Chapter 247 - The Poisoned Apple (1/2)
Mediterranean wolf clan palace, Zakynthos Island Greece: May 1826
Cam tightened the knot of the robe as she leaned her head against the heavy door separating her and Ales's room. She let out the breath she'd been holding. Her eyes moved nervously to the clock on the mantle. He would be in his room by now. Her hand trembled as she raised it to knock, squeezing her eyes tightly shut as she did so. {How have things gotten like this.}
”Come in.” His voice was a low murmur from the other side. No doubt he'd brought the ledgers to bed with him and was currently working.
Cam slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open. She stepped through nervously, letting her eyes trail around the room until they finally landed on his back. He was sitting at a desk he'd had set up in one corner of the room, a half-emptied decanter of rich amber liquor set atop the desk beside a now-empty tumbler. ”Ales... Surely you must know, I've waited for you every night this week...” She slowly walked toward where he was seated with his back still turned to her. ”Ales... I understand you're still upset with me and that you're extremely busy, but you can't continue to ignore me... to... to ignore your duties...” When he didn't respond as she drew closer, her frown deepened as she continued. ”Ales, we're married now... you must either accept my distaste and suspicions involving Fern and move on or... or...” Tears began building in her eyes. ”Or let me go...” Her tears began to flow freely now. ”I can't remain with a man who will not but barely speak to me or... or touch me...” She shook her head. ”I cannot bear it, Ales... Regardless of how you feel about me... I still love you...” When he still made no move to speak or face her, she grabbed hold of both his shoulders and shook hard. ”Do you have nothing to say?! OH-” Her breath caught when his head toppled to one side. She quickly made her way around to the front of his chair to face him. He was out cold! ”Ales? Ales!” She said repeatedly as she shook his upper body, but he wouldn't wake up. Light footsteps from the hallway caused her anxiety to kick up a notch. Her eyes stayed focused on the door as she shook him harder. ”Ales, come on you have to wake up!” But he wouldn't budge. Without any options left, Cam hurried toward the armoire in the opposite corner of the room and climbed inside. The bedroom door opened only seconds after she was able to push to the back of one side. She covered her mouth with her hand, holding tightly as she watched a figure step into view behind Ales. She prayed the clothes and slightly cracked door were enough to mask her presence. Her eyes widened in horror as the man spoke. {FERN! What is he doing in here?!}
”Ah, little brother... I see you couldn't handle your alcohol again tonight...” He chuckled. ”Of course, no man could...” He lifted the tumbler and turned it in his hands, watching as the remaining drops of liquid moved around the inside of the glass. Placing it back down beside the decanter, he turned toward the door. ”Sleep well little brother. It won't be long now...”
”Want us to move him to the bed again boss?” Cam tightened her grip on her mouth as a gasp tried forcing its way past her lips and her eyes widened as two large guards entered the room.
Fern's voice came from the doorway. ”Do as you must. I've gotten all the verification I need from these trials.” A sinister smile could be heard in his voice. ”Now, all I need is to set the second half of my plan into action...”
Cam could feel her heartbeat against her c.h.e.s.t as if it were trying to escape as she watched the men carry her beloved to his bed and place him down as if he were no more than an infant or a corpse...
”That must have been a stout batch you mixed, Sir. He hasn't budged at all this time.” One of the guards replied as he moved away from the bed.
”Yes, I doubled it from last night's and readjusted the concentrations.” He gave a chuckle from farther away this time. ”I really should get a patent. A tonic that can sedate an alpha, and is nearly untraceable. Think what the right people would pay for something with that ability!”
Cam waited several agonizing minutes once the doors were closed before pushing the garments to the side and stepping out of her hiding place. She tiptoed back to the desk, her eyes darting to the door several times as she went. She pulled the stopper out of the decanter and moved the bottle to her nose. True to his words, the liquid had no odd odors. It only smelled of fine scotch. She debated on dumping it out immediately but thought better of it in the end. {I need this to prove I'm right about him!} She thought to herself as she set the bottle back into place and capped it off. She made her way back over to the bed and tried to wake Ales again, but it was no use. She let out a heavy sigh as she climbed onto the bed and curled up next to him placing her head over his heart. The steady badump-badump eased her worry, as she let its healthy rhythm lull her off to sleep.
Movement from beside her cause Cam to wake. She shot up straight in the bed, her eyes moving around the room frantically terrified that one of the guards... or worse Fern, had returned while they slept. When the body beside of her shifted again her eyes moved down to a restless Ales. A thin layer of sweat covered his forehead causing Cam's brows to bunch. ”Ales?” She whispered as she placed her cool hand against his forehead. ”Ales! Wake up, you're burning up. You... you have a fever!” She shook him roughly as her anxiety built.
Sleep fogged cyan eyes met hers. ”Cam?” He whispered groggily.
Cam nodded trying to mask some of her worry with a smile. ”Ales, you're awake! Thank goodness!” She grabbed his hands and tugged him into a sitting position on the bed. ”Ales, you need to shift. You've been poisoned!”
Ales frowned as his foggy brain tried to make sense out of her words. ”Cam... what are you going on about?” He looked around. ”How did you... Why are you in my room? My bed?” His confused eyes moved back to her. ”We didn't... I didn't...”
Cam grabbed his hands and tugged him toward her, forcing his focus on her. ”Ales, I'll explain later! You NEED to shift right now!” Her nervous eyes shot back to the door. ”Before he comes back with the guards...”
Ales furrowed his brows as he followed her gaze to the door. ”Before who comes back? With what guards?”
”FERN! He's been drugging you!” She pointed to the decanter on the counter.
Ales rolled his eyes as he turned away from her again. ”Not this again, Cam. We've discussed it. I'll not have you speaking ill of my brother. He is the only family I have left, and he's done nothing but help since father's death. So-”