floorboards. The door was slightly ajar.

I stopped right outside the threshold. My hands shook uncontrollably as I reached into my pajama pocket and pulled out my phone. I swiped the screen to the camera, switched to video, and hit record to capture their betrayal, just as their hushed conversation reached my ears.

"Do you think she has any clue about us?" I heard Gael whisper. His deep voice was muffled by the sloppy, wet kisses he lavished on Elise. The sound of skin sliding against skin made my stomach heave.

"Wouldn't it be better if she did?" Elise moaned in response, her breath hitching. "There's no point in hiding anymore. We are fated mates, and that's a bond no one can break, there is nothing anyone can do about it."

The ground seemed to shift beneath my feet as her words sank into my brain.

They were mates.

This devastating realization struck me like a physical blow to the sternum, knocking the wind out of me. My phone nearly slipped through my trembling fingers. Hastily, I adjusted my grip, my mind reeling in horror. The Moon Goddess had paired them. They belonged to each other by the deepest, most sacred of bonds.

Gael continued, oblivious to my eavesdropping just inches away. "I need to find the right moment to tell her about us. It's been seven years, and she's done so much for our pack. She deserves to know the truth, but it has to be at the right time." He paused, his breathing ragged. "Besides, we made a pact to reject our fated mates if we found them, but I couldn't resist you. I just couldn't. She's seemed distracted since yesterday. I'm starting to worry she might have discovered something."

"She doesn't suspect a thing," Elise declared with smug certainty. "She's just exhausted from her duties. The potion I add to her tea ensures she sleeps deeply, turning her pain into mere shadows in her dreams. Just a drop and she's out like a light. We've got nothing to fear."

I pressed my palm hard against my mouth, stifling a gasp.

My gut feeling had been right all along. She had been poisoning my tea just to steal filthy moments with my husband in my own home. Hot tears spilled over my eyelashes, wetting the back of my hand as I pondered what other twisted secrets they were hiding from me. I couldn't bear to record their words any longer. My hand gripped the curved handle of my cane tightly as pure anguish tore through my chest.

"To be honest, I find it thrilling," Elise confessed, a wicked, breathy edge to her tone. "Sex feels sweeter when the risk is higher."

Gael silenced her with a passionate kiss, sending a sharp stab of pain right through my heart. Through the crack, I saw him wrap his muscular arms around her. He grabbed her buttocks with both hands, kneading her flesh as she arched against him.

"In a way, we're sparing her from harsher pain by ensuring she sleeps through it and never feels it when she is awake," Elise rationalized softly. "Offering her this peace is the least I can do."

"I've always known you had a kind heart. If not for the mate bond, you wouldn't have given in to me," Gael murmured, trailing wet kisses down Elise's exposed neck as he guided her backward towards the mattress.

"Can you stop talking already and fuck me, Alpha Gael Voss," Elise commanded.

I knew it was time for me to leave. If I stayed standing outside that door a second longer listening to them rut, the hurt would overwhelm my senses, and I might burst into loud, uncontrollable sobs. As Gael forcefully pushed Elise onto the bed, I carefully turned my back on the crack of light.

I started to walk away as quickly as my body allowed, not minding the searing, sharp pain shooting up my crippled leg with every step. I dragged myself back down the dark hallway. I stumbled into our empty bedroom and shut the door firmly behind me. I went straight into the master bathroom and locked the door. I reached into the stall, turned on the shower full blast to drown out any noise, and finally burst into much-needed, agonizing tears.