Chapter 184: A Guard’s Plight (Scarlett’s POV)
Chapter 184: A Guard’s Plight (Scarlett’s POV)
The evening air was cool against my skin as I wandered through the moonlit courtyard of the Winter Pack house. My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, anxious and unsettled after the events of recent days. The silver light bathed the garden in an ethereal glow, highlighting
the rare plants that grew within our protected grounds.
I froze when I spotted Celeste kneeling by the herbal section, her slender fingers hovering over
delicate purple flowers. Wolfsbane. My heart skipped a beat.
Was she remembering how I’d drugged her with wolfsbane–laced wine? Or worse, was she
planning something?
Before I could retreat, movement caught my eye. Nina, Celeste’s ever–present guard,
approached me with purposeful strides. My stomach dropped when I saw what she carried in
her hands.
The package. My package.
“Lady Scarlett,” Nina called out, her voice cheerful yet edged with something that made my
wolf whimper. “I believe this belongs to you.”
She presented the familiar bundle wrapped in silver silk. The very same package I had given to Grace earlier today. The blood drained from my face.
“Would you like to check the contents?” Nina asked sweetly, her silver–gray eyes glinting with mischief. “To ensure everything is accounted for?”
“Where did you get that?” My voice came out barely above a whisper.
Nina tilted her head, her smile never reaching her eyes. “It was intercepted on its way to a certain… banished beta wolf. I thought you might want it returned before anyone caught wind of your generous gift.”
Panic surged through me. “Did Celeste speak with Grace? Did she go to see her?”
Nina laughed, the sound making my skin crawl. “Miss Celeste hasn’t left her quarters in days. Her punishment requires her confinement, or have you forgotten? Perhaps you should be more careful about making accusations.”
My hands trembled as I stared at the package. If Celeste hadn’t left her quarters, then how had she known about my gift to Grace? More importantly, how had she intercepted it so
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Chapter 184: A Guard’s Plight (S…
quickly?
“You’re watching Grace,” I whispered, the realization hitting me like a physical blow. “You have someone reporting on her movements.”
Nina’s smile widened. “Miss Celeste simply protects those she cares about. Including her
sister.”
The emphasis she placed on the word ‘sister‘ was deliberately provocative. My wolf growled in
response.
Tears sprang to my eyes, not entirely fabricated. “Why is she doing this? Why is she
persecuting Grace? Grace has already been banished from pack territory! Isn’t that
punishment enough?”
Nina remained unmoved by my display of emotion. Her silver–gray wolf’s aura radiated coldness as she regarded me.
“Miss Celeste is merely ensuring pack law is upheld,” she stated flatly. “Grace Bennett tried to
harm a pack member with wolfsbane. Her banishment was merciful.”
“But she’s suffering!” I protested, genuine distress coloring my voice. “The silver and healing
herbs I sent were to help her! Celeste has no right to intercept aid meant for someone who
protected me for years!”
Nina scoffed, her patience visibly thinning. “Every wolf is responsible for their own fate, Lady
Scarlett. Grace made her choices. It’s not your place to interfere, especially considering the
family connection.”
She shoved the package into my arms with enough force to make me stumble back a step.
The weight of the silver coins and healing herbs inside felt suddenly like a burden rather than
a gift.
“Consider what accepting this back means,” Nina continued, her voice dropping to ensure only
I heard her words. “Providing aid to a disgraced beta who was banished for attempting to harm your own sister? What would that say about the Winter family’s honor?”
My wolf cowered beneath her piercing gaze.
“Furthermore,” Nina added, twisting the knife deeper, “as Alexander’s future mate, you should be more discreet. Such actions could tarnish your image before your marking ceremony.”
That struck a nerve. My grip tightened on the package.
“Miss Celeste only advises this for your own good,” Nina concluded with false sweetness.
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Chapter 184: A Guard’s Plight (S…
“Family looks out for family, after all.”
Without waiting for my response, Nina turned and walked back to Celeste, leaving me
standing alone with the package clutched against my chest like a shield.
I watched as Nina leaned down to whisper something in Celeste’s ear. Both women looked in
my direction, and though I couldn’t see Celeste’s expression clearly in the moonlight, I knew
she was smiling.
(Celeste’s POV)
“You should have seen her face,” Nina reported gleefully as she returned to my side in the
garden. “She went completely pale when I handed her the package.”
A smug smile played on my lips as I continued examining the wolfsbane flowers. Their
distinctive purple blooms reminded me of the night I’d nearly been poisoned. A fitting location
for this little victory.
“Did she say anything interesting?” I asked, rising from my kneeling position.
Nina nodded eagerly. “She immediately assumed you had contacted Grace yourself. When I
reminded her that you’ve been confined to your quarters, she realized someone must be
watching Grace.”
“Perfect,” I murmured, brushing soil from my hands. “What about Eric? Has he left to meet with Grace yet?”
“He departed an hour ago,” Nina confirmed. “But do you think Grace will believe our story?
That Scarlett took back the silver and healing herbs herself?”
I glanced toward Scarlett’s retreating figure, satisfaction warming my chest at the stiff set of
her shoulders.
“Whether Grace believes it or not doesn’t matter,” I replied confidently. “Either way, she’ll
confront Scarlett. And that’s all we need.”
Nina’s eyes widened with understanding. “You’re setting them against each other.”
“I’m simply creating an opportunity for truth to emerge,” I corrected, though my tone belied my innocent words. “After all, Grace was so loyal to Scarlett, she was willing to drug me with wolfsbane. I wonder what other secrets they share?”
(Scarlett’s POV)
I hurried back to my private quarters, my thoughts racing faster than my feet. The package felt heavy in my arms, a physical reminder of my precarious position.
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Once safely inside my room, I placed the bundle on my bed and paced back and forth. Nina’s
words echoed in my mind, infuriating yet impossible to dismiss.
She was right. If anyone discovered I was supporting Grace after her banishment, questions
would arise. Uncomfortable questions about my loyalty to the pack – and to Celeste.
But I couldn’t abandon Grace. She had been my only friend during those lonely years in human
territory. When everyone else saw a weak, sickly wolf pup, Grace had seen someone worth
protecting.
She had drugged Celeste for me. She had taken the fall when the plan failed. And now she
suffered alone, banished from pack territory, while I remained safe and secure as the pack’s cherished daughter.
I unwrapped the package with trembling fingers, revealing the moon–blessed healing herbs
and silver coins inside. The herbs alone were worth a small fortune, specially cultivated to
heal a wolf’s injuries faster than any human medicine.
Perhaps I could compromise. Send only the healing herbs, keep the silver. That would be less
suspicious.
But as I began separating the contents, doubt crept in again. The healing herbs were far more
valuable than the silver coins. Their distinctive scent could be tracked more easily.
No, it would be safer to send just a few silver coins. Enough to help Grace survive, but not
enough to draw attention.
I selected two of the smallest coins, wrapping them in a plain cloth. This small token wouldn’t
raise suspicions if discovered. I could claim it was mere charity for a former pack member.
Decision made, I hid the rest of the package in my wardrobe and slipped the cloth–wrapped coins into my pocket.
Night had fully descended by the time I left the pack house. The guards nodded respectfully
as I passed, none questioning my movements. Being the Alpha’s true daughter had its
privileges.
I kept to the shadows, moving swiftly toward the edge of pack territory where Grace had
established a small shelter just beyond our boundaries. Not technically on pack land, but
close enough to maintain some connection to her former home.
The forest grew denser as I approached the territorial border, moonlight filtering through the leaves in dappled patterns. My enhanced wolf senses guided me through the darkness,
tracking Grace’s familiar scent.
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I had nearly reached the border when a figure stepped out from behind a large oak tree, blocking my path.
“Scarlett.”
Grace’s voice was cold, nothing like the warm, devoted tone she usually used with me. Her honey–blonde hair looked dull in the moonlight, her once–vibrant eyes now hardened with betrayal.
“Grace,” I breathed, relief mixing with confusion. “I was just coming to see you-”
“Why did you take it back?” she demanded, stepping closer. In the silvery light, I could see her clothes were worn, her face thinner than I remembered. Just weeks of banishment had taken a visible toll.
“Take what back?” I asked, genuinely perplexed.
–
Grace’s face contorted with fury. “Don’t play innocent! The package you sent this morning – the silver and herbs. Your man came and took it all back, saying you’d changed your mind.”
My blood ran cold. Celeste had been several steps ahead of me all along.
“I didn’t-” I began, but Grace cut me off with a bitter laugh.
“He said you realized supporting a banished beta would damage your reputation,” she spat. “That as Alexander’s future mate, you couldn’t risk association with someone like me.”
Each word was like a knife to my heart. The extent of Celeste’s manipulation became painfully clear.
“Grace, please,” I begged, reaching for her arm. “That wasn’t me. I would never-”
She jerked away from my touch, her wolf growling beneath her skin. “Four years I spent protecting you! Four years of putting your needs before mine! And this is how you repay my loyalty?”
“Grace, listen to me,” I pleaded, desperation making my voice c***k. “It was Celeste. She intercepted the package and sent someone to lie to you.”
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