Chapter 53. The Mistaken Lover

Mina hurried down the corridor, her thoughts still circling around the vial and the strange warmth pulsing in her chest. She didn’t notice how her hands trembled slightly, or how her heartbeat had begun to race faster than usual.

Passing through the kitchen, she paused—

The smell of roasting meat and herbs filled the pack kitchen, warm and comforting. It was the kind of scent that usually meant a small break from work.

Hunger gnawing at her and she decided to get herself something to eat. The room was dim, lit by a single lantern, and the maids were busy clearing the tables. She had just reached for a piece of bread when the door suddenly flew open.

A guard—one of the men who worked in the late Rina’s chambers—walked in quickly, his face serious and tense.

“Why hasn’t the Alpha’s meal been served yet?” he asked, his voice low but sharp with anger.

The kitchen went still. The startled maids exchanged worried glances where they stood, hands hovering