_Leon's POV_

The restaurant was quiet and warm but I felt none of it.

Soft golden lights hung from the ceiling. Red lanterns glowed in the corners. The smell of soy sauce, garlic and sweet spices filled the air. Plates clinked softly around us and low music played in the background. It should have been a pleasant night. Talia loved Chinese food. She had been smiling since we walked in. She had even chosen the table herself, near the window, where the city lights could be seen shining outside.

But no matter how beautiful the place was, I could not relax.

I sat across from her, staring down at my drink. My fingers were wrapped around the glass but my mind was somewhere else completely.

Anya.

I could not stop thinking about her.

I did not understand why my thoughts kept returning to her again and again. She had betrayed us. She had poisoned Talia. She had looked at me with tears in her eyes and still insisted she was innocent, even while the evidence had been found in her room. I had every reason to hate her.

So why was I still thinking about her?

Why was I wondering where she was and what she was doing?

Why was I imagining her in the Fireblood pack, alone among strangers?

Talia lifted her chopsticks and smiled at me. "Try this," she said softly. "You will like it. It is sweet and a little spicy."

I looked up and forced a small smile. "Alright."

She leaned forward and placed a piece of chicken into my plate herself. Her eyes were bright and warm. She looked beautiful tonight. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders in soft waves. She had dressed carefully and I knew she had done it for me.

Under different circumstances, maybe I would have enjoyed this evening. But tonight, my chest felt heavy.

Talia tilted her head and watched me. "You are still far away," she said. "You have been like this the whole evening."

"I am listening."

She gave me a playful look. "No, you are not. I have been speaking for the last five minutes about the decorations I want for the spring festival and you did not react even once."

"I am sorry," I said.

She gave a soft laugh and reached across the table to touch my hand. "Then let me cheer you up properly."

Her fingers brushed mine gently. "Do you remember the first time we came here? You said the dumplings were too small and then you ordered three more plates."

I let out a quiet breath that was almost a laugh. "I remember."

"And you said the tea tasted strange."

"It did."

She smiled wider. "Then you drank all of it anyway."

I looked at her and tried harder to pull myself into the moment. "You seem to remember everything."

"Of course I do," she said softly. "Moments with you matter to me."

There was affection in her voice. For a brief second, guilt moved through me. I tightened my grip on the glass.

At once, Anya's face flashed in my mind. Her pale face. Her trembling lips. The way she had said, I am innocent, Leon. Please believe me.

Then I thought of Alpha Jacob of the Fireblood pack taking her away under the pretense of investigation.

My jaw tightened. He was supposed to have updated us by now. He was supposed to have sent word. But there had been nothing.

Not a single message.

Not a single report.

The more I thought about it, the more wrong it felt.

What if he was not investigating at all? What if he was helping her escape? What if this whole thing had been a lie from the start?

The anger rose so quickly that I did not notice how hard I was gripping the glass until a sharp cracking sound cut through the air.

Talia gasped.

I looked down.

Thin lines had spread over the surface of the glass under my fingers.

"Leon," Talia said quickly. "Are you fine?"

Her eyes widened as she stared at the cracked glass. A nearby server glanced in our direction, then quickly looked away.

I loosened my hand at once. "Yes. I am fine."

"You cracked it."

"I held it too tightly."

Talia's face softened with worry. "You are not fine. You look so absent-minded tonight. What are you thinking about?"

For a moment, I considered lying again. But I was too restless to hide it.

"I was thinking about Anya," I said coldly. "If the Alpha of Fireblood had not taken her away, she would already have been punished. You would already have received justice. Instead, we are still waiting. We still do not know whether he has punished her or not. Maybe he has helped her escape under the excuse of an investigation."

Talia's expression changed but only for a second. Then she sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Oh, do not worry about Anya. The Alpha of Fireblood is a cruel man. I am sure that he is dealing with her accordingly. Maybe we will receive an update soon. For now, let us focus on something else."

Her voice became lighter and softer. "We should start planning our wedding."

I blinked and stared at her. "Our wedding?"

She smiled, almost shyly this time. "Yes. Your parents were discussing it with mine yesterday. They want us to get married in the coming months."

For a second, I forgot about the restaurant, the cracked glass and everything else.

Married.

So soon?

"But why so soon?" I asked.

Talia lifted one shoulder. "I do not know. Maybe they do not want to delay it because it is a good thing. Maybe they are in a hurry for grandchildren." She laughed softly after saying it as if she found the thought amusing.

But the moment the word marriage settled in my mind, Shadow stirred violently inside me.

No.

His voice was low and rough in my head.

I stiffened.

We cannot marry Talia. She is not our mate.

My mouth tightened.

Anya was our mate, Shadow continued. The Moon Goddess chose her for us.

A dark emotion rose in me at once. I felt angry and frustrated. Anya is a traitor, I shot back inside my mind. She is a criminal. She tried to poison Talia. She is not worthy of being called our mate. She is a disgrace.

Shadow growled. I do not believe it.

I froze for the smallest second. What?

I do not believe she did it.

That answer hit me harder than I expected. My wolf had been restless for days, but until now I had refused to listen too closely to him.

Talia almost died, I said sharply.

And yet something still feels wrong, Shadow replied. Every time you think of Anya, you feel it too. You know something is not right.

I clenched my teeth and pushed his voice away. I lifted my chopsticks and forced myself to keep eating.

Across from me, Talia was watching me carefully. "You do not look happy about our marriage," she said quietly. "What is it?"

I immediately arranged my face into a smile. "No, I am very happy. I cannot wait to have you become my wife and Luna."

She smiled again but I noticed the way her eyes searched my face as if she was trying to decide whether I meant it.

Then I added, "But I will not feel at peace. Not until I make sure that Anya has been given the right punishment for her crime."

Talia's expression hardened. "Yes. She should be severely punished. She poisoned me and on top of that, the poison was a rare and expensive one found only in Fireblood territory. God only knows how long she had been keeping that poison in the drawer of her desk."

My hand stopped moving.

The air around me seemed to turn still.

I looked at her slowly.

She kept speaking, unaware of the storm that had started inside me.

"Maybe she had it for a long time," Talia said with disgust. "I did not know she was so dangerous even though I lived in the same house as her."

But I barely heard the second half of her words. One sentence was echoing in my mind.

In the drawer of her desk.

My heart gave one hard and heavy beat.

How did she know that?

I had not told her.

No one had told her.

The poison had been found during the search of Anya's room while Talia was still at the hospital, weak and barely conscious. Only I and the two guards who were with me knew exactly where it had been hidden. After we found it, I gave strict orders that no one was to reveal any details until the formal punishment had been passed.

The guards would not dare disobey me. Then how did Talia know?

My fingers slowly lowered onto the table.

There had been many places in Anya's room where something could have been hidden. Her closet. Her bedside table. Beneath the mattress. Inside the washroom cabinet. Under the floorboard near the window.

Why had Talia said the desk drawer so easily?

Why had she said it like she knew?

A chill crawled slowly up my spine.

Across from me, Talia lifted her cup and took a delicate sip. She was calm and graceful as ever.

I stared at her.

Suddenly, memories began to rise in my mind one after another. Anya crying and shaking as the guards dragged her away. Anya turning back to me with desperate eyes.

I did not do it, Leon. Please, I am innocent.

At the time, I had thought she was lying.

Had she been telling the truth?

My stomach turned.

Unless...

Unless Talia was the one who had placed the vial there.

The thought was so shocking that for a moment I could not even breathe properly.

No.

Could Talia do something like that?

She had been kind to me for years. She was gentle and soft-spoken. The daughter of a Beta family. The woman everyone expected me to marry.

But then why did she know where the poison had been hidden?

Inside me, Shadow was suddenly wide awake.

Now you see it.

I swallowed hard. No. This is just a mistake. Someone could have told her.

Who? Shadow demanded. You forbade the guards from speaking. She was in the hospital. You said nothing. So who told her?

I had no answer.

Talia smiled softly and placed more food onto my plate. "You have barely eaten," she said. "Do you not like it tonight?"

I forced myself to breathe normally. Do not react. Do not let her see.

If Talia knew something, if she was involved, I could not reveal my suspicion now. Not here. Not before I understood the truth.

I gave her a small smile. "I am just tired. There has been too much happening lately."

She reached for my hand again. "Then stop thinking about that girl. She is gone. Soon this whole matter will be over. Then we can move forward."

That girl.

For some reason, hearing Anya reduced to those words made something twist painfully inside me.

I forced myself to nod. "You are right."

Her shoulders relaxed. She seemed pleased by my answer.

But inside, I was burning.

I began to speak more easily after that. I smiled when needed. I even asked her about the wedding decorations she wanted and whether she preferred white flowers or red. Talia brightened at once and began describing the ceremony she had imagined since childhood. A long aisle. Gold decorations. Musicians. Silk banners. A crown worthy of a Luna.

I listened. I nodded. I said the right things. All the while, my mind was racing.

I watched every expression on her face. Every blink. Every smile. Every pause between her words.

Was there guilt there? Fear? Or was she truly innocent and I was losing my mind?

At one point, she laughed and said, "You are finally listening to me again."

I smiled back. "Of course."

But inside, I was counting every detail.

When dinner ended, she stood beside me while I paid. She slipped her hand through my arm as we walked out of the restaurant together. The night air was cool. The street was quiet. Lantern light from the restaurant door spilled onto the ground behind us.

Talia leaned lightly against me. "I am glad we came tonight. I missed having a peaceful evening with you."

I looked down at her. Her face was soft in the dim light. She looked beautiful and innocent.

And suddenly I did not know what was real anymore.

I opened the car door for her. She smiled and stepped inside. As I walked around to the driver's side, Shadow spoke again.

You need the truth.

I know.

If she framed Anya, then we sent our mate away in chains.

His words hit me like a blow to the chest. I gripped the car door for a second before getting in.

The drive back was quiet. Talia spoke of flowers again and guest lists and music, but her voice sounded far away now. My mind had already moved ahead.

I needed to question the guards again. I needed to know whether anyone had spoken. I needed to know whether there had been anything strange in Anya's room that I had missed.

And more than that, I needed word from the Fireblood pack.

Because if Anya had been telling the truth, then I had made a terrible mistake.

_Leon's POV_

The next morning, I went straight to the guard quarters.

I had barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard Talia's voice again.

In the drawer of her desk.

Those words had followed me into the night and stayed there like a shadow over my thoughts.

I could still hear the exact way she had said it. Calmly. Naturally. As if she had every right to know.

But she did not.

Only a few people knew where the poison had been found in Anya's room. I had made sure of that myself. I had given strict orders that no one was to speak of it before the formal punishment was passed.

So how had Talia known?

The question had burned in my mind until morning.

And now, I needed answers.

The air outside was still cool as I crossed the training yard. A few warriors were already awake and beginning their drills but I paid no attention to them. My mind was too full. My chest felt tight.

Shadow was awake too. He was restless and angry. You should have listened sooner, he said.

I clenched my jaw. "Not now."

But he was right and that only made the weight in my chest worse.

When I reached the guard quarters, the two men I wanted were already there. They straightened the moment they saw me and lowered their heads respectfully.

I did not waste time on greetings. "You two. Come with me."

They exchanged a quick glance, then followed me at once. I led them into a smaller room beside the main quarters, one used for reports and private questioning. Once we were inside, I closed the door behind us.

For a moment, the room was silent. Then I turned to face them.

Both men stood straight but I could already see the tension in their shoulders. They knew from my expression that this was not a casual matter.

"I want honest answers," I said coldly. "Think carefully before you speak."

"Yes," they both said.

I looked first at the older one. "After the search of Anya's room, did you tell anyone where the poison was found?"

His eyes widened at once. "No."

I turned to the second guard. "Did you?"

He shook his head quickly. "Never."

I stared at them for a few seconds and said nothing. I wanted them to feel the weight of the question. I wanted them to understand that I would notice even the smallest lie.

"Did you mention it to another guard? A servant? Your family?" I asked. "Did anyone hear you speak of it by accident?"

"No," the first guard said again, more firmly this time. "You gave a direct order. I obeyed it."

The second one nodded. "So did I."

My hands slowly curled into fists at my sides. "Then explain this to me."

They both went still.

"Talia knows."

Neither of them moved. I took one step closer.

"She said yesterday that the poison had been found in the drawer of Anya's desk. I never told her that. She was in the hospital when we searched the room. The only people who knew were me and the two of you. So I will ask one last time."

I looked from one face to the other. "Did either of you tell anyone?"

The first guard looked shaken now. "No. I swear on my life."

The second guard swallowed hard. "I swear it too. We never said a word."

There was real fear in his eyes. Not the fear of guilt. The fear of standing in front of an angry leader while being accused of something serious.

I kept staring at them.

Shadow's voice was dark inside me. They are telling the truth.

I hated that he was probably right.

The older guard spoke again, more carefully this time. "If... if Lady Talia knows, then someone else must have told her. But it was not us."

I held his gaze for another second before finally stepping back. "Go," I said.

They both bowed immediately. "Yes, leader."

I watched them leave the room and stood there alone in the silence.

So they had not told her.

That left only one possibility and I did not want to look at it too closely yet. Talia knew information she should not have known.

A chill moved down my spine.

Shadow spoke again. Now do you see it?

I shut my eyes for one second. "I see that something is wrong."

Something has been wrong from the start. I opened my eyes and pulled out my phone. If there was any chance that Alpha Jacob had discovered something already, I needed to know now.

I called him. The line rang once....then twice...then again. But there was no answer.

My mouth tightened. I ended the call and tried again. This time the line rang longer before cutting off. I stared at the phone in frustration.

Why was he unreachable?

He had taken Anya away under the excuse of an investigation. He was supposed to send word. He was supposed to report what he found. But there had been nothing. Not a message. Not a call. Not even a short update.

I tried one last time. Again, nothing.

A dark feeling settled heavily inside my chest. If Alpha Jacob knew something, he was not sharing it.

And if Talia was involved, then every hour that passed was another hour that Anya remained alone in Fireblood territory carrying a punishment that might never have belonged to her.

The thought hit me harder than I wanted to admit.

My mate.

The words came into my mind before I could stop them. I pushed them away at once but it was too late.

Shadow growled low inside me. You sent her away in chains.

My jaw tightened painfully. "I did what I thought was right."

Did you? he asked coldly. Or did you choose the easy lie because it protected the future everyone wanted for you?

I had no answer for that.

I lowered the phone slowly and forced myself to breathe. I needed to think clearly. I needed proof. But before I could do any of that, I had another problem.

My parents were hosting Talia and her parents for dinner that evening. The plan had already been made. Servants would be preparing all day. The families would sit together and speak of wedding arrangements. Talia would be there. Her parents would be there. My mother would be watching everything. My father would expect me to act as I always did.

If I refused to come, they would all ask questions. If I acted strangely, Talia would notice. And if Talia truly had something to hide, the last thing I could afford was warning her.

So I had only one choice. I had to act normal. The thought disgusted me but it was true.

The entire day passed slowly after that. I tried to keep myself busy. I reviewed reports. I checked patrol routes. I spoke to warriors about the borders. I even forced myself to sit through a long discussion with one of the elders about food stores and trade.

But none of it stayed in my mind. Every thought circled back to the same place. Talia had known. Alpha Jacob would not answer. And Anya...

I stopped that thought before it could finish.

By the time evening came, the pack house was already glowing with soft candlelight. Servants moved in and out of the dining hall carrying trays of food. The scent of roasted meat, herbs, butter and wine filled the air.

Anyone looking at the house from the outside would have thought it was a peaceful family evening.

It was nothing of the sort.

When Talia arrived with her parents, she looked beautiful and bright. Her smile was wide. Her eyes were full of excitement. And for the first time in years, I looked at her and felt not comfort, not affection but suspicion.

That feeling sat like ice inside my chest as I stepped forward to greet her.

"Leon," she said warmly. "You look tired."

I forced a faint smile. "Long day."

She touched my arm lightly. "Then dinner will cheer you up."

Would it?

I doubted that very much.

Still, I nodded and led her inside.

At the table, the conversations started almost immediately. My mother was in high spirits. Talia's mother was even worse. My father and Talia's father spoke in the calm practical way men did when discussing alliances, guests and status.

And Talia...she sounded eager. She spoke about flowers, fabrics, music, about crowns and decorations and a ceremony she had apparently imagined in detail for years.

I listened. I responded when necessary. I played my role. But inside, I was watching.

Watching her smile.

Watching the way she laughed.

Watching the way she placed her red bag beside her chair.

And as the dinner went on, a dangerous idea began to form in my mind.

If she knew something, maybe her phone did too. That was when I began to think of a way to get it.

_Leon's POV_

The bag was half open. Just enough for me to catch the edge of a silver phone case when she reached for a handkerchief.

Shadow's voice sharpened. Take the chance.

I kept my face blank as another servant came forward with wine. Glasses were refilled. Conversation continued. My mother and Talia's mother had moved on to discussing wedding fabrics. Talia was laughing softly and describing the sort of embroidery she liked.

I lifted my own glass slowly. Then I made my move.

I turned just slightly, as if reaching for the bread plate. At the same time, I let my wrist twist. The wine tipped from the glass in a sudden red spill and splashed straight across the front of Talia's pale dress.

She gasped and jumped up from her chair. "Oh, what have you done?"

The room went still.

I immediately set down the glass and rose too. "Talia, I am very sorry, sweetheart. It slipped from my hand."

She stared down at the stain in horror. "Leon, this dress..."

"I know," I said quickly. "I am sorry."

My mother stood at once. "Oh dear. That is a terrible stain."

Talia pressed a hand to the ruined fabric. She was clearly upset. For a second, I almost believed the accident myself.

Then I called toward the doorway. "Mira."

A servant stepped forward at once. "Yes?"

"Please accompany Talia and help her change. There must be spare clothes somewhere that fit her. Help her."

My mother nodded quickly. "Yes, let her go with Mira. I have some beautiful new dresses that I have never worn and since Talia and I are nearly the same size, they should fit."

Talia's mother gave a relieved breath. "That would be wonderful."

Talia still looked distressed but she forced a smile. "Thank you."

My mother squeezed her hand. "Go, dear. It will be fixed."

Mira stepped closer. "This way, miss."

Talia turned to me before leaving. "I will not be long."

I gave her an apologetic look. "Take your time."

She left with Mira and my mother followed partway. She was still fussing gently about the stain and possible dresses. The remaining people at the table quickly fell back into conversation. My father and Talia's father began discussing guest accommodation and wine selection for the ceremony.

No one looked at me.

Slowly and carefully, I let my hand drop beneath the table. I reached for the red bag beside Talia's chair. My fingers slipped inside. I found the phone at once.

In one smooth motion, I slid it into my pocket. My pulse was hammering now. Still no one noticed.

A few more seconds passed. Then I pushed back my chair. "Excuse me," I said evenly. "I need to use the washroom."

My father barely glanced up. "Go ahead."

I walked out at a controlled pace. I did not hurry until I had turned down the corridor and reached the private washroom near the west wing. The moment I was inside, I locked the door.

Then I pulled out the phone. For one awful second, disappointment hit me.

It was locked.

"Damn it," I whispered.

The screen waited silently. I frowned, then typed Talia's birth date. The phone unlocked.

A humorless breath escaped me. "You should have used something else."

Shadow snorted darkly. She was never as clever as she wanted people to think.

I moved quickly. First I checked the call logs. They were blank. Everything had been deleted.

That made my suspicion even worse. Then I opened her messages. There were normal threads at first. Messages from her mother. Friends. Dressmakers. One group chat about decorations.

Then I saw it. A contact saved under one simple name. Doc.

My fingers went cold. I opened the thread. And the world seemed to tilt beneath me. Message after message stared back at me.

Talia had written first. I need something that will make me very sick, but not kill me.

A reply came below. That is risky.

Then another message from her. I do not care. I need it to look like someone poisoned me.

My breath stopped. There were more.

I need symptoms fast....It must be convincing....No one can know.

The replies were careful but clear. I can help but this is dangerous. You must follow the amount exactly. You are taking a serious risk.

Then came Talia's answer. It will be worth it.

My hand tightened hard around the phone. Below that were later messages.

You did your part well. The money has been sent.

Then the reply that made my blood run cold.

Received. If you need my services again, feel free to contact me.

For a second I could not move. I just stared at the screen.

Shadow was raging inside me now. She framed Anya. She did all of it. She lied. She lied to us.

Images hit me one after another. Anya in chains. Anya crying. Anya begging me to believe her. My own voice condemning her. My own orders sending her away.

A sick wave rolled through my stomach. I had done this. I had let it happen.

My chest hurt so badly that I had to brace one hand against the sink. "You were telling the truth," I whispered to the empty room, though Anya was not there to hear me.

I forced myself to focus. I needed to save the contact number.

Quickly I copied the number into my own phone contacts under a false name. My fingers moved fast but inside I was shaking with fury.

Then I erased the recent view and locked Talia's phone again. I checked the time. She might return any second now.

I shoved the phone back into my pocket, unlocked the washroom door and quickly walked out. Every step back toward the dining hall felt unreal. My mind was burning. My blood was boiling. Yet my face had to stay calm.

When I returned, I felt relieved that Talia was still not back. My father was talking about guest quarters. Talia's father was answering. Neither of them paid me any attention as I resumed my seat.

Under the table, I slipped the phone back into the red bag exactly where it had been. A minute later footsteps approached. I looked up.

Talia entered wearing one of my mother's deep green dresses. It fit her almost perfectly. My mother followed beside her. She was smiling proudly at the success of the change.

"There," my mother said happily. "Much better."

Talia gave a soft laugh and sat down again. "Thank you. It is beautiful."

Then she turned to me with a teasing smile. "You owe me for ruining the other one."

I looked at her face....at her smile. At the woman who had almost died by her own design and then pointed the finger at Anya.

I made myself smile back. "I know. I will make it up to you."

The rest of the dinner stretched on like some twisted performance. They continued discussing the wedding. Talia continued sounding excited and eager. She talked about flowers, music and silk banners as if her world was full of nothing but happy dreams.

All I could think was that every word from her mouth was poison.

At last the evening ended. I stood beside my parents and watched Talia and her family leave. She hugged my mother. She smiled at my father. She touched my arm once and said softly, "Do not stay up too late."

I nodded. Then she was gone.

The moment the doors closed behind them, I turned and walked away without another word. I pulled out my phone and called the number I had saved.

It rang twice. Then a man answered.

"Doctor Mike here, how can I help you?"

My face went hard. "Are you Doctor Mike Johnson?" I asked.

"Yes," the man replied. "Who is this?"

I stepped into the darkness of the corridor, my grip tightening on the phone.

"There is an emergency, Doctor."

His voice sharpened at once. "What kind of emergency?"

I looked out into the night beyond the window. My heart was pounding with rage, with guilt and with something close to dread.

"I am coming to see you right now," I said coldly. "Then I will explain."

Before he could answer, I ended the call. The silence around me felt heavy.

Mike Johnson.

The same doctor who had treated Talia. The same doctor who had stood over her bed and spoken of poison with grave concern. The same doctor who had helped send Anya to hell.

Now I knew.

Talia had done this to herself.

She had planned it.

She had chosen the doctor.

She had paid him.

And I had believed her.

Shadow's voice came low and savage inside me. Go.

I started walking. Because now there was only one thing left in my mind.

I needed the full truth.

And after that, I needed to rescue Anya.