Brute 226

Chapter 226 

ATASHA’S POV 

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“She could heal anyone,” a low voice said from somewhere above us, close enough that I could hear the faint scrape of boots against stone. “If she could heal the Alpha, then-” 

“Lower your voice!” Another voice cut in immediately. I recognized it at once. My eyes widened, the realization sent a sharp chill through my chest. “She wouldn’t be able to,” the man said evenly. “Not if you do it properly.” 

My breath caught, my lungs locking as if they had forgotten how to move. 

Beta William. 

Cassian’s arm tightened slightly around my shoulders, not enough to restrain me, but enough to remind me to stay still. We were pressed beneath the bed, our bodies close to the cold stone floor, dust clinging to my palms and the side of my cheek as I angled my head just enough to listen without shifting the frame above us. 

The bed creaked faintly as someone stepped closer. 

“But, Beta,” the other voice continued, lower now, strained with unease. “We have to administer it every full moon. If we don’t, the poison weakens over time. And now the northerners are here. If she notices something is wrong-” 

“She won’t notice,” William interrupted, his tone sharpening just enough to cut through the hesitation. “She is exhausted. She collapsed in front of everyone. Her attention is fractured, and she is too focused on healing others to question what she is not looking for.” 

My fingers curled slowly against the stone. 

Poison. 

Administered every full moon. 

“And the northerners?” the man asked again, his voice tight. “That lieutenant, Grace, she hasn’t left Atasha’s side since the border. If they interfere, if they start asking questions-” 

“They won’t have the chance,” William replied without hesitation. “Once this is done, it won’t matter who stands beside her.” 

Silence filled the room after that, broken only by the soft shift of fabric and the muted sound of someone turning near the bed. I could hear my own heartbeat pounding too loudly in my ears, and I was certain that if I moved even an inch, the floorboards would betray us. 

William broke the silence first. 

“Hurry,” he said. 

There was a brief pause, followed by the soft scrape of something being set down on a surface nearby. “It’s done,” the other voice replied. The tension in his tone had eased, replaced by something closer to relief. 

Chapter 226 

55 vouchers 

Footsteps shifted again, heavier this time, moving away from the bed and toward the far side of the room. 

“It seems the incense worked well tonight,” the man added, almost casually. “Stronger than usual. William snorted in response. “Of course it did,” he said. “I specifically asked them to make it stronger.” 

The footsteps continued, crossing the room, then stopping briefly near the door. I heard the faint click of the latch, followed by the door opening and closing again. Their presence faded with the sound of retreating boots down the corridor. 

Cassian did not move right away. Neither did I. 

We stayed beneath the bed, listening, counting breaths, letting the echoes settle until the room felt empty again. Only when I was certain that the space above us held nothing but silence did Cassian loosen his arm and shift slightly, his gaze fixed on my face as if waiting for a signal. 

I nodded. 

We slid out from under the bed carefully, our movements controlled, mindful of every creak and scrape. As I straightened, I couldn’t help the bitter thought that crossed my mind. 

The ointment had done its job perfectly. The blend Elder Agape taught me to make, the one meant to blur scent and presence, had masked us completely. It was a good thing I had applied it earlier without knowing exactly why. Tonight, it had saved us from being discovered inches away from the truth. 

I moved immediately to my father’s bedside. 

I reached for his wrist again and let my awareness sink into his body. The change was subtle, just as I expected. The poison had advanced, but only slightly, spreading in thin, careful lines that would escape anyone who did not know what to look for. His breathing was marginally weaker. His pulse lagged just enough to matter. 

Enough to confirm everything I had overheard. 

Not enough to raise alarms. 

They had been precise. Cruel, but precise. 

Cassian stepped closer, his expression hard as he watched me withdraw my hand. “We can’t stay,” he said quietly. “Not now.” 

I nodded. There was nothing to argue about. Every second we lingered increased the chance of being discovered, and I already had what I needed. 

We crossed the room quickly and moved to the window. Cassian opened it just enough for us to slip through, one after the other, the night air cool against my skin as we dropped down into the shadows below and moved away from the infirmary without drawing attention. 

By the time we reached my room, my chest felt tight enough that it was hard to breathe properly. 

I went straight to the table, grabbed the pitcher, and poured water into a cup with hands that finally betrayed 

12:42 Sun, Dec 21 

Chapter 226 

84 

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me, trembling just slightly. I drank deeply, then again, letting the coolness settle my stomach and slow the rush of thoughts threatening to spill over. 

Cassian stood nearby, watching me closely. 

I set the cup down and looked at him, my thoughts finally lining up into something that made sense instead of spiraling in fragments. 

William had been involved with the Luna, and from everything I had learned, he was also Celeste’s father. Now, instead of doing everything in his power to help the Alpha recover, he was actively making his condition 

worse. 

He had served Collin for years, standing beside him as his Beta since they were young. He had been trusted with the pack, the territory, and the Alpha’s life itself. And yet, behind that loyalty, he had betrayed him in the most unforgivable ways. He had slept with his Luna. He had fathered a child in secret. And now, he was poisoning the man he once swore to protect. 

The pattern was impossible to ignore. 

I looked at Cassian, the realization settling heavily in my chest as the final thought pushed its way forward. 

“Do you think William wants to be the next Alpha?” 

Surprisingly, Cassian shook his head. 

B