Auren POV


    Next day when I came down along with Lucien to the dining hall for breakfast, I saw Tarian. He was looking slightly perturbed


    Lacien sat at the head of the table after he made me sit on my chair. "What''s wrong. Tarian?" he asked as he served roasted chicken to me.


    Tarian shifted on his feet. I sniffed a witchst night at the edge of the pack''s territory"


    "What?" Lucien growled as his eyes widenes in shock..


    fter Belle, not a witch


    1 jerked my head back, shocked as bell myself. He had gone inside the forest after


    Tartu took a ragged breath. He shook his head as he sat beside Lucien "I was on my usual right patrol at midnight when suddenly our chief tracker, Waber, smelled dark magic outside the north border. He called me on an urgent hasis informing me about it, I thought he was asking me to go toward Eldermere ruins, because that''s where we smell magic, but he called me toward the north wing of your manor. When I reached there, he pointed at the forest. We split up and followed the scent, but by the time I reached there, the witch was gone. Even he couldn''t find her. It was like she disappeared into thin air."


    I clenched my fists in myp. Nothing was making sense. I exchanged a nce with Lucien and he asked me through the mind link to stay quiet,


    How can you be so sure that it was a witch" Lucien asked.


    Tarian ran his fingers through hair. "Walter was sure that there was a witch. But yes, the smell of dark magic-like that of embers and smoke mixed with herbs was thick in the air. I sniffed the scent and followed it, but I guess the witch was too clever. She must have detected us and took off!


    A muscle feathered in Lucien''s jaw. Then he looked at me and called Vivi. "Vivir"


    Vivi came rushing in "Yes Alpha" she asked, wiping her hand on her apron. "Send Belle here." he growled.


    Vivi sulled for a moment sensing his anger, but she bowed and left.


    Tarian''s brows furrowed. "Why are you calling Belle!"


    Before Lucien could reply, Belle came in. She looked nervously at the three of us. "Yes Alpha?" she asked.


    Another surprise rocked me. Yesterday her hair was green, but today they were purple with yellow streaks. How was she changing her hair color so fast? Did she go to her quarters and spend hours dying her hair! And where were her lip and eyebrow rings?


    "Why did you go to the forest yesterday?" Lucien asked directly.


    Belle''s mouth dropped as she paled. "A-Alpha, I-I-" she stammered. Her gaze darted to Tarian and for a second I thought she looked at him usingly, but the emotion changed immediately.


    "Answer my question!" Lucien growled.


    Belle nched. "I went after Beta Tarian!" she blurted


    Tarian''s checks colored pale pink and he rubbed his nose, lowering his eyes. Did Beta of the Shadowfang pack just blush Why did it feel like he was hiding something?


    "But you didn''t know that Tarian was there, or did you?"


    She looked at Tarian again. “I—I saw him going there," she said, wringing her hands.


    Lucien cocked an eyebrow. He turned his gaze to Tarian and said, "Did you see her in the forest?" My that he was seeing a connection between Belle and the witch. Which was ridiculous.


    by husband was very


    very intelligent.


    It was possible


    Tarian shook his head. "Nu." he scratched the back of his neck. "Hut her scent clung in the forest. So I did go after her after I realized that the witch wasn''t there" Then he looked at her, and in a concerned voice added, "You shouldn''t venture alone out at night. It''s dangerous."


    "Yes, Beta Tarian," she mumbled.


    Lucien poked his tongue in his cheek. "You may leave," he dismissed her. Helle literally ran away from there. Poor girl.


    1 let out a deep sigh, shaking my head.


    Lucien instructed Tarian. "Increase the patrol on the north side of the manor. Make sure that Walter takes rounds every day. Employ our best


    suffers for the job. If the witches again, I want her caught!"


    "I will" Tarian said. He got up, daned a nce toward the kitchen and walked out "This is concerning I breathed


    Lucien huffed. "Strange things keep happening around here." He served me sliced fruits. “There''s a meeting in twenty minutes. Will youe with me to attend it?"


    "Yes, sure,” I replied. These days he was taking me to every important meeting. I was chiming in my ideas to the council. Some of them were good. some not so good. But I was learning.


    Belle came out from the kitchen again with a cup of herbal tea. She had a worried expression on her face. "My Luna," she prepared this calmingvender tea for you. Would you like to have in?"


    She looked at me with expectant eyes. I pursed my lips and wondered if Lucien would allow it.


    "Have you tasted it before giving it to Auren?" he asked in a harsh voice.


    Vivi came out and said, "Yes Alpha. She had a sip of it in front of me before offering it to Luna"


    On her words. I took the tea and had it. It was sweet and it was superb. Ten minutester, we walked into the meeting.


    e said in a low voice. "I


    But I don''t know why, the words of the council blurred into a dull hum as I sat beside Lucien. My hand rested on my belly. A sudden wave of dizziness swept over me, and the world tilted in a heartbeat. I gripped the edge of the table tightly. Lucien''s hand was at my back instantly. "Auren?" he rasped in concern


    I''m fine." I whispered as I forced myself to take a steady breath. Just a little dizzy."


    "Perhaps you should take a rest, Luna," a council member said. "You''re pregnant and you might be exhausted"


    Lucien''s jaw tightened. He turned to the council and said, "This meeting is over." Through the bond I felt his panic. Was this the beginning of my doom! Hispanic washed over me as well, and I looked at him with anxiety in my eyes.


    No one dared to protest


    Lucien helped me up, and he guided me out of the meeting room. As we walked, my head against his shoulder, I caught the faintest whisper behind


    that''s the Bride Bane''s curse taking root.


    -poor one_


    she isn''t fit to be our Luna."


    yes, I hope she gives birth to the heir properly.."


    * until then_


    My heart clenched. I turned slight, and all the council members became quiet.


    That night, I tossed and turned in bed. Lucien was curled protectively behind me,


    his hand syed over my belly. The words of the council. members echoed in my mind until then_


    Lasked Sienna about our pup. "How is he, Sienna


    She stirred awake in me. She was protecting our pup


    u from


    y harm. He is fine, Auren, she replied sleepily. But you should take care"


    every


    Tears lined not of meer ever. 111 this all the beginning of our doom)