The grand halls of Winterborne Citadel echoed with whispers and veiled threats long before Gweneth’s royal carriage crossed the iron portcullis.
News of the Alpha King’s return spread like wildfire: not only had he recovered his stolen heir, little Leo, but he had brought home a packless, ragged omega bearing the sacred royal mate mark.
To the nobility, it was scandalous.
To Gweneth, it was a battlefield far deadlier than any blizzard.
Flanked by an honor guard, she stepped into the snow-dusted courtyard in a midnight-blue silk gown lined with ermine.
King Gonzalo walked beside her, his massive hand resting possessively on the small of her back.
“Keep your eyes forward, little bird,” he murmured, his deep voice a comforting rumble.
“They smell fear.
Do not feed it to them.
”
Yet fear coiled in her stomach.
The courtiers bowed stiffly, their eyes sharp with judgment.
Among them, Lady Beatrice of House Carmichael stood out—tall, elegant, with toxic emerald eyes that promised ruin.
Her uncle, Lord Winston, the master of the treasury, offered a oily smile.
“We rejoice at the prince’s return, my king.
But… a stray omega as queen? The court has questions.
”
Gonzalo’s aura flared, forcing several nobles to their knees.
“The Goddess has spoken through the mark.
Gweneth is my fated mate.
Question her at your peril.
”
Three weeks passed in a haze of fragile peace and simmering danger.
Little Leo thrived under Gweneth’s care, his icy blue eyes glowing faintly whenever she sang ancient lullabies.
The mate bond between her and Gonzalo deepened with every touch, every shared glance.
Yet Gonzalo was often absent, repairing alliances fractured by Montgomery’s treason.
Alone in the opulent but hostile citadel, Gweneth learned that court venom cut deeper than rogue claws.
Then came the Tuesday afternoon that shattered the illusion of safety.
Gweneth rocked Leo in the royal nursery, the hearth crackling warmly.
A sharp knock interrupted her humming.
Dr.
Linus Carrington, the elderly royal physician, entered with a silver tray bearing a steaming goblet and a vial.
“Lady Beatrice sends this tonic for your strength, my queen.
And drops for the prince.
”
Gweneth’s instincts screamed.
Beatrice had never shown kindness.
She leaned over the goblet, her keen omega senses detecting the faint, deadly notes beneath the lavender and mint—nightshade and concentrated wolfsbane.
“Drink it yourself, Doctor,” she said calmly, channeling a thread of Gonzalo’s authority through her mark.
The brand on her collarbone warmed.
Carrington collapsed in sobs.
“They took my granddaughter! Lord Winston’s men… they’ll drown her if I don’t poison you and the child!”
Before Gweneth could react, the nursery door exploded inward.
King Gonzalo stormed in, claws extended and dripping with the blood of traitorous guards he had slain in the hallway.
His golden eyes blazed with murderous fury.
“Who dares threaten my mate and heir?”
The hunt began instantly.
The citadel’s portcullis slammed shut.
Warning bells tolled.
Gonzalo led his elite Iron Guard, Gweneth at his side clutching Leo, toward the banquet hall where the nobility feasted, unaware.
He kicked the heavy oak doors off their hinges with a thunderous crash.
“Lord Winston Carmichael.
Lady Beatrice.
Step forward.
”
Winston froze mid-bite.
Beatrice’s composure cracked as Dr.
Carrington was dragged in, confessing everything.
Gasps filled the hall.
Chaos erupted when Beatrice whistled—hidden Carmichael guards revealed themselves, swords drawn.
“You think a filthy omega can sit on the throne?” Beatrice spat.
“The Crofts are weak! I was meant to rule!” She crushed a glowing vial and inhaled the forbidden black alchemy.
Her body convulsed, bones snapping and elongating as she transformed into a monstrous berserker wolf the size of a warhorse, eyes glowing with unnatural toxic light.
The hall descended into battle.
Steel clashed.
Tables overturned.
Gonzalo fought like a storm, but Beatrice’s gaze locked on Gweneth.
The abomination charged, jaws unhinged, intent on tearing the omega and infant apart.
Gweneth stood her ground, heart pounding.
She clutched Leo tighter and reached deep into the mate bond.
The royal mark erupted in blinding light, flooding the hall.
As the beast leapt, Gweneth’s eyes glowed gold.
“Submit!”
The divine command echoed like the voice of the Goddess herself.
The berserker slammed into an invisible wall of power, whimpering as the dark magic was ripped from its body.
Beatrice crashed to the marble inches from Gweneth’s feet, shrinking back into her broken human form.
The remaining traitors dropped their weapons in awe.
Gonzalo rushed to her, checking for injuries before pulling her close in front of the entire court.
But the true mastermind behind the conspiracy had not yet been revealed—and a darker threat waited in the shadows of the undercroft, one that could shatter the kingdom forever.
.
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Disclaimer : This content may be created by AI for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to real persons, events, or places is coincidental.
