Chapter 32
813 Words
_Dorian's POV_
The next morning, I woke up with a lingering sense of unease. Camilla had returned late last night, but I had no idea where she had been. Now, I needed to keep an even closer eye on her. Something wasn’t right, and I was determined to find out what it was.
After getting dressed, I made my way down the hall and stopped in front of Camilla’s room. To my surprise, the door was slightly ajar. She always locked her door whether it was day or night. My pulse quickened. Was she inside? Had she forgotten to lock it, or was she expecting someone?
I pushed the door open slowly, stepping inside as quietly as I could. The sight before me made me pause.
Camilla was standing at her vanity, holding a small vial filled with a thick green liquid. I watched as she carefully poured the substance into a glass bottle. It seemed as if she had done this many times before.
The moment she sensed my presence, she gasped and jerked her hand, spilling the liquid onto the wooden floor. The scent that filled the air was strange—earthy, almost herbal, but with a hint of something bitter.
Her wide eyes met mine as she quickly tried to compose herself. "Dorian!" she exclaimed, forcing a nervous smile. "You startled me."
I took a step closer, my gaze shifting from the spilled liquid to the now half-empty vial in her hand. "What is that?" I asked, my voice calm but firm.
Camilla hesitated, gripping the vial tightly before slipping it into the pocket of her robe. "It’s nothing," she said quickly. "Just… medicine. I haven’t been feeling well lately."
"Medicine?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of medicine?"
She crossed her arms, her expression shifting into one of mild annoyance. "Why do you sound so suspicious? Can’t I take care of my health without being questioned?"
I held her gaze, searching for any sign of truth in her words. Something about the way she was acting felt off, but I didn’t press further. If I pushed too hard now, she would be more careful in the future. I needed to play this smart.
I sighed, pretending to let it go. "I wasn’t trying to accuse you of anything. You just seemed startled. That’s all."
Camilla relaxed slightly, though I could still see the tension in her shoulders. "Well, you did surprise me. I was just about to come down for breakfast."
I nodded, deciding to use this moment to my advantage. "Let us go then. I’ll walk with you."
As we left the room together, I made sure to engage her in conversation, asking about small and meaningless things to keep her distracted. She was so focused on responding to me that she didn’t think to lock her door behind her.
Perfect.
We sat down for breakfast. The dining hall was already bustling with pack members. Camilla acted as if nothing had happened. She was chatting about pack affairs and the upcoming ceremony that was supposed to make her my official Luna. I responded when necessary, but my mind was elsewhere.
I needed to get back to her room.
Halfway through the meal, I set my fork down and stood up. "I’ll be right back. I need to use the restroom."
Camilla barely acknowledged me. She was too busy discussing something with the pack’s head warrior. That gave me just enough time.
I moved quickly but made sure to appear casual, nodding at a few pack members as I made my way back upstairs. Once I reached Camilla’s door, I carefully pushed it open and stepped inside.
The vial was still sitting on her vanity, just as I had hoped. There was still a small amount of the green liquid left inside. I picked it up, examining it closely. What kind of medicine looked like this? And why did she react so strongly when I caught her with it?
I slipped the vial into my pocket, making sure not to leave any signs that I had been here. Then, I hurried back downstairs.
Camilla was right where I had left her, laughing lightly at something the warrior had said. When she noticed me returning, she smiled. "That was quick."
I forced a chuckle as I sat back down. "Yeah, well, I didn’t want my food to get cold."
She nodded and continued eating, completely unaware that I now had her mysterious vial. As I picked up my fork again, I made sure to keep the conversation going, asking her about things I knew she enjoyed talking about. The more distracted she was, the less likely she would be to realize something was missing.
But in my mind, I was already making plans. I needed to find out what this liquid was.
And I needed to do it soon.
- Writer
