After My Alpha Poisoned Me, I Found the Lycan King

The window latch gave way under my clawed fingers, the metal bending with a protesting screech. I didn't have time to be careful anymore. The 99th injection waited in Marcus's tray, ready to end my life the moment Dorian returned from his "ceremony preparations."

Outside, the pack grounds buzzed with activity—warriors stringing lights for the Winter Moon Ceremony, kitchen staff hauling supplies for the feast. No one noticed the partially shifted figure dragging herself from the isolation ward's window.

"Shadow," I gasped internally, "just a little longer."

My wolf's presence flickered weakly, but she gave me enough strength to pull my broken body across the snowy ground. My legs wouldn't support me properly—they buckled with each step, forcing me to crawl more than walk.

Blood trailed behind me, black and viscous against the white snow. I could smell it—the sickening sweetness of silver poisoning mingling with my natural scent. Any wolf would be able to track me.

"Over there!" someone shouted. "What is that?"

I pressed myself against the cold ground, willing my body to stop shaking. My vision blurred as I forced myself forward again, one clawed hand in front of the other.

"The Alpha said no one leaves the grounds tonight," another voice called. "Should we report this?"

"Not yet. Let's handle it ourselves first."

Panic surged through me, giving me a burst of energy. I pulled myself behind a storage shed, then toward the tree line. If I could reach the Forbidden Forest—the ancient boundary between pack lands and the Royal Territory—I might have a chance.

My lungs burned with each breath, silver shards scraping against my insides. The distance seemed impossible, yet I kept moving. One foot in front of the other. One clawed hand digging into the snow. One heartbeat at a time.

"Look at her," someone whispered as I passed. "The cripple's trying to run away."

"Should we help her?"

"No. Alpha's orders were clear."

Their words faded behind me as I reached the edge of the forest. Ancient pines towered overhead, their branches heavy with snow and secrets. Beyond them lay the border stream—and safety.

If I could cross it.

The water gleamed black in the moonlight, its surface frozen except for the center channel. I could smell it—the boundary marker that no pack warrior would dare cross without royal permission.

I dragged myself to the bank, my strength ebbing with each movement. The silver poison was winning, rushing back to my heart with every beat.

"Just... a little... further," I whispered to Shadow.

She whimpered in response, her presence growing fainter.

I plunged into the icy water, the shock of it momentarily clearing my head. The current tugged at my clothes, threatening to pull me under. I fought against it, clawing at the opposite bank.

My hand found purchase on the Royal side. One pull. Another. My body collapsed onto the snow, my vision tunneling to pinpoints of light.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to the memory of my parents. "I tried."

The forest spun around me, trees blurring into darkness. I could feel the silver reaching my heart now, each beat slower than the last.

A new scent cut through my fading awareness—pine and rain and something wild that made what remained of Shadow stir.

"Shadow," I breathed. "Our mate."

I didn't hear his approach—only felt the sudden warmth as a massive cloak enveloped my shivering body. Strong arms lifted me from the snow, cradling me against a chest that smelled of sandalwood and power.

"Who did this to you?" The voice was deep, resonant with barely contained fury.

I forced my eyes open to see him—tall and imposing, with dark hair and eyes that glowed amber in the moonlight. Power radiated from him in waves that made the air shimmer.

"Alpha," I whispered, mistaking his title in my delirium.

His jaw tightened. "King," he corrected, his voice gentler now. "I am Eli Campbell, Lycan King."

He shifted me in his arms, and I felt a strange pull deep in my chest—not the silver poison, but something warmer, something that made Shadow surge forward with desperate energy.

"Mate," I breathed.

His eyes widened, then narrowed as he took in my condition—the black blood, the partial shift, the silver scent permeating my skin.

"What happened to you?" he demanded, his voice a low growl.

"Silver... poisoning," I managed. "Ninety-nine... treatments..."

Something dangerous flashed in his eyes—rage, fury, and something else I couldn't name.

"Who?" he snarled.

"Alpha... Dorian..."

A roar tore from his throat, echoing through the forest. Birds scattered from nearby trees as his aura expanded, pressing against mine like a physical force.

"I'll kill him," he promised, his voice deadly calm now.

He wrapped me tighter in his cloak, my body trembling against his warmth. I felt his mind reach for someone—a mental link opening with practiced ease.

"Isabella," his voice resonated in my mind as well as aloud. "Prepare the emergency trauma unit. Silver poisoning, advanced stage."

"But sire," a female voice protested through the link, "bringing a rogue directly to the castle—"

"She's not a rogue," Eli interrupted, his arms tightening around me. "She's my mate."

The world faded to black as he began running through the forest, carrying me toward an uncertain future.