Chapter 52: A Dangerous Charade

Chapter 52: A Dangerous Charade

(Elena’s POV)

I spread out the quilt on the floor without changing my expression. “I’m having my moon cycle, I can’t sleep well, I’m afraid of disturbing you.”

Marcus emerged from the Moonstone Washroom, his hair still damp from the shower. He stopped when he

noticed the makeshift bed on the floor.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his golden eyes narrowing.

I smoothed the nket carefully. “Making a bed on the floor.”

Marcus’s jaw tightened. “Get up. Sleep on the bed.”

I looked up at him, confused by his sudden concern. “I’m fine here.”

“Catherine Hayes and the other manor staff will notice if we sleep separately,” he said curtly. “It will cause

unnecessary gossip.”

I hesitated, remembering his behavior at the Silverbrook Shopping District. His sudden closeness had left me

wary of his intentions.

“I don’t want pack members specting about our rtionship,” Marcus continued, his voice matter–of–fact.

Reluctantly, I gathered the quilt and moved to the bed. The mattress felt foreign after months of sleeping

separately.

Marcus rified without looking at me. “This is merely to avoid suspicion. Nothing more.”

He turned his back to me and settled on his side of the bed. The space between us felt like an ocean.

Iy there in the darkness, pondering the truth behind his words. Was this really about appearances, or was there something deeper?

Theplexities of our strained mating bond weighed heavily on my mind as sleep finally imed me.

1

The next morning, Marcus and I went downstairs together. We maintained a facade of normalcy at breakfast, though tension hung in the air like morning mist.

Grace Burton approached Marcus with a respectful bow. “Alpha Marcus, your father requests your presence in the Shadow Archives after breakfast.”

Marcus nodded curtly. “Tell him I’ll be there shortly.”

He turned to me with casual dismissal. “Return to the Northern Territory Central Healing Institute on your ownter.”

I offered a light response despite the sting of his words. “Of course.”

The dismissal didn’t escape my notice, but I had grown ustomed to such treatment.

As I finished my breakfast, voices echoed from the manor entrance. Isabe ckwood’sughter carried through the halls.

Chapter 52: A Dangerous.

“Everything will be fine, Sophia,” Isabe’s voice reassured someone. “Grandmother Margaret will be /b

around.”

My fork paused midway to my mouth. Sophia? Here?

Isabe appeared in the dining room doorway with Sophia Rivers beside her. Sophia’s eyes widened bas /bbshe /btook in the grandeur of the ckwood Ancestral Manor.

The crystal chandeliers and ancient tapestries clearly overwhelmed her. She tried to hide her ambition behind a mask of humility.

“This ce is magnificent,” Sophia whispered to Isabe.

Isabe beamed with pride. “Wait until you meet Grandmother Margaret. She’ll love you.”

Just as Sophia was about to respond, she spotted me. Her face frozepletely.

“Healer Elena? Why are you here?” Isabe asked, genuine surprise coloring her voice.

Sophia’s nervousness was palpable. She wondered about my connection to the ckwood family, her mind

racing with possibilities.

I set down my fork and met Isabe’s gaze directly. “I don’t need to exin why I’m here, do bI/bb?/bb” /b

Isabe’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

I turned my attention to Isabe with a warning tone. “Bringing Miss Rivers to the ckwood Ancestral Manor might anger Margaret ckwood.”

Sophia feigned innocence, her voice sweet as honey. “I never offended you, Healer Elena. I don’t understand why you dislike me.”

Isabe stepped forward defensively. “Sophia has done nothing wrong. I’ll expose your true colors to Grandmother Margaret.”

Her loyalty to Sophia was both touching and misguided.

As I attempted to leave the dining room, Sophia suddenly grabbed my hand. Her grip was surprisingly strong.

“Please, Healer Elena,” she said with feigned desperation. “I truly want to reconcile with you. I apologize for any unintentional offense.“.

I tried to pull away, but her grip tightened. “Let go of me.”

Sophia dramatically stumbled backward, her eyes wide with false terror. “Don’t push me!”

Her performance was worthy of the finest actresses. She released my hand and continued stumbling toward the nearby Moonstone Reflecting Pool.

Both of us fell into the water with a loud ssh. The cold liquid shocked my system as we plunged beneath the surface.

The Moonstone Reflecting Pool was no ordinary water feature. It was a sacred ce for werewolves, where supernatural power was weakened and only the strongest could survive.

Only Alphas possessed the strength to endure its mystical properties,

I felt my strength draining immediately. My limbs grew heavy as the pool’s power sapped my energy.

i275 /i

Chapter 52: A Dangerous

Isabe’s screams pierced the air. “Help! Someone help them!”

Marcus appeared within seconds, his Alpha instincts responding to the crisis. Without bhesitation/b, bhe /bbdove /b

binto /bthe water.

But instead of swimming toward me, his mate, he headed straight for the struggling Sophia.

I watched in disbelief as he reached for her first. A sudden leg cramp seized my calf, sending sharp bpain /b

through my body.

I began to sink, feeling abandoned and forgotten. The water closed over my head as consciousness bstarted /b

to fade.

Just as darkness threatened to im me, strong hands pulled me from the pool.

I gasped for air, water streaming from my hair and clothes. My rescuer’s identity remained unclear through my blurred vision.

Across the pool, Marcus cradled a pale Sophia in his arms. She looked fragile and vulnerable against his

strong chest.

Sophia’s voice was weak but calcted. “Healer Elena… why did you push me?b” /b

Marcus’s expression darkened like a storm cloud. His golden eyes fixed on me with usationb. /b

“Did you push her?” he demanded, his voice cold as winter.

Isabe pointed at me with righteous indignation. “She pushed Sophia out of spite! I saw it happen!”

I felt my heart shatter into pieces. The betrayal cut deeper than any physical wound.

“That’s absurd,” I defended myself, my voice shaking with emotion. “Why would I push someone into the

Moonstone Reflecting Pool when I can’t survive it myself?”

Sophia cleverly twisted my words with practiced maniption. “Are you saying I deliberately fell in to frame

you?”

Her innocent tone made my defense sound like an attack.

Marcus lost patience with the entire situation. “Apologize to her. Now.”

Themand hit me like a physical blow. “I won’t apologize for something I didn’t do.”

Marcus’s eyes shed with Alpha authority. “Elite Guards, make her apologize.”

The guards stepped forward, their loyalty to Marcus absolute.

Just as the situation reached its breaking pointb, /ba powerful voice cut through the tension.

“I see who dares!b” /b

Margaret ckwood appeared, supported by Victoria ckwood. Her presencemanded immediate respect and fear.

Isabe shrank behind Marcus, suddenly realizing the gravity of her actions.

Sophia’s face darkened at this unexpected development. Her carefullyid ns were crumbling.

Margaret’s disgust was evident as she surveyed the scene. “Who brought this woman bto /bbmy /bbhome/bb?/bb” /b

Marcus straightened, water still dripping from his clothes. “I did.”

Chapter 52: A Dangerous

“Bastard!” Margaret’s voice cracked like a whip. “You prioritize this outsider over your own mateb!/bb” /b

Sophia tried to salvage the situation with false humility. “Please don’t me Marcus. This is all my fault.”

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