aide

guided her, still trembling, to a velvet armchair near the window. Her fear

almness seemed to frighten her more than any outburst would

k. The words tumbled out of her i

to destroy my reputation so thoroughly that the proposed alliance with a powerful northern pack would be imposs

he plan was to have Vance ruin me, forcing my family to marry me off to him in disgrace, thereb

ft unlocked. Once Vance was finished, Juliana and Ashley would "d

her log on the fire of my hatred. They hadn't just wanted to sideline me. They had wa

my writing desk. I opened a small, lacquered box and took out

th terror. She thought I was go

is a slow-acting poison. It has no color,

ck of her hand. It was just water from my bedside carafe, but she didn't know th

," I explained, my voice as soothing as a serpent's hiss. "If

e. She was already feeling the phantom pains, the imagined decay. Fear was a more potent poison than anythi

whispered, her eyes plea

nce died in her eyes. She w

. "Here is you

e Tucker was still unconscious, hidden in the adjoining d

to him. You will tell him the plan has chang

er about a small, secret disagreement between Juliana and Ashle

epared a different 'gift' for him. Tell him Cecilia has

per containing a white powder. It was a potent aphrodisiac, far stronger th

It will ensure his rage and lust overwh

rstanding of my ruthlessness. But the "poison" in her veins was a po

ting cabin at the edge of the territory," I

of the room, a puppet w

at the dark estate. The moon was high,

set. The piec

t, rubbing the smooth skin where the pha

ould be the ones