Chapter 111
Juno’s POV
Scarlett and Freya arrived at my room minutes after our linked, had just pulled on one of Augustin’s shirts, the fabric soft against my skin and carrying his scent. The confrontation with Amelia left me rattled, her sudden shift in behavior toward me both confusing and concerning.
How quickly things change, I thought, running my fingers through my tangled hair. One moment I was making progress with Augustin’s mother, the next she was looking at me like I was her mortal enemy. This transformation was unsettling, but I was confident I’d win this dangerous game. At least I did have to guess where Augustin would stand, I knew he was firmly on my side.
I joined Scarlett and Freya on the sofa and contacted one of the servants to bring us tea and cookies. We needed something to calm our nerves after the day’s events.
“So what happened with Anfelia?” Scarlett asked, “We saw her earlier in the lounge area, drinking. She looked like she’d
been hit by a truck.”
“She was downing whiskey like it was water,” Freya added, “When we went to say hello, she was downright nasty. Called us
whores, traitors, thieves… said we’d stolen what belonged to better wolves. I’ve never seen her like that.”
sighed. “She’s upset about Evanth. She believes I’m behind everything that I orchestrated his arrest and framed him. I shook my head. “She cornered me and practically accused me of plotting against her family. She sees me as her enemy
now.”
Freya snorted, her eyes gleaming with disbelief. “That’s ridiculous. You already have everything. In two, months, you’ll be
Luna Queen. Augustin is undeniably yours–the way he looks at you makes that obvious to anyone with eyes. Why would
you need to scheme against Evanth?”
“I did ask her to make sure Evanth wouldn’t attend the hearing. I admitted, “And I might have suggested that if he caused trouble for Augustin, I’d fight back. I wanted to make my position clear.”
“Evanth deserves whatever’s coming to him,” Freya said, “And what kind of mother is she anyway? She always sides with Evanth against Augustin, even when Evanth is clearly in the wrong. I’ve seen it a dozen times since we arrived. It’s like she
can’t see Augustin’s value.”
I sank deeper into the couch, trying to make sense of Amelia’s behavior. “She doesn’t approve of Augustin’s policies,” I explained. “She wants him to avenge her husband and expand Clifflands‘ territory. Peace doesn’t interest her.”
“Her husband hurt a lot of people,” Scarlett interrupted, “He destroyed lives and families. We all heard stories about what happened to those Lakeside Lunas. Fang did everyone a favor when he-”
“Careful,” I warned, glancing pointedly at the walls. The last thing we needed was for someone to overhear us praising the man who killed Augustin’s father. “I don’t want to give Amelia any ammunition against us. These walls might have ears.”
A knock at the door interrupted our conversation. Zola, one of the maids, entered with an elaborate tea service. She placed the tray on the coffee table before us: Earl Grey, Darjeeling, and lemongrass mint teas, along with an assortment of handcrafted cookies – chocolate nut, vanilla coconut, and gingerbread.
“Wait,” I said before she could leave. “Would you taste these for me, please?”
Zola looked surprised but nodded. “Of course, Luna.”
1/3
Chapter 111
Just a precaution,” I explained as she sampled each tea and cookie. “A lot is happening right now, and I’m being cautious.
She stood with us for about ten minutes after tasting everything. When I was satisfied, I apologized for the inconvenience and dismissed her.
“What was that about?” Scarlett asked once Zola had left.
I picked up the Earl Grey, inhaling deeply. The bergamot scent seemed overly strong and sharp. My enhanced sense of smell caught something off. I set the cup town and reached for the milder lemongrass mint instead.
“Amelia hates us,” I said simply. “And she was married to a cruel Alpha who taught her every dirty trick. I’m not taking chances. Not with any of you.”
“Smart,” Freya murmured, following my lead and choosing the lemongrass tea. “I’ve learned never to underestimate a woman who feels she has nothing to lose.”
“The Earl Grey smells strange.today,” I remarked, wrinkling my nose. “Too harsh. I should ask Zola if there’s an issue with the quality of the leaves.”
Scarlett abandoned the Earl Grey as well, opting for the lemongrass mint tea like us. She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, her eyes intense. “So who do you think is behind all this she asked, getting to the real reason for their visit. “If not Evanth?”
I sipped my tea thoughtfully, organizing my suspicions. The tea was soothing, a welcome contrast to the turmoil in my mind. “I’m not convinced it’s Evanth. Someone might be setting him up to divert attention. He’s too obvious as a suspect. When I investigate, I look for the person who benefits most from the chaos, not just the person who looks guilty.”
“Sometimes life is simple,” Freya countered with a shrug. “Maybe the truth is exactly what it appears to be. Like how we easily found love again.”
I smiled back, happy for my friends despite everything. “I’m not saying Evanth isn’t involved. But the attack on Dawnshere and this incident… they don’t feel like the work of the same person. The Dawnshere attack was sloppy, emotional. This setup is too clean, too calculated.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s innocent,” Scarlett pointed out. “He could have miscalculated, or maybe he tried to replicate the original crime hoping things would play out differently. Stupid people often think they’re being clever.”
“True,” I nodded, recalling how sometimes the most obvious answer was the correct one. “Evanth is eager to take over from his brother. Maybe the Dawnshere incident gave him the idea to copy the same scenario. His hunger for power might have
overridden his common sense.”
“If Augustin steps down,” Freya said thoughtfully, “power moves away from the Levenston family to the Savidge family, then to the Callaway family. If both Bryloch and Adryx are unfit Clifflands would choose between Evanth and Sebastian as
their leader.”
“We also need to consider Evanth’s friendship with Quentor,” I added. “Quentor despises Augustin and believes Evanth should replace him. He might have promised Evanth the Council’s support. In exchange, Evanth becomes his puppet – waging war, increasing seats and power for the Council, making Clifflands wealthy.”
‘How is Augustin handling all this? Scarlett asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
