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In my rage, I couldn’t think straight, but there was an inkling of truth to Aradia’s statement. Sandor had still not asked for any form of payment. It was not as if we had held out on him. Why would he go after Zephy, particularly on a night like tonight? It didn’t make sense.
But if not him, then who?
I thought of Janifer, banished from the kingdom, and the staff giving Zephy so much trouble since her coronation. Would any of them go so far as to hurt her and our child?
“Should we go for him, Alpha?” Ryland asked uncertainly, waiting for a direct order.
I pursed my lips, meeting Aradia’s eyes, and shook my head.
“Wait for my instructions,” I growled, striding the rest of the way toward my suite, where I found Maywin and Zephy perched on the round mattress.
“My love,” I rasped, dropping to my knees, grabbing her hands. “Are you hurt? What happened?”
“I’m not hurt,” she told me. “Maywin caught it before I could take a bite.”
I looked toward the meek servant with gratitude shining in my eyes. “You will be properly rewarded for your astuteness and diligence, Maywin.”
“No, Alpha,” she said nervously. “I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.”
“You saved my wife and my child.”
I fixed my gaze back on Zephy, shaking my head. “I will find whoever was responsible for this and bring a plague upon their entire family,” I vowed. “You don’t need to worry—”
“Stop saying that!” Zephy cried, standing abruptly. “How can I not worry?”
Through my peripheral vision, I saw the guards and Aradia discreetly back out of the room to leave us alone, Maywin trailing after them, closing the door in their wake.
“Zephy—”
“No! You said there was nothing to worry about anymore. I told you we shouldn’t announce this pregnancy. I knew something like this was going to happen, Cade!”
I stopped her, collecting her in my arms as she exhaled a shuddering breath, my own still jagged, but I struggled to keep control.
“No one is going to harm you or our baby, Zephy. I will die before I let that happen.”
“I don’t want anyone to die!” she protested, but dropped her face against my shoulder, trembling slightly. The scare had rocked her to the core, despite the brave front she had put on for the staff, and it only fueled my ire. “Was it the warlock? Did he do this?”
I wanted to tell her yes, that I knew for certain who was responsible, and that I would take care of Sandor to put her mind at ease, but Aradia’s warnings sat heavily in my mind.
“I can’t be certain, but I strongly suspect it was him.”
“I’ll kill him myself if he tries to come for our child,” she vowed, her tone reminiscent of the woman I remembered so well, but I could still hear the underlying fear.
Because it wasn’t just about her anymore.
“Shh,” I begged her, wanting to alleviate her anguish. “I will bring the perpetrator to swift and merciless justice. I promise you that. His trial will be public and humiliating.”
Zephy lifted her head to look at me, her expression fraught with pain and anger. “This is never going to change, is it? I’m never going to fit in here, no matter what I do.”
“No!” I growled. “No. You are carrying my child, and the kingdom will respect you because you are worthy of their respect. I’ll see to it.”
Zephy laid her head back against my shoulder, and I stroked her back, my mind racing. I would tear the entire kingdom apart, looking for any traces of ebonleaf. Anyone caught with it would be locked in the dungeon and questioned until the truth prevailed.
And the poisoner himself would suffer in ways I hadn’t even thought of yet. The life of my unborn child depended on that justice.
Chapter16
Zephy
